Police officers do not necessarily require a four-year degree in criminal justice as an entry to any law enforcement career. Normally, the police officers are required to have a certificate in high school education which is the required entry to the police academy training. Nevertheless, if one wishes to go through campus to build his/her career in law enforcement, they are allowed to do so. They are required to major in the bachelor’s degree in criminal justice whereby the core courses to be covered include; law, psychology, English, computer and physical education, etc. The degree holders will be familiar with how courts, correctional services and other departments of law enforcement function. Examples of careers one can venture into with a degree in bachelor’s degree in criminal justices are; FBI special agents, criminal justice professors, detectives, and councilors at correctional service facilities (Roufa, 2018). These careers like any other field depend on the level of education, and the type of degree one has pursued. In criminal justice, the levels range from the certificate in criminal justice to doctorate in criminal justice degree.
The most basic degree in criminal justice is a certificate in criminal justice. Certificates are earned upon completion of a tailored training program (Daniel, Luciano, & Laura, 2015) . From this level, the successful students can secure job positions as patrol officers, security officers, and crime scene photographers. Next in line is an associate degree in criminal justice. A high school diploma is a requirement for entry into this level. This degree level focuses on law enforce, crimes, court systems, and corrections. Degree holders from this particular level can get jobs in immigration offices, customs operations and in basic police functions such as patrols.
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Subsequently is bachelor’s in criminal justice degree which can be earned through campus or specific criminal justice programs (William, & Gayle Tronvig, 2012) . Holders in this level are considered as hardworking. The careers are various at this level; law enforcement careers, supervisors, criminologists, FBI agents, and game wardens. Most federal agencies such as FBI AND DEA need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice (Daniel, Luciano, & Laura, 2015) . Moreover, the fourth level is masters in criminal justice degree. From bachelor’s, one may move on to master’s where students explore specific aspects of criminal justice such as administration. Students are participating in this level in areas such as psychology, criminology, and forensics. Career opportunities in this level include management of forensic facilities, social work, and teaching. The topmost level is the doctorate in criminal justice degree. Master’s degree holders who would like to progress their career proceed to this level. Career opportunities in doctorate level comprise; forensic analysts, lawyers, judges, policymakers, etc (Online, 2018).
Other fields related to law enforcement include psychology, emergency medical technicians and paramedics, and forensic science technicians.
Despite the above degrees being available, it is not that necessary for one to be a holder of any of the degrees to be a police or work in law enforcement (Roufa, 2018) . For a police officer to handle a civilian, whether a defendant or the offender, he/she may require some skills more than educational achievements. As mentioned before, police are recruited fresh out of high school. A diploma in high school is substantial and shows that he/she can work without extra programs but rather minimal training at the police academy. Among the key skills are; Firstly, a police offer should be physically fit. Law enforcement activities involve a lot of movement from one place to another. In the line of duty, the officer may be required to pursue a perpetrator who may attempt to resist and get away. If the officer is physically unwell or weak, he/she may not be able the crime from occurring. Sometimes the officer will have to chase after the suspect something that only fit people can manage without having to try too hard to accomplish it. Therefore, to be able to work as a police officer one must be physically able.
Secondly, to be a police officer one must be a good listener. Good listening skills are necessary for interpreting words from others to come up with a plan to resolve a situation. As a police officer, you will be involved with people from the community who would want to communicate their feeling about a situation. Some may have been victims of some crimes and listening to them keenly will help solve crimes in the society (Online, 2018) . Thirdly is empathy which is the capacity to understand others, their feeling and being able to understand the prevailing situation fully. When one shows empathy towards others, it enables the other party to open up freely about the things they might have decided to keep to themselves. An officer who possesses this skill would be able to communicate freely with the subject and come up with information regarding certain assignment in question. With empathy comes compassion. Compassion is the capacity to put to action the feelings you understood during the empathy stage. Apart from creating the bond with people by just understanding them, your actions should prove that you understand them. This skill is responsible for building trust with society, and the victims can go back to their normal life after trauma.
