Murray, John --- "Convenient myths about higher education in policing" [2000] AUFPPlatypus 25; (2000) 69 Platypus: Journal of the Australian Federal Police, Article 3

The ACT's new Chief Police Officer, John Murray was invested by Commissioner Mick Palmer at a ceremony at the ACT Legislative Assembly on September 11.

In this article, he draws from his own experiences in pursuing higher education and relates them to the questions often asked when police consider further study :

In the 1970s as a young detective in the Adelaide CIB, I decided to enroll in an adult education class for matriculation. I cannot honestly remember what my motivation was at the time, but I can clearly recall that it was something that I should keep to myself. It was to be my secret – or so I thought.

I was not very long into the course when I was called to the Detective Inspector's office and the conversation went something like this:

He said, “Detective Murray. I have it on good authority that you are studying matriculation.”

I said, “No sir. I certainly have not.” (It was then, and I believe still is the culture in most jurisdictions that when you are questioned by a senior officer that you should deny all allegations.)

Now rather angrily, he said, “I know you have been studying – is this job not good enough for you?”

And so it went on. Eventually after intense questioning I gave in and “confessed!”

By the way, there was no suggestion that I was studying in company time. His apparent concern was that anyone who studied outside of the in-house police training program must be thinking of leaving the job.

If we were to change the scenario slightly by replacing matriculation with university, to what extent would that anecdote be relevant today? Well, I have just spent the past three years of my working life teaching post graduate education for police I am still conscious of pockets of resistance or even defiance of higher education for police. While progressive police services are consciously promoting the imperative link between modern policing and higher intellect, not all members, it seems, are convinced of this need. Some would adopt the traditional approach to police training and development and defend the notion that policing is essentially a tough, physical “craft” best learnt on the job. Those who take this view sometimes categorise police as either “academics” or “operational” and seem unable to countenance the proposition that a good operational police person can have his/her ability enhanced (rather than diminished) by higher education.

Being invited to write for Platypus Magazine, I thought I draw from my experience in policing together with my most recent work in academia to address two issues. First, I would like to lend support to those in the police profession who have consciously chosen to embark on a program of continuous learning which includes not just skills/vocational development (which of course is critical) but also intellectual development through higher education. Second, I thought that I should encourage those who are in the job for the long haul and who have aspirations for higher rank to consider where higher education might fit into their career plan. To both groups, I thought I would try to put myself into the position in which many police find themselves today and answer the questions, “Is all this effort in studying worthwhile?” and, “Should I commit myself to study – what value is in it for me?”

I have, therefore come up with the title Convenient Myths about Higher Education in Policing. Let me explain what I mean by this. During, and following courses of study, like those undertaken by thousands of police across this country, there is a tendency for some work colleagues to make negative remarks about the inappropriateness of study. Thankfully, there have been significant positive shifts in recent years towards a growing acceptance of the value of higher education. However, you might find the following comments familiar:

The one from my anecdote, “Why study if you do not want to leave the job?” and “I wish I had time to study!” and “You must like study!” (to be doing what you are doing).

If you think about it, each of these comments tends to say more about the person making the comment than it does about the issue itself. In effect, and certainly in some instances, the person making comments such as these could be interpreted as rationalising away why they have not committed themselves to a course of study. Of course, there are good and valid reasons why certain members have been unable to do so and forces/services should be alert to that. However, given the strong police culture of peer pressure these sort of comments can dissuade or discourage members starting or continuing higher education.

So, let me interpret each comment and turn it around to indicate the positive value in the commitment to study.

Let us consider the comment, “Do you want to leave the job?” or “Is this job not good enough for you?” These are interesting comments, and although my anecdote refers to the 1970s, it is still made. This apparent anti-intellectual or anti-academic sentiment is out of touch with society's expectations today. There are few jobs now which do not seek and appreciate high intellectual reasoning and logical thinking.

The commentator here when saying “Is this job not good enough for you” is really saying “Why don't you stay at my level?” That would certainly make him/her happy but how does that help you or the organization?

I would like to think that higher education for police – at all levels – is no longer controversial. I can envisage few other professions/vocations which place such a high premium on high intellectual reasoning and problem solving. Judgments are exercised daily which have the potential for such a dramatic impact on people's lives and liberty. While professional intuition is a valuable attribute, the demands of society today call for a high level of abstract reasoning which is unlikely to be picked up “on the job” and arguably best developed through tertiary education.

While some of the forces/services to which you currently belong or those to which you aspire have succession planning programs, you are ultimately responsible for your own career planning. Higher education should be considered in the context of this career plan overall.

2. Conducting an objective analysis of how you are currently situated in terms of qualifications and experience – that is, where you are at now – and since I believe it is difficult to objectively assess one's self in areas like this you may consider this best done through the assistance of an outsider.

