Editorial: Dropping college credits could solve police staffing problems

Do police officers need to go to college?

It’s a question that many places have struggled to answer in recent years as it has become harder to fill the vacancies in police departments large and small.

There are a number of officers walking away from the job, either retiring or finding new work. Some are parlaying the shortages into higher salaries at other departments. Others are leaving law enforcement entirely, a trend that started before the 2020 death of George Floyd increased tensions between communities and police but has escalated since.

A survey by the Police Employment Research Forum shows that “agencies are losing officers faster than they can hire new ones, so total sworn staffing has continued to decline.”

In some places, this means dealing with short rosters. In others, it has meant closing departments or folding them into another nearby force to keep officers on the street.

Pennsylvania addressed this last month when Gov. Josh Shapiro announced a change to the qualifications to be a state trooper. There would no longer be 60 college credits required to enter the police academy.

“For nearly 30 years, college credit requirements have prevented some of the most capable and committed from being able to serve our commonwealth,” Shapiro said.

The immediate response might support that. In the two days after that announcement, 297 people applied to be cadets. Of those, 137 would not have been able to apply previously because of credits.

Pittsburgh implemented a similar system in October. More moves like this could make big changes in departments of all sizes.

It seems smart for the police agencies that need to maintain their ranks and for the communities that rely on those police for safety.

Likewise, the applicants get something, too — they aren’t shelling out thousands of dollars for two years of college credits. That could mean a de facto pay increase for new officers who don’t start off their careers carrying student loan debt.

Now, could we figure out a way to better support the social workers and other human services that partner with law enforcement on so many issues and are also poorly paid and understaffed?