Assessing the Police – Part 22 – New CA Police Educational Requirements
Matthew O'Deane, Ph.D.
Senior Law Enforcement Consultant at POST, Commander at San Diego DA Bureau of Investigation (Ret.), Adjunct Professor
This article is not one debating the importance or efficacy of having a college degree to be a police officer. No matter if the research shows police officers with a college degree are more effective, or not, is not the issue here. The California legislature has changed the education requirements, we must now prepare.
To be a peace officer in California in the next few years, you will need an associate degree in modern Policing or a bachelor’s degree, or you will not be granted a POST basic certificate, which is what is needed to maintain peace officer powers in the state. Whether we agree or disagree with the legislation requiring college degrees, we will all need to adhere to the law and the new requirements. I get asked all the time by the field what all of this means, hopefully this article will be a beneficial update on what is coming.
One thing is abundantly clear about the requirements regarding the level of formal education a person needs to become a sworn police officer in the United States, there is no national standard, and not all stakeholders agree what level of college, if any, is needed to be a police officer. Currently national requirements range from passing the GED exam to a bachelor’s degree for entry into the profession, and from high school diploma to a master’s degree for leadership positions. By January of 2029, unless this date is pushed back in a cleanup bill, all California Police Officers will have a minimum of a Modern Policing associate degree, or a bachelor’s degree, to obtain a California POST Basic Certificate.
2020 Legislation
Back in December of 2020 the issue was addressed in California in with the first iteration of Assembly Bill 89. This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Peace Officers Education and Age Conditions for Employment Act or PEACE Act. The legislation sought to tighten hiring rules for new officers. This first version of the bill, which was struck down not too long after being proposed, would have required new peace officers to have a bachelor’s degree and be at least 25 years old. Two specific issues were being addressed here, one an officer’s minimum age requirement and two an officer’s minimum educational requirement.
Age Requirements
The legislation was proposed by Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer, it sought to change the current age requirements for California law enforcement officers, which in 2020 California law allowed people to become officers at age 18. This part of the bill was not met with nearly as much concern when compared to the changes in educational requirements. At the time this bill was proposed, fewer than 1% of law enforcement officers in the state of California were under the age of twenty-one, a very small percentage of the over 90,000 officers in the state. The Legislature has repeatedly relied on neurological research with respect to criminal sentencing law reflecting a growing understanding that cognitive brain development continues well beyond age 18 and into early adulthood. Scientific evidence on young adult development and neuroscience shows that certain areas of the brain, particularly those affecting judgment and decision making, do not develop until the early to mid-twenties. Being law enforcement officers are required to make split-second decisions to protect the health and safety of the public and address dangerous situations. A young adult with a still developing brain may struggle during events that require quick decision making and judgments. Currently, all California Peace Officers must be 21 years of age when sworn in.
Educational Requirements
Currently, eighteen other states already required some sort of college education to be a police officer, California will make number nineteen. Assemblyman Jones Sawyer has stated on numerous occasions that when he looked at the data, the data showed when someone is college educated, their propensity for violence goes down, however there is no reference in the legislation to which studies were evaluated or reviewed to form this opinion, as a result caution should be taken. He also stated studies show older and more educated officers are less likely to use excessive force. One driving motivation behind the bill is to reduce police use of deadly force. About 195 Californians are killed each year during encounters with police, which the California legislature feels could be reduced by having a better educated and slightly older police force.
Most agencies expect officers to have a high school diploma or GED at a minimum. Some agencies require a bachelor’s degree or a minimum number of college credit hours. Others offer additional pay based on educational attainment. Regardless, education beyond high school will only help you in your law enforcement career. Having a four-year degree or an advanced degree is an asset in your career progression, particularly when seeking a promotion or specialized assignment. While criminal justice studies are the traditional route for those aspiring to a career in law enforcement, many other fields provide you with a good foundation. Sociology, psychology, and social work are a few other fields that are particularly well suited for police work.
The “Modern Policing Degree”
It became clear based on the heated debates in late 2020 and 2021 that changes to police education requirements are a longer-term endeavor and involve other factors which must be considered, such as diversity on the police forces and the ability for police agencies to recruit and hire qualified applicants.
