Higher Education and Policemen: Attitudinal Differences between Freshman and Senior Police College Students

Abstract

There is a general assumption that education in its broadest perspective will have some effect in enhancing the capabilities of police to handle their progressively more complex role.l Among the tangible consequences of this faith has been the establishment of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, a four year senior mstitution of higher learning offering a broad curriculum to members of the law enforcement community. This institution, founded in 1964 at the City Unisrersity of New York, has been functioning for a sufficient period of time to utilize it as a model in assessing some of the consequences of higher education upon policemen who have been its students. The present study sought to examine one facet of the impact of college education: differences along certain attitudinal dimensions between freshmen and senior police college students. Smith, Locke and Walker2 have pointed out that