Page 50 - May 2020

2020 EDUCATION GUIDE:
Advancing your career
Education from the Experts
Professors from local universities spotlight lifelong benefits of continuing education for officers
As the need for law enforcement officers to pursue education for career advancement progresses, key questions have come up about the importance of enrolling in a continuing education program. To find answers, we posed the following questions to these experts:
• Dr. Danny McGuire, Calumet College of St. Joseph, Public Safety Department Chair
• Dr. Erika Liljedahl, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Department Chair
• Thomas Brady, College of DuPage, Associate Dean of Homeland Security Training Institute
• Suzanne Depeder, DePaul University, Associate Vice Presi- dent of Graduate and Adult Enrollment
• Dr. Vesna Markovic, Lewis University, Chair and Associate Professor, Justice, Law and Public Safety Studies
• Dr. Jona Goldschmidt, Loyola University Chicago, Depart- ment of Criminal Justice and Criminology Professor
• David Parker, Saint Xavier University, Director of Graduate Programs
How can education/continuing education support the profes- sionalization of policing?
Goldschmidt: Education and ethics are the es- sence of professionalism. Education not only adds to the necessary knowledge and skills offi- cers must have to perform their jobs competent- ly, it also develops critical thinking skills. These are needed in conjunction with ethical deci- sion-making so that officers perform their jobs
well, and make ethical decisions while doing so. The public ex- pects to see officers acting professionally and ethically; when they see that, they have greater trust and confidence in the po- lice department and are more likely to comply with police or- ders and cooperate in investigations.
Liljedahl: Education will arm officers with in- formation that will help them more properly identify individuals with mental health condi- tions and thus make more informed decisions on how to approach the individual and deescalate, if needed. Learning different ways to deescalate community members can make an officer more
effective in their job and increase community’s trust in police.
Markovic: Policing has changed dramatically over the past several decades. From the technol- ogy used by police today, to the challenges they face in dealing with the community, to [response to] addiction (use of Narcan) and community members with mental health issues, etc. Police are faced with many challenges today; having an
officer that is well-prepared to deal with these challenges is im-
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portant. More regularly, departments are requiring new recruits have to either an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. This creates a more well-rounded individual who can communicate with their organization and with the community. A problem-solver with the intellectual tools to be a successful police officer, as well as a leader within the police organization.
Parker: As G.H. Brereton, the deputy director for California Department of Justice, noted, the idea that it is necessary to have a well-trained “career” or professional police officer is by no means a new one. This [concept] was recognized and put into practice at a very early date, both on the con- tinent of Europe and in England. [In the U.S.],
even if a college education is not initially required, departments value it. More than half of all law enforcement agencies see and acknowledge the value in college education and invest in their officers by way of offering some form of tuition reimbursement. They understand how a degree can set them apart from other applicants or put them in line for a promotion, as well as better preparing them for a second career for when they retire from the department.
How can continuing education and/or an advanced degree enhance the career of a Chicago Police Officer?
Depeder: While officers appreciate the ease of taking classes at the Chicago Police Academy, these students benefit from being part of the De- Paul cohort, or academic team of classmates. Stu- dents begin and finish the program together with a shared set of experiences that enriches their learning and connection to one another. Know-
ing you have a partner or set of classmates to turn to on a regu- lar basis can be an enormous factor in student success.
McGuire: The Chicago Police Department is the largest police department in the state of Illinois; with that said, police officers from Chicago can have new resources and views to the daily issues that they take on. The world is an ever-changing place, and having people share their perspectives and experience matching in the theories will
help advance the career of a police officer. In addition, educa- tion gives you an opportunity to relearn some strategies related to studying and keeping your mind engaged and fresh. Alvin Toffler once said, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” Education will help enhance the career of a police officer in Chicago by allowing them to “learn, unlearn and relearn.”