Educating and training the future police officer

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,The, Jan, 2004 by Michael Buerger

Model 1: A New Interdisciplinary Approach

The faculty of the top academic criminal justice programs came from a wide range of fields, such as sociology, psychology, urban planning, political science, and public affairs. They applied the tools of those disciplines to the study of the criminal justice system, offering different perspectives and raising different questions. In the more than 30 years since that time, the field has become homogenized, with a fairly standard set of curricular offerings common to most programs, built upon an ever-expanding body of research findings.

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In a newly multidisciplinary approach, criminal justice programs might require a specified number of hours in accounting, computer science, and ethnic studies, in addition to the social science core of criminal justice. If the old concern that "the new kids don't know how to talk with people" remains, then the programs might consider including drama classes, public speaking, or even courses in the great antithesis of policing, social work, that require students to interact in person with people. The whole idea is to use the academic environment to teach the thornier social lessons so difficult to approach in police training settings. The academic atmosphere is different, less politically or emotionally charged, and the venue allows for a more pluralistic (i.e., not "all cops") exploration of the issues raised.

Teaching "multiculturalism" or "cultural sensitivity" in a police training environment often results in an awkward experience for instructor and attendees alike. Exposure to different cultures through educational study may be a better, more results-oriented approach. The exploration of new ideas occurs over a longer time and requires a different level of engagement than an 8-hour in-service training session. Using literature and a variety of media, educators can present and discuss related issues in a manner that police training typically does not accommodate. Understanding of other cultures becomes a foundation--even if a fairly narrow one--upon which police training can build, as opposed to a bolton module that flies in the face of police cultural norms and becomes something to be endured, rather than adopted.

Model 2: Adapting Existing Programs

Creating new programs represents a visionary approach that may be possible in institutions that do not have a criminal justice program. The larger reality is that the institutions with existing criminal justice programs are unlikely to make radical changes without cause. Issues of academic tenure and contractual matters are as real as their counterparts in policing. The study of criminal justice will continue as a social science pursuit, with the programs serving those who aspire to the professoriat, as well as those with ambitions toward becoming police officers, detectives, or federal agents.

Change in academia will not come about without a strong signal from the receiving professions, those who ultimately will hire the products of academic endeavors. If the field speaks with a concerted voice about the need for certain skills and emphasizes hiring individuals with those skills, then academia will move to provide them. For example, it is gratifying--if a bit surprising--to have police agencies complain about the lack of writing skills of some college graduates and interns. Given the competitive marketplace of higher education, "employability of graduates" remains a selling point for many institutions.