In conclusion
Former Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, who wrote the state’s historic 2021 police reform plan, is among the many opponents of the bill that would compel police personnel to complete additional training.
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Following George Floyd’s murder in 2020, which sparked cries for police reform, California lawmakers decided to improve the educational requirements for new police officers. Five years later, same ideas are being discussed once more in light of California’s severe police officer shortage.
A bill presented by former Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer in 2020 would have mandated that aspiring police officers between the ages of 18 and 25 have a bachelor’s degree prior to joining the department. College-educated law enforcement personnel typically use less force and make better decisions, according to an expanding body of evidence.
Following criticism from labor leaders and law enforcement for being overly restrictive, the bill was eventually changed. Legislators decided to elevate the minimum age of a police officer to 21 in an amended version that was signed into law the following year. They also requested that local police and school officials develop recommendations for new higher education standards.
A new measure to set education standards based on those principles is being proposed this year by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, a Democrat from Thousand Oaks. However, some advocates for criminal justice and law enforcement reform are dubious, albeit for different reasons.
Although there are several exceptions, Irwin’s new rule would force new cops to get a policing certificate, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree within 36 months of completing a police academy. This requirement would go into effect in 2031. Additionally, it establishes a task group for law enforcement recruitment to find and hire applicants for law enforcement organizations around the state.
Jones-Sawyer told CalMatters that Irwin’s current bill, which permits incoming officers to fulfill the education requirement through a certificate, previous military experience, or out-of-state law enforcement experience, undermines the original intent behind his 2021 law.
These worries were echoed by several policing professionals, including former Justice Department official Arif Alikhan, who claimed that the exceptions absorb the whole. According to Alikhan, it totally eliminates the requirement for any kind of educational background. College-educated officers typically do better.
On the other hand, some police enforcement union representatives believe the bill still goes too far. According to Dustin Smith, president of the Sacramento Police Officers Association, the new rules will severely restrict the number of incoming officers and have a disastrous effect on staffing throughout the state.
Despite these reservations, the bill has been overwhelmingly supported by law enforcement agencies and has passed the Legislature. All statewide law enforcement advocacy groups in California support it, including the California Police Chiefs Association, the California State Sheriff’s Association, the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, and the Peace Officers Research Association of California, the umbrella labor group that advocates on behalf of police unions. There hasn’t been any official opposition.
Democratic lawmakers at odds with one another over new standards
Jones-Sawyer believed that a college degree was essential to law enforcement training when he introduced his measure because it would introduce new officers to fresh viewpoints, constructive criticism, and critical thinking techniques.
“We continue to view law enforcement as though anyone can do it,” Jones-Sawyer added. No. To handle modern police, you need a specific kind of individual with the necessary abilities and talents.
The revised measure permits new police officers to fulfill the educational requirements with four years of military or out-of-state law enforcement experience, rather than the associate degree in modern policing that Jones-Sawyer stated he intended. Although Jones-Sawyer wanted to make some exceptions for those who had previously served in the military or in law enforcement, they would only have received a portion of the credit.
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Although the curriculum has not yet been designed, new officers can also choose to earn a professional police credential from a recognized institution or university.
Jones-Sawyer claimed that the new measure does not improve policing but rather causes it to revert to its previous state. Irwin insisted that the bill furthers his work and will assist police officers in becoming better people as they ascend through the ranks.
The bill is seen by many sheriffs and police chiefs as a significant step toward improving educational standards while allowing new officers the latitude to satisfy them.
Senator Jesse Arregu, a Democrat from Oakland and the head of the Senate’s public safety committee, received a letter from Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna in May urging him to support Irwin’s bill. According to Luna, the sheriff’s office used to require all applicants to hold a bachelor’s degree, but this rule was only in place for a short time because the office immediately witnessed a 50% drop in applications.
Luna claimed that because Irwin’s plan makes accommodations for people without academic backgrounds, it is a more practical and inclusive way to go forward.
