THE PERFORMANCE OF COLLEGE-EDUCATED POLICE: A STUDY OF SELF-RATED POLICE PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Addresses a long‐standing debate as to whether or not college‐educated police officers perform their jobs better than others. Of the 250 officers asked to complete a self‐assessment form, officers with a bachelor’s degree rated themselves higher in a number of performance indicators than did those without a degree. Points out that the results may indicate that educated officers perform better, or it may indicate differences in perceptions about their duties. Whichever is the case, education confers the advantage of better written and oral communication skills. Recommends the use of self‐administered questionnaires to provide data for policy making.