Current legislation requires the community college system to work with stakeholders to create a “modern policing” degree program by 2025 and to provide financial assistance for people from disadvantaged communities to pursue law enforcement degrees. Currently forty-one community colleges are working on the degree program and are planning on offering the degree in their catalogs. Community colleges are already a major training provider for police officers. Over half of California’s law enforcement officers are trained at the community colleges, which work with local police departments and the California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) to develop curricula to meet state and local requirements. See current map of police academies at https://post.ca.gov/basic-training-academies
Currently, California law enforcement is much more likely to have some college educational units, or an associate degree compared to full-time workers in other occupations; similar shares have a bachelor’s degree. This pattern may reflect the need for higher education to advance through the officer ranks. A survey from the Police Foundation found that only one-third of California law enforcement agencies would promote an officer to sergeant with solely a high school education, and more than half of agencies expect a four-year degree to reach the level of lieutenant.
2023 Chancellor of the California Community Colleges Report
The Chancellor of the California Community Colleges has been tasked with the development of a modern policing degree program, with the POST commission and other stakeholders serving as advisors, as specified, and to submit their preliminary report on recommendations to the Legislature outlining a plan to implement the program on or before June 1, 2023. The report was submitted for review. The report includes, among other things, recommendations to adopt financial assistance for students of historically underserved and disadvantaged communities with barriers to higher education access. The bill requires the commission to adopt the recommended criteria within 2 years of when the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges submits its report to the Legislature. See full report at https://www.cccco.edu/-/media/CCCCO-Website/docs/report/2023-AB-89-Task-Force-Report-to-Legislature---FINAL.pdf
Penal Code 13511.1(a)
Approved by Governor September 30, 2021, and filed with Secretary of State September 30, 2021, Assembly Bill No. 89, Added Section 1031.4 to the Government Code, and added section 13511.1 to the Penal Code, relating to peace officers.
The recommendations in the report shall:
(1) Focus on courses pertinent to law enforcement, which shall include, but not be limited to, psychology, communications, history, ethnic studies, law, and those determined to develop necessary critical thinking skills and emotional intelligence.
(2) Include allowances for prior law enforcement experience, and appropriate work experience, postsecondary education experience, or military experience to satisfy a portion of the employment eligibility requirements.
(A) It is the intent of the Legislature that allowances for prior experience in this paragraph for those with military experience may be provided to those with military specializations pertinent to law enforcement, including those specializations in community relations, de-escalation, foreign language translators, and those determined to require necessary critical thinking skills and emotional intelligence.
(B) It is the intent of the Legislature that allowances for prior experience specified in this paragraph shall be granted to those of good moral character and shall not be granted to those with prior sustained disciplinary actions taken against them, except that the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training may, after considering the severity of the sustained misconduct or violation, grant a partial allowance.
(3) Include both the modern policing degree program and bachelor’s degree in the discipline of their choosing as minimum education requirements for employment as a peace officer referenced in subdivision (a) of Section 1031.4 of the Government Code.
Note: When the legislation was signed, this section requiring a modern policing degree AND a bachelor’s degree in a discipline of their choosing has been identified as an error, it should have read OR a bachelor’s degree. This change was addressed in Senate Bill 1122 correcting the error which caused some concern in the law enforcement community.
(4) Include recommendations to adopt financial assistance for students of historically underserved and disadvantaged communities with barriers to higher education access that fulfill the minimum education requirements to be adopted, pursuant to this section, for employment as a peace officer referenced in subdivision (a) of Section 1031.4 of the Government Code.
Credit for Prior Learning (CPL)
A large part of the legislation requires allowances for prior law enforcement experience, and appropriate work experience, postsecondary education experience, or military experience to satisfy a portion of the employment eligibility requirements. The process to determine the full scope and magnitude of this proposed credit for prior learning is outlined below and was conducted by the California MAP Initiative (Mapping Articulated Pathways with credit for prior learning for working adults and veterans). The MAP credit for prior learning workgroup completed their recommendations in September of 2023.
