NCJ Number
98603
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 13 Issue: 4 Dated: (1985) Pages: 329-338
Date Published
1985
Length
10 pages
Annotation
The issue of whether criminal justice education, or education in general, has had an impact on the quality of policing in the United States has been studied since the mid-l960's.
Abstract
The results have been mixed. This study considers the value of education as it relates to the progress educated officers have made within the ranks of police departments in the state of Illinois. The results indicate that the majority of veteran police officers, particularly those with a college education, strive for promotion but are frustrated when they are not able to achieve it. This may be a factor in another finding, which indicates that a sizable group of subjects reported the strong opinion that promotion is based on politics, not on merit or education. For whatever reasons, it is obvious that in municipal police work, there is never going to be much room at the top. Most officers will serve their entire careers at the level of patrol officer, and those who want to be promoted beyond that rank will continue to seek out any positive enchancement that might distinguish them. (Author abstract)