A college degree can frequently lead to greater prospects for better income and promotions, even if the great majority of local law enforcement agencies across the country just demand a high school education.
Police officer shortage: truth or myth?
According to law enforcement officials throughout the state, staffing is a persistent issue that could be made worse by more education requirements. According to spokesman Miesha McClendon, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office is short about 1,500 officers as of June 1. With the help of employees from other branches of law enforcement, such as its detective division and jails, the office was able to respond to recent protests, McClendon said.
According to Undersheriff Chad Hermann, in remote places like Plumas County in the state’s northeast, a single officer may be in charge of policing villages up to 70 miles apart. A municipality can go hours without any local police officers on duty if that officer has to conduct an arrest and take a suspect to jail, he added.
Police officers and sheriffs believe the scarcity is caused by a number of things, such as inadequate pay in some areas, an aging staff, and unfavorable opinions of the police after high-profile cases of wrongdoing. To attract new cops, departments are providing incentives like higher perks and starting bonuses.
After the COVID-19 outbreak, some agencies granted their officers record-breaking raises. Entry-level officers can anticipate six-figure pay and excellent perks in some positions, such as the California Highway Patrol.
However, not every agency is able to provide those benefits.
“We can’t provide the large hiring stipends because we’re not a wealthy county,” Hermann stated. It will be more difficult to recruit candidates from our employment pool if we impose a qualification like an associate degree. According to him, the hiring pool is so narrow in a county with just under 19,000 population that even exceptions for individuals with military service might not solve the recruiting issue.
Christy Lopez, a Georgetown University law professor, said it is concerning that the proposed law enforcement recruitment task committee under Irwin’s bill would only include law enforcement personnel, even though it is intended to alleviate some of those staffing issues.
According to her, we must shift to a hiring strategy that aims to screen in the appropriate candidates rather than just the worst ones. And you need viewpoints outside of law enforcement to ensure that we create that kind of recruiting strategy.
“The crisis in police recruitment is a myth,” she stated. According to her, the notion that there is a problem in recruiting assumes that we are aware of the ideal amount of police officers and that we are not present. And we are unaware of that.
What it takes to become a police officer
Growing up in Calaveras County, Devin Nisbet had a good childhood experience with one of the cops when he called 9-1-1 in jest. The officer gave Nisbet, who was about six years old, a tour of the police cruiser and gave him a patch with the sheriff’s office insignia instead of merely reprimanding him. In an interview with CalMatters, Nisbet stated, “I wanted to be a part of it.”
Nisbet was employed in a Calaveras County grocery shop after graduating from college when the local sheriff’s office hosted a recruiting event in a parking lot. For new hires, the agency offers a bonus of $10,000 spread over three years. He claimed that at the moment, he asked himself, “Why not try this?”
Passing the county’s background checks and tests, which include a written exam, a psychological test, and a medical exam, took Nisbet around seven months. He then received a tentative job offer from the Calaveras County Sheriff s Office, contingent on completing a police academy.
He started attending San Joaquin Delta College’s police academy in Stockton in January. Police academy training in California typically takes a minimum of six months, but some police departments require far more training. Nisbet is paid by the Calaveras County Sheriff s Office for the entirety of this training, just under $34 an hour.
The college program requires students to learn CPR, first aid, and various laws about use of force, search and seizure and firearms. They re tested in scenarios that can include chases or combat. In one timed exam, they must pull a 165 lb dummy, cross a 25 yard obstacle course, run 500 yards and scale a 6-foot fence.
Some studentsfail to pass the academy s courses. Others never get hired because they fail the police department s background checks or have low scores.
Nisbet is set to graduate on July 2, at which point he ll begin working, but his training won t be over. New officers must complete weeks of field training and a year of probation.
I believe that people, if they want to do this job, they need to get evaluated first, said Nisbet, though he said an associate degree shouldn t be required. He said many of his classmates don t have a college degree.
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