Many students enter the community college system with skills and knowledge earned outside of the classroom, many have professional licenses, police academies, and extensive military training. CPL is awarded for validated college level skills and knowledge, giving credit for what they already know and can do. CPL in the community college system can increase equitable access and improve retention and completion rates. Research indicates for students that earn 15 units of CPL are roughly twice as likely to pass the degree program as those that do not, decrease time to complete by 9-14 months, and save working adults thousands of dollars in tuition costs. CPL is regulated in Title 5 section 55050, and is based on Education Code 66025.71 which provides the salutatory authority to grant CPL.
CPL Evaluation Process
The MAP faculty workgroup analyzed and aligned the C_ID college course descriptors with local college student learning outcomes and course objectives and compared them against the POST learning domains (LD) and the Training and Testing Specifications (TTS). The workgroup compiled a workbook
All California POST Peace Officers complete the POST Regular Basic Course (RBC) which requires a minimum of 664 hours of POST training and testing in 42 learning domains (LD's). Currently, all police academies require more that the 664-hour minimum, for example in my region the Los Angeles Sheriff academy is 880 hours, the Riverside Sheriff is 981 hours, and the San Bernardino Sheriff Academy is 960 hours. To learn more about specific academies visit Basic Training Academies In order to give credit for academy experience, the academy learning domains and the teaching and training specifications (TTS) for each domain were evaluated to see how they align LD's with existing community college course descriptors (C-ID), including course objectives and student learning outcomes for each college course. See how the 664 hour minimum breaks down at Regular Basic Course Minimum Hourly Requirements (docx)
The community college courses by title and C-ID number that were evlauated and compared are listed below (All are three college unit courses):
CI-D # Course Title
AJ-110 Introduction to Criminal Justice
AJ-120 Criminal Law
AJ-122 Criminal Procedures
AJ-124 Criminal Evidence
AJ-140 Criminal Investigation
AJ-160 Community Relations
AJ-200 Introduction to Corrections
AJ-220 Juvenile Law and Procedures
Each course listed above underwent a comprehensive review to compare to existing POST learning domains. In July 1993, the Commission adopted training specifications as its method of specifying the minimum, mandated curriculum for the Regular Basic Course. Listed below are the individual learning domains that make up the course curriculum.
Time will tell what all of this means, but as of the date of this article it is entirely possible that someone who completed a POST RBC will have met the requirements of all proposed criminal justice courses in the modern policing degree, leaving only the general education courses to be completed.
Senate Bill 1122 (Clean Up or Trailer Bill)
This trailer bill changed the “and” to “or,” extend the implementation date to January 2029. It specifies that a bachelor’s degree OR the modern policing degree be required for employment as a peace officer under these provisions may be obtained after completion of the Peace Officer Standards and Training program and within 36 months of employment as a peace officer. This bill is still pending and will need to be approved to eliminate the current requirement for a bachelor’s degree in addition to an associate degree in modern policing, which was not the stated intent of the legislature.
Also, currently the legislation requires this process and degree program be completed by November of 2025. I have met with dozens of college deans and professors; none feel that the current date is realistic. Being that it is not the police asking for an extension of the dates to November of 2028 or November of 2029, it is the community colleges, I would be surprised if the current dates were not extended, time will tell.
2024 Progress Update
In April of 2024, I attended a Modern Policing Degree Update meeting hosted by the Community College Deans, also known as the AB89 Task Force. The working group on this massive project includes faculty, academy directors and coordinators, deans, and faculty from other disciplines, such as sociology, law, race, and ethnic studies, etc. The meeting discussed the findings of the June 2023 Chancellors Office report, an update on legislative actions, and how the community colleges are preparing for the future rollout of the degree program.
The AB89 Task Force recommendations:
1) Establish a Modern Policing Degree (AA or AS in Policing) that is foundational and prepares students for a career as a Peace Officer. This degree shall be completed prior to obtaining a POST Basic Certificate or within 24 months of initial appointment as a Peace Officer.
2) Community Colleges currently operating a POST certified police academy, either directly or through an instructional services agreement, shall adopt the Modern Policing Degree curriculum so that students can complete both an associate degree in modern Policing and their Police Academy certification.
3) The California Community Colleges should develop the Modern Policing degree based on the theory that many will continue and obtain a bachelor’s degree, the colleges should have transferability in mind when creating the associate degree.
4) The California Community Colleges should develop a baccalaureate degree in policing.
