NCJ Number
180673
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 48 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2000 Pages: 50-58
Date Published
2000
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This is an update 2 years after the first Police Corps graduation.
Abstract
The Police Corps is a Federal program aimed at increasing the number of college-educated recruits entering the police service. The program pays for the college education of new officers, up to $30,000. In return, the candidates agree to stay with the sponsoring department for 4 years. The Police Corps focuses on fitness, ethics, all aspects of community oriented policing, and social context. Among factors that must be considered when examining the Police Corps are cost, acceptance of Police Corps recruits by fellow officers trained in traditional academies and acceptance of Police Corps training methods by staffs of traditional police academies, and minority recruiting. The chances of the Police Corps being a success depend on what participating departments do with their officers. In addition, negative opinions of Police Corps graduates from colleagues and supervisors must be confronted and reversed. Intense supervisor training is needed to go with the new recruit training if the concept is to be successful.