The importance of education and training in preparing police officers for their duty is undeniable, especially in the modern-day policing, where more and more requirements are set forward for police to become a legitimate profession. Despite the relevance of the overall educational endeavors, community policing should be less formalized and more directed at the public. However, I strongly believe that continuous education is a stepping stone of professionalization. As Sklansky (2011) suggests, community policy of a professional level should be carried out scientifically and competently. While individual thinking and the ability to become a member of a community to recognize threats and eliminate them is important, I think it is valid to develop such skills within the framework of other educational branches.
Moreover, the issue of questioning the police’s professionalism might provoke conflicts between police and the public. To eliminate such threats, specific measures should be taken to improve police expertise in the most relevant spheres. According to Shjarback and White (2016), “departmental commitment to education” is proven to be the best contributor to the reduction of police-citizen violence (p. 1). Thus, education should be a priority in community policing professionalization.
References
Shjarback, J. A., & White, M. D. (2016). Departmental professionalism and its impact on indicators of violence in police-citizen encounters. Police Quarterly, 19(1), 1-31.
Sklansky, D. A. (2011). The persistent pull of police professionalism.New Perspectives in Policing, 1-20. Web.