Tentative Course Topics
The tentative topics to be covered in the new Modern Policing degree are still the subject of debate, however consensus is on the following topics:
1) Sociology or Social Psychology
2) History of Policing
3) Racial and Cultural Diversity
4) Social Justice
5) Interpersonal and Cultural Communications
6) Statistics or Introduction to Statistics for Sociology
7) Policing in the Community
8) Community and the Justice System
9) Ethical Reasoning or Ethics in Practice
10) Introduction to Logic
11) Introduction to Crime
12) Introduction to Transformational Policing
13) Introduction to Critical Thinking
14) Emotional Intelligence
15) Health and Wellness/Mental Health
This degree program cannot simply repurpose a currently approved degree, such as a degree in criminal justice or the administration of justice, it must be a new unique degree. When possible, the courses should consider using existing course identification numbers if possible and appropriate, this will save significant time on the back end.
It is also not clear on which, if any, electives will be required, how credit for prior learning (CPL) will be considered and implemented for things such as the Police Academy. It is also being evaluated how the current list of forty-one colleges will provide these courses, will they be offered in the traditional onsite college courses in the classroom, offered as a hybrid (part onsite and part online), or as 100% online offerings.
Desired Outcomes
The desired outcome after completing the degree program will include graduates exhibiting the following qualities to serve as a well-rounded member of a police agency, to include:
1) Culturally Competent and Equity Minded. This is the ability to honor and respect the beliefs, language, interpersonal styles, behaviors, and lifestyles of those receiving and providing services.
2) Critical Thinker. This is the ability to analyze situations and use good judgment under stressful circumstances, even when limited information is available, and utilize multiple perspectives when making decisions on the job.
3) Communicator. Effectively communicate in written and verbal communications.
4) Resilient. This is the ability to utilize mental and emotional strategies to remain balanced, manage strong or difficult circumstances or emotions, face pressure and challenges and rebound from them, and cope with a crisis in a positive and constructive way.
POST Certification
The POST Professional Certificate Program fosters education, training, and professionalism in law enforcement; raises the level of competence of law enforcement officers; and fosters cooperation between the Commission, its clients, and individuals. The Commission, through the POST Professional Certificates Unit, awards the Proof of Eligibility and Basic Certificate to all peace officers required to be certified pursuant to Penal Code Section 13510.1. The POST Professional Certificates Unit is also responsible for the issuance of professional certificates comprised of the Intermediate, Advanced, Supervisory, Management, Executive, Reserve Officer, Public Safety Dispatcher, and Records Supervisor certificates.
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All regulatory requirements for certificates issued to public safety dispatchers and records supervisors are specified in Commission Regulation 1011. All regulatory requirements for peace officer certificates are specified in Commission Regulation 1202.
Existing law requires the commission to establish basic, intermediate, advanced, supervisory, management, and executive certificates for the purpose of fostering the education and experience necessary to perform general police service duties. Existing law requires certificates to be awarded based on a combination of training, education, experience, and other prerequisites, as determined by the commission.
Basic Certificate - Any full-time peace officer employed by a POST-participating agency who successfully completes the appropriate basic course requirement for their classification, possess a valid Proof of Eligibility and successfully completes their agency’s probationary period is eligible for the Basic Certificate. All regulatory requirements for certificates issued to peace officers are specified in Commission Regulation 1202. Pursuant to Penal Code Section 832.4(b), every peace officer listed in Penal Code Section 830.1(a) [except a sheriff, an elected marshal, or a custodial deputy appointed pursuant to Penal Code 830.1(c)] shall obtain the POST Basic Certificate to continue to exercise peace officer powers. Penal Code Section 832.4 requires possession upon completion of probation, but in no case later than 24 months after appointment. However, if the agency's probation period is 24 months, an additional three months is authorized.
Pursuant to Penal Code Section 832.4(c), as a condition of continued employment, each police chief, or any other person in charge of a local law enforcement agency, who is appointed on or after January 1, 1999, shall possess the POST Basic Certificate within two years of appointment. Those who do not already possess a valid POST Basic Certificate, shall be issued a POE until such time as they earn a valid Basic Certificate.