4. Establishing what you will need in terms of qualifications and experience to get to your desired goal. Remember this will involve some speculation. Qualifications which might be sufficient today might not be enough in a few years time. So the goal you set for the future must also predict what is likely to be required. When I have lectured to senior police officers in Australia and Hong Kong, I point out that while university qualifications are not necessary for many senior positions in police today, I predict that in their working life it will be a pre-requisite for most police services to have not just undergraduate but postgraduate qualifications.

5. The next stage in your career plan will be to map out a strategy which sets out what you will have to achieve in terms of qualifications and experiential postings. A progressive service would welcome you doing this and would also advise and support you in the preparation of the plan.

6. And finally, as you set out in your career plan you will have to continue to assess its relevance through time. Your aspirations may be too high or indeed too low. I have seen many police officers who through a course of study have subsequently identified a higher potential and have risen to positions much higher than their initial modest predictions. So your plan may need modification and restructuring.

The first time I heard someone make this comment I noted that he spent a lot of his “out of work time” and a fair bit of his “in work time” drinking at the pub. So as men and women in policing use their spare time and part of their leave to study, it is not a case of having the time it is more a case of giving up time that could be spent on something else.

To those of you to whom this comment has been made, the implication here can also be that you have not done your fair share of work on the job – certainly not as much as they have – and that they are busier than you. My experience is that some of those who make this sort of remark not only defiantly resist outside study (and its prerequisite commitment of personal time) but also lack energy and commitment at work.

Those who make this type of comment might also be inclined to say as you walk away from graduations with your Certificate/Diploma/Degree, “You are lucky to have a qualification.” How outrageous! I remember a world class golfer who after chipping in from 30 metres received the comment, “That was a lucky shot.” And he replied, “Yes. It has taken 30 years of constant practice to make me that lucky!”

And so it is with those of you have chosen to study. Receiving a qualification is not a result of good fortune. It follows a conscious commitment and giving up time that you would normally use for something else. It induces pressure, anxiety, and sometimes pain, on you, your family and your friends. The most obvious thing about study is that when presented with the option to do so, is it easy to say, “No.” And if you have embarked on a study program it is certainly tempting to give it up. But as with most worthwhile things in life, qualifications do not simply fall into your lap.

So I say to those who make the sort of comment, “I wish I had time to study” and who also say they are ambitious, “It is no good fronting up for a job interview or for a promotion in a few years time and lamenting – I wish I had this qualification they are talking about.” Wishing will not get you the qualification – commitment and hard work will.

So in turning this comment around, it might sound something like this: a commitment to study involves a conscious decision to devote a considerable amount of your own. By the nature of that commitment you have to use some of your leisure and pleasure time which invariably calls for understanding and support from those closest to you. This should never be undervalued.

Now what sort of a comment is that? It is true that some people do like studying but a commitment of many years of study as part of an individual's career plan does not necessarily imply that it is enjoyable. You are unlikely to hear, “I don't really want to go to the Gold Coast or spend a week in Paris – I have got something better to do next week – I am studying quantitative methods and statistics for a three hour examination!”

Implicit also in the comment, “You must like study!” is the suggestion that study is not necessary. But as we move into these more demanding times this is just wishful thinking. A person who seeks to win an important position in policing or seeks to gain significant promotion must, in my view, recognise the inevitable tendency towards prerequisite formal qualifications.

Those of you who have made the effort to get these qualifications benefit not just from the qualification itself but also from the learning process on your path towards it. Those of you are contemplating study should heed this and consider my observation that the better prepared applicants for jobs and promotion have undertaken some form of tertiary education. It teaches you to reason through issues and in terms of presenting yourself to job/promotion panels assists you in arguing your position.

Especially those of you who undertaking study for the first time since leaving school it is not likely to be a case of “liking study” – it is more likely to be a pragmatic choice in your goal towards achieving a better position in the workplace in an environment of significant competition. A prominent person once said, “Life wasn't meant to be easy”. I don't think it naturally follows that study wasn't meant to be easy but it invariably calls for sustained hard work which few of us would describe as enjoyable. While we enjoy the final result – that attainment of the award – it is not just a case of feeling fulfilled but it sometimes brings about pure relief from a grueling time.

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Note the Changes in Policing

Almost every article you read on management, or specifically on police management, starts off with comments like, “We are living in a period of constant change” or “There is nothing more constant than change.” It is, of course true, that the rate of change in policing is dramatic and choices about higher education and other career enhancement decisions require you to link your program to the changing environment and the challenges it presents.

