Exploring the Impact of Police Officer Education Level on Allegations of Police Misconduct

Abstract

The study presented in this paper examines the relationship between police officers' education levels, types of degrees, and formal and informal complaints filed against patrol officers. This study is the first of its kind to examine the impact of the type of degree (Criminal Justice (CJ) degree versus non-CJ degrees) earned by police officers on both informal and formal complaints filed against them. The findings of this study reveal that there are no statistical differences between patrol officers with CJ degrees and patrol officers with non-CJ degrees in regard to the frequency and type of complaints that are filed against them by citizens and police supervisors.