Also, the officer should be able to read nonverbal cues from the subjects. A victim may not be willing to talk about all the process of what transpired, but the way they behave and act may say a lot (William, & Gayle Tronvig, 2012) . For example, someone may not be able to maintain firm eye contact while conversing because they were abused and are too embarrassed to own it. The office should be able to read through such signs and attempt to reduce the tension or the anxiety in the affected individual. It is widely believed that actions speak louder than words. Furthermore, officers should be resilient and flexible. The work of police officers involves chasing after and arresting criminals. A high level of resilience is necessary for the job description. The officers as well can be assigned assignments in different places with completely different climatic conditions. An officer should be able to adapt to this new environment and focus on their assignment.
Apart from being able to adapt to new conditions, an officer should be able to balance between work and social life (Daniel, Luciano, & Laura, 2015) . He/she will have a life away from his/her career, and the two lives should mix but balance for the well-being of the police officer. Lack of balance may lead to poor performance at work and mental disorders which are not worth the career. Human life is more important than anything else. A police officer is also supposed to be a good team player. Police officers normally have partners whom they work together. They should be able to cooperate to achieve a common goal, which is protecting society (William, & Gayle Tronvig, 2012) . In case of a crisis too, a team is sent to resolve the situation. At this level, high cooperation is necessary because different officers are assigned different position that jointly work together to resolve the situation.
Lastly, to be a good police officer one should have good observation skills. Crime scenes are hideous, and one should be able to notice a couple of things within the shortest time possible. Perpetrators tend to attempt to cover their tracks and to get leads; a police officer should be a keen observer (Daniel, Luciano, & Laura, 2015) . Thus, apart from training for professions on law enforcement and correctional services, police officers are trained on constitutional rights of people in the police academy. As much as suspects may be guilty, they are still entitled to rights such as the right to an attorney, the right to remain silent, and the right to remain innocent till he/she is proven guilty. The public is entitled to all the constitutional rights such as freedom of expression. Police officers are taught how to cope with the way people reacts to the situation; for instance, around crime scenes the public may take out their phone and take footage of the prevailing situation. Also, during protests, the police are taught how to handle the public, when to intervene and when to stay away. Without this training, police officers may misunderstand certain situation which may attract criticism on law enforcement society. In many situations, police officers having been caught on cameras reacting to certain situations during the workflow. So, to avoid bad reputation the office is taught on the constitutional rights of individuals as stipulated by the constitution and the right ways to deal with the public. (Marion, 1998) Research is also done regarding previous ways of how officers acted and are open to discussion. Trainees are fully prepared for the community through these researches and workshops which are so resourceful and informative to them. Trainees are taught on integrity and other values through these past experiences of other police officers (Daniel, Luciano, & Laura, 2015).
In conclusion, I confirm that police officer’s education passed a high school diploma is not a necessity for one to become a police officer. As much as such education levels tend to increase the opportunities of police officers in the corporate world, basic training at the police academy and key skills are the basic requirements for law enforcement jobs. However, further studies can transition the person into different career paths; for example, a police officer can further his studies till the topmost level, that is, a doctorate and later become a professor in a criminal ESRjustice’s college.
References
Daniel M. Blumberg, Luciano Giromini, Laura B. Jacobson. (2015). Impact of Policy Academy Training on Recruits' Intergrity. Sage Journals .
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Marion, N. (1998). Police academy training: are we teaching recruits what they need to know? International Journal of Police Strategies & Management , 54-79.
Online, O. (2018, October 29). Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates . Retrieved from National Centre for O*NET Development: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/23-1023.00
Roufa, T. (2018, October 28). Education Requirements for a Careerin Criminal Justice . Retrieved from the balance careers: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/criminal-justice-careers-education-974624
William p. McCamey, Gayle Tronvig Carper. (2012). SOCIAL SKILLS AND POLICE: AN INITIAL STUDY. Journal of Crime Justice , 95-102.
