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Police officers should need a bachelor's degree in law. I believe it would reduce wrongful arrest and altercations leading to a death
Police officers are some of the most under informed people when it comes to general law. Many seem to do things in good faith without actually knowing the law and the citizens they are having negotiations with seem to know the law in a particular area much better than the officers.

Naming certain topics will turn this into a the P word Bloodbath but there are dozens upon dozens of videos we're altercations are between five and six officers trying to bully a civilian when they clearly know the law better than they do.

I personally think if they actually had to go to school or at least get the job and maintain monthly training towards a bachelor's degree in law it could end many bad faith arrests and police shooting altercations.

US based opinion


In the state Niedersachsen in Germany, we need a bachelor degree in the police akademie. It is a three year studium.


Similar in Norway, takes a long time to become a police officer


Same in Sweden, pretty sure this goes for most european countries.


We have the Gardaí College here in Ireland. You also can’t be based in your hometown to neutralize bias when working. 104 weeks of training equals a BA in Applied Policing. US cops don’t have this, apparently. Further education is required for detective work and it’s more often than not older fellows.


Yeah its easier to be a cop than cut hair or be a yoga instructor
States require more training time to become a barber than a police officer.


In Lithuania police officers and firefighters has to have "impeccable reputation ". The list what this means is really long and grey areas can be argued. This includes no felonies period. Even your parents having felonies can disqualify you from entering a police academy, also some misdemeanor (or too much of them).


A degree is required to join the UK police. There are routes to join and do a degree within the force but to directly start you need a degree in policing.


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Ryo1 8 Dec 29
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21 comments

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11

I don't think they like them that smart here in the US. 😟

They want them just smart enough to be stupid enough to follow commands.

8

One big difference between those countries and ours is the overwhelming presence of guns. Our homicide rate makes theirs look like a walk in the park under warm, sunny, clear skies. Actually, one study I read showed women cops often performed better than men as the men have this macho mentality and are ready to shoot first and don't ask questions. Women often talk the bad guys down and shoot as a last resort. Like everything else there are exceptions.
BTW I lived in Germany 15 years and had numerous interactions with the police (one was hilarious). Never was there a problem and they always acted as helpers rather than punisher's.

8

The only real police reform really needed is to increase penalties for the ones who abuse their authority and or break the law.

Police officers receive extensive training in the use of deadly physical force, self defense, the use of firearms as well as some first aid applying, plus undergo many hours of physical training similar to the armed forces, as my father once told me, being a retired NYPD Detective as well as a Command Sgt. Major in the US Army. He always said to increase the penalty time, in some cases 10 to 20 years more than a regular civilian for officers who commit serious offenses and need to be held to a very high standard given their job description.

Not all police receive extensive training in firearms, etc. Bigger cities and probably all state levels do, but some bumfuck sheriff's departments and small towns do squat.

@Beowulfsfriend These are in all likelihood departments that hire fewer than….say 25 officers.

6

In America cops can and have been denied employment because they were "too smart." Pretty much sums it up.

6

When police break the law they need to go to prison and then be blacklisted from ever being a cop again.

One of my female friends got fired and now can’t work as a LEO ever again. She didn’t break the law, the Dept used her to cover up their own abuses of power, after she complained of sexual harassment on numerous occasions.

6

Education is always an improvement, especially a more well-rounded one. Here in the US, requirements vary by jurisdiction.

5

I am not sure that policemen need a degree in law enforcement. They do need intelligence, and should be screened on personality and temperament.

A min of Associates in Criminal Justice at hire date with a 2-3 years tops completion of a Bachelors should be required before any raises and considered as probationary period. . Some of our substance abuse counselors have a 3 year cap to complete all the clinical hours if working for state, or it’s bye bye! .Many depts offer tuition reimbursements, so why not get a free education that would improve your job as you grow and mature as an an individual and a professional?

Also commitment to impartiality as part of their job description.

5

Better training and different training is so needed here in the US. One big problem is when officers want to hide and cover up a bad cop.

In many cases they do this to protect their own lives. Look at NYPD officer Frank Serpico in the 70s attempting to report corruption.

@Umbrella_Guard Check out the Dutch military and its union. I was in the military, right after Vietnam, and there was a growing tide for having a union. I even attended a meeting. Congress took time that year to pass a law/statute making military unions illegal.

@Beowulfsfriend Does their Union debate orders?

4

I despise cops. I don't know what they're like everywhere else but here in the US, they're a bunch of Republican rednecks on a power trip because the state gives them a gun and tells them to try not to shoot any white people.

Your assessment is absurd

@Alienbeing And yet there's still so much truth within its absurdity.

@Sgt_Spanky The sole truth in your post is that it absurdly says all cops belong to the same group.

You must have been quite a researcher in school..........NOT.

3

As in all things the better and more appropriate the education the better the work force.
So having a degree that focuses on the main aspects of policing ie negotiation, law, philosophy, social justice, restorative justice, psychology, politics, critical thinking etc
Then they do the physical aspects of hand to hand, weapon training, the skills they should use the least.
The deal is you would have a lot more drop outs as the ones who are not able to retrain their thinking or do not wish to will fail.

They could even make it part of the training so you do the mental and physical evaluations and start your degree while working in a station as an aide ie doing the paperwork, serving on the desk, community liasoning (as you go through the degree more contact with the public) It could even be written into the degree work as in a journal about encounters how they handled it and what they might do differently next time.