Every peace officer appointed by an agency participating in the POST program shall possess the appropriate Basic Certificate within the time limits described in subsection 1202(a)(5)(A) unless an exception in subsection 1202(a)(5)(D) pertains to the officer.
There are three exceptions to the Basic Certificate requirements specified in subsection 1202(a)(5)(A)-(C): 1. Peace officers appointed prior to the employing agency's entry date into the POST program and who are not required to possess a POST Basic Certificate pursuant to the requirements of Penal Code Section 832.4, and 2. Custodial peace officers appointed pursuant to Penal Code Section 830.1(c), and 3. Peace officers first appointed prior to January 1, 1974, and who have not changed agencies since that date and who are not included in exceptions subsection 1202(a)(5)(D)1. or two.
POST Certificate Terminology
Listed below are the requirements for the Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Supervisory, Management and Executive certificates. To earn POST certificates, it requires a combination of law enforcement experience, college units or degrees, and POST training points. Here are the definitions of these terms:
Law Enforcement (LE) Experience
Law enforcement experience described in subsection 1202(b)(4)(E) is accepted if recorded on the POST profile. POST may accept the experience described in subsections 1202(b)(4)(E) when the law enforcement experience:
a. Is documented on the employing agency's letterhead, signed by the agency head,
b. Includes an attestation that the applicable requirements stated in experience categories subsection 1202(b)(4)(E) have been met, and
c. Includes the type of appointment, time base, dates of service, and types of duties performed.
2. Full-time peace officer experience with a California POST participating agency.
3. Pursuant to Penal Code Section 830.75, persons designated as a Level I Reserve Officer by a POST participating agency but regularly employed by an institution of higher education are not considered to be full-time peace officers regardless of their status as a full-time or part-time employee.
4. Full-time peace officer experience with a California non-POST participating law enforcement agency, and during the time of the appointment, the law required completion of the RBC or SIBC for the position held.
5. Full-time peace officer experience with an out-of-state law enforcement department that participates in its state's “POST type” program, and the “POST-type” program awarded the individual a Basic Certificate or license. The maximum credit allowed for this experience category is five years. “POST-type” means any department/agency that is a member of the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training.
6. Full-time experience with a federal law enforcement agency if the individual satisfactorily completed a basic law enforcement academy presented by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center or the Federal Bureau of Investigation academy. The maximum credit allowed for this experience category is five years.
Educational Units
Accreditation shall be by a national or regional accrediting body that is recognized by the Secretary of the United States Department of Education. For the award of a certificate, all degrees, or units:
1. Shall be issued by and recorded on the transcript of an accredited community college, college, or university; or
2. When issued by a non-accredited community college, college, or university, the degree or units shall have been accepted and recorded on the transcript of an accredited community college, college, or university. One college semester unit equals one education unit, or one college quarter unit equals two-thirds of an education unit.
When education units exceed the number needed to qualify for a certificate, the excess education units may be converted to training points to meet training point requirements.
1. One education unit shall equal one training point.
2. POST will make the conversion when it is to the advantage of the applicant.
3. The RBC can only be used to satisfy either the training points or the education units’ requirement. It cannot be used to satisfy both.
POST Training Points
1. Twenty hours of law enforcement training are equal to one training point. Only completed courses with verifiable hours are accepted. Training point credit shall not be given for partial completion of a course or when the course was failed.
2. When the training is not POST-certified, the commission shall have discretion to determine acceptable law enforcement training, pursuant to the following criteria:
a. When requesting training points for courses that are not POST-certified, applicants must provide documentation to support completion of training such as a copy of the course roster or a copy of the course completion certificate.
b. Training must be verified with a course roster or a certificate of course completion that includes the date of completion and number of hours completed.
c. Military courses must identify the topics related to law enforcement such as: searching and handcuffing, arrest procedures, basic patrol, calls for service, report writing, transporting, and securing prisoners, building searches, area searches, property and evidence control, traffic collision investigation, crime scene processing, etc. Military training shall be evaluated by POST for relevance to law enforcement as specified above.
d. Out-of-state police training. For the FBI National Academy, full credit shall be given for hours in training, or units, if a transcript is submitted.
