Education Level and Police Use of Force : The Impact of a College Degree

This brief presents a study addressing the impact of a college degree upon officer use of force. The average American municipal police academy only requires 26 weeks of training, despite previous studies showing overwhelming support that college educated police officers apply more discretion in their use of force than officers without a college degree. Taking into account contemporary public/police conflicts and how American perceptions of police are based largely on officer use of force, this study offers a more current perspective on the profession’s changing dynamic over the past decade. With data gathered from over 400 officers from 143 distinct municipal police agencies in 6 American states, the study examines the association between a college education and the level of force used to gain compliance during arrest situations, and notes discrepancies between previously studied factors and contextual variables. This brief will be useful for researchers of policing and for those involved with police training. Front Matter ....Pages i-viii Use of Force Defined (John Vespucci)....Pages 1-4 Police Officer Training and Education (John Vespucci)....Pages 5-11 The Use of Force (John Vespucci)....Pages 13-20 The Relationship Between Education and Policing Skill Sets (John Vespucci)....Pages 21-34 Theoretical Framework (John Vespucci)....Pages 35-40 Contemporary Research (John Vespucci)....Pages 41-50 Discussion and Conclusion (John Vespucci)....Pages 51-56