In Australia we have police aides they are now being used in schools (not punitive but to have positive relationships with students) they are able to talk to students about the law and what their behaviour may lead to. One came to talk to my special ed students about what the word assault means in our laws and what the consequences are, she printed out the legislation and we talked about it. From then on when they grabbed each other crotches it was referred to as sexual assault and some students even said to them This feels like assault stop it now. (my boys were very physical in the rough and tumble sense as well as the crotch grabbing and would haul people around thinking it was fun)

In the remote communities the aides (who are often first nation's people) will sit down with the children involved in an incident to do the restorative justice session.

3

And how will they pay back the Student Loans?

That is a whole other problem. The fact young adult go into massive debt to get a degree stinks, I have no problem with some degree of accountability ie if you are going from one degree to another and not finishing any or finishing one to start on another in a different field.
Everyone should be entitled to their starting degree ie a Bachelors then after that (when you are probably working) start to pay.

@Budgie have to solve that problem up front...the "Defund the Police" sentiment goes against "education allowance"...don't get me wrong, the Police don't need Armered Personal Carriers and RPG'S but who will pay for this Education? I admit it is needed and a good idea but where does the money come from? The Government will NOT take money from the Military Budget which is WAY to big to begin with...and let's face it...the Biden Administration will be BLOCKED from any programs that benefit the country. Until the Democrats get a strong majority we will see NO CHANGE.

Just like many cities get professionals with talent.

@Beowulfsfriend tax revenue is way down because of the Pandemic and poor taxation policies on the wealthy...the cities don't have the budgets to afford to pay for the education and increased wages for Police with BA Degrees. The system is cash poor and corrupted. The Politicians have made sure that they get the cake and they get to eat it too...the only way anything will change is by putting in restrictions on what an elected official can and cannot do...look at what people like Manchin and MTG and the majority of the GOP are doing ... And the American public is being held hostage by them. They will NEVER allow education be paid for and they will NEVER allow social justice to take place...so our hands are tied at both ends. No education for the Police and Voter Suppression. Then they blame it on the Democrats...the whole idea of educating the Police Force is EXCELLENT BUT...this countries Political System won't allow it...Idealism and Capitalism are not good bedfellows.

3

You might be thinking of a criminal justice degree. Law requires a Master's degree. And you'd be surprised at how stupid and judgemental criminal justice majors can be.

3

It would be a really good start.
Training is everything.

2

Family lore passed down to me has it that during the Great Depression US police were often highly educated people. White collar jobs were scarce, and many men with college degrees turned to policing to make a living.

I am all for upping the educational requirements for entry into law enforcement. And let that learning be weighted toward the humanities!

2

A university bachelors degree does not confer common sense. It has been my observation through the years that it often has the opposite effect.

HI. Point taken. But imo, while common sense refers to the basic level of practical knowledge and the ability to address everday matters and behave accordingly that is accepted by nearly all people, police officers, whose job is to maintain law and order and prevent crimes, need to have more than common sense.

who rermembers jean shepherds famous "hamberger with a colloge education" ?
'

2

Definitely not a bad idea.

I"ve always felt police (or anyone required to carry a firearm for employment purposes) should have a form of malpractice insurance. If we can't afford to give them training, make their accountability financial. Speak to them through their wallet.

Most government agencies, even at local levels carry some sort of insurance. Usually it is capped at a million dollars. The school I taught at had a million dollar policy; we had a sex case go on for years, much after I was gone - I wasn't deposed (I reported it) til about 4 years after the case started. Anyway, the family wanted the school to pay, more than an insurance company, and demanded 2 million; they eventually won.

@Beowulfsfriend That's not good enough. It has to impact them directly or it will make no difference to their decision making. Like Doctor's.. they all of a sudden became very conscious of their decisions once they required personal malpractice insurance.

@Davekp I'm not disagreeing. Every shop teacher that I knew kept extra insurance on themselves in case of kids having accidents. Having a form of malpractice insurance, charged to the individual, and the cost linked to their actions could have some positive effects.

@Beowulfsfriend Yes. Lol.. didn’t think you were disagreeing at all. I was just being forceful in my opinion. Happens so rarely. 🙄

1

Police in my small area are a joke. I took my wife to work once and came back home that night. Later I hear noises outside like someone is in my car. What I discovered was a couple of pictures of a black girl. Later, a local cop told me he thought these pics came from my wife's secret St. Louis lover. Maybe they were pics of his sister or something. I reported the racist bastard. I doubt that he had any training at all. Just a badge.

I’m lost on this one , I protect your neck around those officers.

@Outsideit67 I was lost on it also. Just remarks by a small town redneck with a badge.

1

In Quebec, to become a cop, you need a three-year program in senior high and 15 weeks at the provincial police academy.

1

I would like to think that more education is needed, absolutely. Unfortunately around where I live when you give somebody a badge they think it makes them invincible. Anyone who wants to become a police officer is fine but they also need training and compassion & community servitude. I also don’t think that they should be allowed to carry firearms.

0

The way Police Officers conduct themselves is a reflection of the the leadership . From the Mayor, to the city council and the Police chief. We rarel here anything in regards to accountability from them .

0

I agree.
I think we should follow the example of Baltimore, Minneapolis, Seattle, Chicago, LA, and New York.
That would be a beautiful word; wouldn’t it???

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