College Educational Requirements and the Impact on the Recruitment of Minority Officers

• NCJ Number: 177762
• Author(s): Ron Wood
• Date Published: May 1998
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: California Cmssn on Peace Officer Standards and Training
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services; POST Media Distribution Ctr
• Publication Format: Dissertation/Thesis
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Although many law enforcement executives have recognized the need for better educated police officers and have instituted local requirements for college education as a job requirement for new hires, higher education requirements may discriminate against minorities.

Abstract

The number of minority higher education students has declined in recent years, and available evidence indicates that most minorities are disadvantaged with regard to higher education. Further, many law enforcement executives worry that higher education requirements may violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines. Nonetheless, police departments need to ensure the best qualified persons are hired. As police executives attempt to upgrade educational requirements, they must be prepared to face challenges from several directions and must implement change in accordance with local needs and conditions so that minority applicants are not discriminated against. Guidelines on how to recruit qualified minority police officers are suggested. 13 references