There has been a discernable change in organisational culture from traditional to progressive policing. I have set out a table below which includes my appreciation of this move and I invite you to consider where higher education fits in the overall shift. Time does not stand still and one of the most inappropriate comments you might here from a senior officer is, “I got to this position without higher education, so there is no reason why you shouldn't.” You might like to consider that comment in the light of my observations below.

Traditional Culture	Progressive Culture
Policing as a Craft/Trade Policing has traditionally been regarded as a vocation where the skills are learned ‘on-the-job.' It assumes that after being taught the practical skills at the academy the ability to do the job will be learned from an experienced officer in the field. Here the culture is simply passed on from one generation to the next without any outside influences.	Policing as a Profession Especially over the last ten years there has been a conscious drive for police to be accepted as a “profession.” What profession means in that sense is open to different interpretations, but it will usually involve developing a body of knowledge of policing (like the recognised professions of medicine/law), a requirement for higher and better education, a strict code of ethics, and working to values rather than just rules. Police culture instead of relying solely on past practices/behaviour is influenced by broader influences of society and research/learning.
Authoritarian approach to policing Here there is an emphasis on strictly enforcing the laws without being concerned about causes of crime, prosecutorial discretion is limited, being less concerned with preventing crime, and generally telling the public how policing is going to be conducted. Research into the traditional street-level culture suggest there has been a tendency for authoritarianism, defensism, cynicism and action-orientation which together result in a general distancing from the community.	Problem Solving Here there is an emphasis on understanding what contributes to crime and there is a conscious commitment to joining with the community in determining how to prevent crime. This identifies community policing as a critical part in this process, the requirement of police to adopt a partnership approach with the community, and the allowance of that community to make contributions to policing the community overall. The move from authoritarianism to this community consultative style represents a significant shift in police culture.
Quasi Military Management Style Early establishment of policing saw the need to have structures and managerial styles which were either entirely built on military lines or at least drew from their principles. In those days there were few other models to draw from. What becomes controversial is the extent to which this is appropriate today. With quasi militarism there is a culture which is typified by strict reliance on rank based authority, an expectation of unquestioned acceptance of direction from a senior officer, and one-way communication. A military type culture assumes that subordinate ranks have to be told what to do.	Democratic Management Style The military model certainly has its place when command and control situations demand it. However, these situations are relatively few and a system of management which allows contribution from all ranks as to how the job is done is much more successful. This, in effect, suggests that the conventional private sector management styles, like team building and democratic decision making can work to the betterment of policing A desired culture is one which empowers officers at lower ranks so that they have more authority and greater decision-making powers at the lowest possible level.
Blame Culture Linked to the quasi military style of policing is the assumption that police officers will do something wrong and when they do they should be punished. This type of police disciplinary system is based on the military court martial system and when strictly applied is geared purely to punitive measures. The system overall does little to encourage truthfulness and can act as a serious disincentive.	Learning Culture The police disciplinary system as it traditionally existed has been recognised for its inherent weaknesses. It fails to address issues of correcting genuine mistakes and is over-reactive for less serious breaches. A learning culture recognises this and treats minor and understandable breaches as areas which require correction rather than punishment. Police forces/services that adopt this approach shift this area of responsibility to the Human Resource Branch.
Emphasis on Physical Attributes Traditionally there was an assumption that being physically strong was a pre-requisite for policing. Until relatively recently (varies across countries) this effectively excluded women from the workforce. Strict, and often ill-founded standards were insisted upon which effectively cut out large portions of the population. Emphasis in training was geared around fitness and developing upper body strength. Early traditional culture insisted on a physically strong male.	Emphasis on Intellect Progressive forces/services are recognizing that the key skills required to police a modern society are intellect and good interpersonal skills. Studies repeatedly show that upper body strength is required in relative few instances and furthermore with higher intellect and good communication skills there is less likelihood of conflict situations developing. A desired culture insists on a man or woman who is smart and a good communicator. Some studies have linked higher education to advanced communication skills in policing.
Insular and Defensive Culture It is not that long ago that police would defiantly claim that they were the only ones who knew anything about policing. ‘Outsiders' and this usually included academics and the media who criticized (or even commented on) the police were regarded as unwelcome intruders. At public seminars whenever police felt they should comment, their contributions were usually seen to be defensive and insular. With a defensive culture within policing there is a tendency towards secrecy.	Open and Consultative Culture In progressive police forces/services, individual police are encouraged to contribute to public debates on justice issues. The police contribution when well reasoned is a worthwhile dimension to the overall debate. When Police Commissioners today request major changes like increases to the budget or changes to the laws, the government insists that the recommendation is not just properly argued but also that it is researched ‘objectively' that is it can be seen without a police bias. A desired culture is one which allows the public to know how and why the police operates the way it does.

Higher Expectations of Police Leaders

If just to keep abreast of the standards in the general community, there will be expectations of higher education for police leaders in the future. