Organizational, Operational, and Demographic Predictors of Burnout in Police Officers with and without a Bachelor’s Degree

Abstract

As of 2019, the Police Executive Research Forum released a report recognizing that most law enforcement agencies in the U.S. were “sensing a crisis” where officer retention and hiring were concerned. At the same time, the role of the American police officer has been called into question with high profile incidents, such as the killing of George Floyd in 2020, and the protests and discussions that ensued. The result is that police departments would likely benefit from hiring and retaining people who are trainable in traditional police subjects, but who also have an educational background that would allow them to be well-suited for new tasks that officers are being called to perform. The current paper examines differences in operational and organizational predictors of burnout in officers with and without a bachelor’s degree. Implications for policing agencies and universities who teach current and future officers are discussed.