Story by Presley Frank, photograph by Koshu Kunii

Why are we still funding a broken and corrupt system that isn’t changing? We rely on the police to keep us safe, but have they been properly trained to do so? Many people become police officers to make a difference in this world, and they choose this job to do good. Some people, though, become police officers for the wrong reasons and they hold too much responsibility to have bad intentions.

The job of being a police officer involves many different types of expertise, but their training does not reflect this. The system and the hiring process are both flawed. We just can’t have the people who we rely on in times of danger not be properly equipped for the task. That isn’t fair to anybody.

It takes 13-19 weeks of training on average to become a police officer, and in most cases, a high school diploma (or its equivalent) is all you need in order to qualify. The Tucson police academy requires 21 weeks of academy training and 19 weeks of field training. This is not enough for them to be properly trained to handle the many situations that may come their way while on the job. To compare, in order to become a cosmetologist, you must attend 12-24 months of school on average. It takes 2-5 years to become a properly trained plumber.

This is a problem.

Our community protectors shouldn’t have a shorter training period than those who cut and color hair or fix broken pipes. I believe it should take at least 2 years of academy training and 1 year of on the job training to become a police officer. An associate’s degree in criminal justice should be mandatory. There should also be regular psychological evaluations and mandatory community service hours (15hrs/year). They should know and be a part of the communities that they protect.

Police officers find themselves in so many different situations, and they should have the training to deal with each individually. For example, addressing circumstances that involve someone who is mentally ill, has special needs, or is involved in a domestic dispute takes special training. The people who are equipped for these situations have completed much more schooling than what is required from police officer applicants. It takes 5-7 years of training/schooling to become a counselor; it takes 8-12 years of schooling/training to become a psychologist; it takes 4 years of training/schooling to become a social worker. How can a person who deals with all of these different types of situations, and more, be ready in just 13-19 weeks, regardless of what kind of person they are?

Like all professions, there are good and bad people. Some people who choose to become police officers are bad people. This doesn’t make all cops bad. But, it shows that, on top of the fact that there are bad cops out there, we also have a broken system that sets good cops up for failure. How can we expect any cop to be great at their job when the system, hiring requirements, and training programs are inadequate. We can’t let improperly trained police officers be the people we rely on most. We should be focusing on fixing the system that was meant to protect everyone and specifically funding a new training program that makes this possible. The system is broken and must be fixed.

Works Cited

Burriesci, Jack. “State Police Educational Qualifications and Incentives.” Office of Legislative Research, Connecticut General Assembly, 2001, www.cga.ct.gov/2001/rpt/2001-R-0092.htm.

Herlitz, Dylan. “How Long Does It Take To Become A Police Officer?” PoliceOfficer.Education, PoliceOfficer.Education, 15 Aug. 2017, www.policeofficer.education/how-long-does-it-take-to-become-a-police-officer/#:~:text=Education%20(4%20years),to%20have%20a%20bachelor's%20degree.

“TPD Officer Qualifications.” Official Website of the City of Tucson, 10 Aug. 2015, www.tucsonaz.gov/police/tpd-officer-qualifications.