For out of state police academy basic courses, full credit shall be given for topic hours that meet the minimum topic requirements for the POST Regular Basic Course (RBC) if a transcript of the course is furnished. If a POST-certified basic course is completed, in addition to an out of state police academy, full hourly credit for training points for the POST-certified basic course may be granted as applicable consistent with 1011(a)(3)(D).
No training points are awarded for on-the-job training programs such as the Field Training Program. No training points are awarded for firearms qualifications.
Basic Certificate Award Requirements
(A) Satisfy requirements specified in subsection 1202(b)(1).
(B) Possess valid Proof of Eligibility or POE.
(C) Complete the current employing agency's probationary period of not less than 12 months.
(D) Be currently employed as a full-time peace officer appointed to an eligible POST participating agency. Penal Codes subject to obtain a Proof of Eligibility (POE) and/or Basic Certificate, if eligible: PC 830.1, PC 830.1 (c) Jail Deputies, PC 830.2, except those described in subdivision (d) (CDCR), PC 830.3, PC 830.32, and PC 830.33.
Intermediate Certificate - Applicants for Intermediate Certificate Award shall:
(A) Satisfy the requirements specified in subsection 1202(b)(1),
(B) Possess a Basic Certificate, and
(C) Satisfy one of the following eligibility combinations:
Bachelor’s degree and 2 years of LE experience plus 0 training points.
Associate degree and 4 years of LE experience plus 0 training points.
45 educational units and 4 years of LE experience plus 45 training points
30 educational units and 6 years of LE experience plus 30 training points
15 educational units and 8 years of LE experience plus 15 training points
Advanced Certificate -Applicants for Advanced Certificate Award shall:
(A) Satisfy the requirements specified in subsection 1202(b)(1),
(B) Possess the Intermediate Certificate, and
(C) Satisfy one of the following eligibility combinations:
Master’s degree and 4 years of LE experience plus 0 training points.
Bachelor’s degree and 6 years of LE experience plus 0 training points
Associate degree and 9 years of LE experience plus 0 training points
45 educational units and 9 years of LE experience plus 45 training points
30 educational units and 12 years of LE experience plus 30 training points
Excess education units may be applied towards training points on a unit for point basis per 1202(b)(4)(D).
Supervisory Certificate - Applicants for Supervisory Certificate Award shall:
(A) Satisfy the requirements specified in subsection 1202(b)(1),
(B) Possess or be eligible to possess an Intermediate Certificate,
(C) Complete a minimum of 60 semester units from an accredited college or university or possess an accredited degree (i.e., AA, BA, MA, etc.),
(D) Successfully complete the POST Supervisory Course, and
(E) Possess a minimum of two years of law enforcement experience as a permanent first level supervisor or higher.
Management Certificate - Applicants for Management Certificate Award shall:
(A) Satisfy the requirements specified in subsection 1202(b)(1),
(B) Possess or be eligible to possess an Advanced Certificate,
(C) Complete a minimum of 60 semester units from an accredited college or university or possess an accredited degree (i.e., AA, BA, MA, etc.),
(D) Successfully complete the POST Management Course, and
(E) Possess a minimum of two years of law enforcement experience as a permanent middle manager or higher.
To be awarded both the Supervisory and Management Certificates, possess two years of law enforcement experience as a permanent first level supervisor or higher, plus two years of law enforcement experience as a permanent middle manager or higher.
Executive Certificate - Applicants for Executive Certificate Award shall:
(A) Satisfy the requirements specified in subsection 1202(b)(1),
(B) Possess or be eligible to possess an Advanced Certificate,
(C) Complete a minimum of 60 semester units from an accredited college or university or possess an accredited degree (i.e., AA, BA, MA, etc.),
(D) Successfully complete the POST Executive Development Course, and
(E) Possess a minimum of two years of law enforcement experience as a permanent agency head with the current employing agency.
To be awarded three certificates, Supervisory, Management, and Executive, or any combination of two, possess a minimum of two years of experience at the levels stated in subsections 1202(b)(7)(E), 1202(b)(8)(E), and 1202(b)(9)(E) respectively, as appropriate for the award.
More to follow.
Lieutenant Patrol Operations at Brentwood Police Department
7moThank you sharing.
A huge step forward. Cheers.