Required Character Traits For LE
Frank Borelli
Editor-in-Chief
Officer.com
So, a couple weeks back I posted a blog about whether or not a college education should be required for law enforcement professionals. That blog was the most active I’ve seen in some time… and certainly the most active one I’ve ever posted. There were 35 comments posted that (in general) ranged from “nope; college is a waste” to “absolutely college should be a requirement.” It occurs to me that college is just one potential requirement. What might the others be?
In a different conversation the question was asked how the police academy goes about training people who usually avoid conflict in how to go into it. Face it: some folks just would always rather walk away from every disagreement. Cops can’t - not always. There are times where we KNOW there’s going to be a fight to get someone in cuffs and we have to take that head on. We can’t just walk away. Our duty doesn’t permit it.
Between those two different thoughts - one about education and one about character - I began to wonder what else should be required to be a police officer or sheriff’s deputy. Do you have a list? I’m sure your agency does.
Most agencies require people of integrity - as proven by not having a criminal history; having a good driving record; having a good credit report.
Most agencies require people who are capable of obeying the law and controlling their temper - as proven by not having a criminal history (redundant I know, BUT) and not having any complaints of domestic violence.
Most agencies require people to be free of emotional or mental conditions that would render them incapable of performing law enforcement duties in a rational and impartial manner. (For what it’s worth, ALL of us can only do that to a certain extent. I’ve never met the cop who was 100% here).
In my blog about college education I made the statement that, “I’d rather have the guy next to me in uniform be a military service veteran than a college graduate.” Part of the reason I made that statement - which aggravated more than one respondent - was because I believe people who have served in the military have learned and/or displayed certain character traits I value in a police officer.
Those character traits would be:
- a sense of duty
- the ability to ignore discomfort to complete a task
- a certain level of courage - in all its forms
- a certain level of personal honor
- a minimum level of personal discipline required of all uniformed services
Sure, those are just a few things; five in fact. But those are five things that I consider to be massively important if a person - of either gender - is going to be a good law enforcement professional.
Some respondents to my blog about college education cited the fact that the additional time after high school, before police work - that time spent in college - allowed for people to gain more “life’s experience.” I agree 100%. But couldn’t that life’s experience be gained just as well in the service? or working full time? or doing anything else productive? I mean, it’s still two to four years of life lived whether you’re in college or not.
Don’t get me wrong. This blog isn’t an argument against requiring college. I think more education is better. However, education is only one aspect of the potential cadet that I believe we need to consider. The PhD who can’t put his hands on someone to arrest them is a waste as a police officer.
Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s a way we can easily measure those five character traits in an applicant until we’ve seen them perform day to day.
Your thoughts?
I agree that given the choice between one or the other, military or college graduate, I’d take the military vet. I served, as a K-9 Security Police Officer in the Air Force, and went to school at the same time. I completed my Associate’s degree while in the Air Force, and have since completed my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, but think that what gave me the strength to accomplish each of these, as well as continue in law enforcement for 12 years is my military background. The agency I am currently with has been taking young people straight out of college for a couple years now. Some are outstanding, and I am glad to work with them. Some however prove that the best measure of future success is past experience.
I am all for college educated officers and military vets, but I would never judge a candidate soley on either of these accomplishments. I would use either of these as part of the qualifications needed to be an LEO. For every story about an idiot college educated cop, there is an equal number of stories about an idoit military vet cop. There are also many amazing LEO’s with neither college or the military background. It really comes down to a quality training division to seek out the best qualified candidates and to continue with training and education.
I like people that are passionate–doesn’t matter about what–someone that gets excited about something to the point that they will do all they can to achieve it. Those are the ones that I have seen in training that make the best cops. They can be H.S. grads or PhDs, but without a “fire in the belly,” they turn out to be just another graduate of the program.
As a academy graduate I have been bouncing around my home state looking for a job. I went through with a couple of vets as well as met quite a few going to school and testing with the different departments. I would have to say most of the vets would most likely make it as good officers. I know a few for one reason or another that would not. Now I am not a vet but am giving it some serous thought because I from were I am sitting to be competitive with 200+ applicants I run into at almost every turn I think it would not hurt my chances at getting a job. I would have to say that education is almost necessary part of law enforcement in this ever changing world. I can say I have seen that the time spent in college is also when some people tend to end up doing things to hurt themselves trying to get in to this field.
I like the discussion, I’m in the process of getting “On the job” now and have both 12 years active duty service and a college degree. Wow, I hope it works out with one, the other, or both. As far as making a choice, I would have to go with military service over college. The college student more times than not will not have the ability to cope with the hardships.
College or military or both. The character traits that you speek of are learned long before college or the military. They start with what our parents teach us, and to what level we are held to when we were growing up. It starts with school grades, sport teams, scouts, church, etc. They all are intended to teach the child those traits. They also give the youth experiences to build upon, usually college or the military. I would have not made it through tough times if I had not already gone through some worse times. It all has given me a base to develop from.
