Law enforcement and higher education: Is there an impasse?

Only 1 percent of local law enforcement agencies require a four-year degree; and 75 percent have no formal policy linking education with promotion. We argue that a four-year degree standard has not been adopted because police organizations and police work have not changed in ways that require it. We also question assumptions that higher education is essential to police professionalism, and that a four-year degree improves performance. Further, we assert that police training and education are similar enterprises and that a fuller integration is needed. We conclude with recommendations to increase cooperation between criminal justice faculty and police administrators.