Police Agency Considers Lowering Requirements

The Portland, Oregon Police Bureau has had high standards for service compared to some other American cities, with a requirement of at least a two-year comunity college degree required, and many hold a criminal justice degree of some sort, and some officers even hold 4 or even 6 year college degrees in this highly professional police force. the current Mayor of Portland, Mayor Tom Potter is a former Portland Police chief, and holds a six year degree in Anthropology for example. And while a few isolated or small problems have taken place with a few individual officers over the last 2o years, the higher educational standards have produced a highly professional force that wisely judges many situations in which psychology or other skills are called for. Now with 45 job openings, largely due to retirement of aging officers, the force is considering allowing those with just a high school diploma or GED to join.

Before this force considers lowering the higher standards that have well served it for so many years, it should make better efforts to recruit a highly educated and qualified workforce, before deciding to permanently lower standards simply to gain some new applicants. Some educational background in criminal justice education along with psychology or other skills are very important in day to day dealing with situations involving important policing duties. Lower employment standards do not really serve productive purposes.