As a 22 year veteran of the U.S. Army I would have to say that I am biased in regard to matters pertaining to service members. I might add however, that even the military promotes higher education. This “professional development” is even necessary for promotion at higher levels of non-comissioned officers careers. I think the important thing to examine is the character of the person getting the education. Some see college right out of high school as an opportunity to get away from home and party every night.
I have seen quality candidates from both a college background and a military background. The police officer of today (and more importantly) tomorrow needs to be two things: technically savvy, and a “problem solver.” We need officers who can think on their feet, think “outside the box,” and solve problems - not just be a call taker. There is no right or wrong answer to which background “best” fits that criteria - college or military. I think we can find quality candidates from both spectrums.
I agree that a military background can be demonstrative of desirable traits. But it is not the “Holy Grail.” In my experience, both in the state-wide academy, and on the streets, some of the biggest idiots who are now officers came from the military. So there is more to it than how someone looks on paper. Stay safe.
Having 8 years in the Marines with combat experince (Infantry) I would take someone like me over someone with college due to the way the Marines trained and conditioned me for the rigors of that life. Sitting in a class room vs real world experince I’ll the real world/military experience over college any day. You need to have leadership skills, discipline, be mentally and phsyically fit, tact, bearing, the mental ability to adapt to a military organization, take orders (sometimes from someone younger than you), shut your mouth when you have to and speak up when things aren’t right, work long hours all manner of nights and days and I’ll throw in weapons and self defense training also.
I want to see more military veterans on the police forces those are the type of people you want on the street.
This topic is very interesting however can not be answered one way or another. What makes a good cop is not a direct relation to whether they have a military background or a college education. It is the whole package that must be considered. I have found too many times that people with military backgrounds do not make good cops. In the military they excelled because they were told what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. Then when they go into law enforcement they are at a loss because they don’t have that constant supervision and quickly get out of the profession. Conversely I have seen college graduates who excelled in the classroom come into law enforcement and fail because they have no street savvy (for a lack of better terms). As you can see neither is a good way to judge who will and will not excel at law enforcement. It is a total package type of thing. A person who is intelligent, adaptible, loyal, honorable, etc. will excel. However not everyone who comes from a military background our college background have this. I can prove this many times over by showing you excellent cops who have neither of these backgrounds but, who I would prefer backing me up over those that do. Now if you find a person who has these natural qualities who also have military and/or college background those are the ones everyone is after to hire because of there immense abilities.
I hope that all makes sense.
I feel a good officer uses both education and life experience to build upon a solid base of values that were instilled upon them growing up. Being a college grad. who has trained both types of rookies, it takes someone who is both a little nuts and truly LOVES this job to do it. Both college and the military have fair shares of idiots, drinkers, etc. But I don’t see how someone that was pushing papers in a warehouse for a tour can back me up any better than a kid that was applying himself at school while working a second job. You have to look at the individual, and understand that just because someone REALLY wants to be a cop does NOT mean they should be one.
I have been a police officer for 12 years and have been in the Army Reserve just as long. I am a Drill Sergeant and get to train young men and women deciding to defend their country through military service. I also instruct at local police academies. I can tell you from my experiences that without a question, current military and/or vets adapt quickly to training environments and the on the job stress. They also have a leg up in the area of discipline, selfless service and duty. Prior military also make better leaders. Leadership starts in basic training not when it’s time for promotion.
Unfortunately, a lot of police departments are getting away from the military type organization. What they don’t understand is now the military is modified law enforcement. Take a look at what soldiers are doing in the streets of Baghdad. The recent successes in Iraq are due to using the principals of policing (real community policing from Sir Robert Peel in 1829).
I would much rather have a military trained officer working alongside of me on the job.
I believe that a combination of military experience and college education is ideal. Military provides excellent training in the physical and tactical skills necessary for policing, while college provides the political, ethical, and moral guidance for the appropriate use of those physical and tactical skills. A key point I stress to FTO’s that I train is that for every action you take on the street, there is two factors that need to be examined, whether you “can” and whether you “should.” “Can” means “do you have the legal authority or duty to,” while “should” means, given the circumstances, should you take that action. In my experience, higher education greatly enhances candidates ability to examine the “should” aspect of decision making by having a foundation in the political, historical, and sociological ramifications of their actions in a democratic society.
As to which is more preferable, I do not believe that question will be definitively and objectivley answered during our careers. I have worked with officers from each background, with no clear overall advantage observed in either officer.
My $.02 worth…
I agree with Karl (post) both are great factors in hiring a potential candidate but both also doesn’t make a good officer. I have worked with both and have seen good in each and bad in each. But I favor college more because you have to do it on your own ie,..no one telling you when to wake up and what to do. Being in the military is admirable but not the save all. A lot of my ex-military co-workers couldn’t do anything w/o being told what to do and frankly were not that bright. It can also be said about college educated people. But all in all, I’d take someone with college over someone with military. Being in the military doesn’t make you a good candidate as a police officer, it’s only a good barometer and also old thinking. People in the military and people in college resent each other for what ever reason, both think they are better. It depends on the person more so with life experiences then either.
Jason M hit it right on the nose better than I could explain it.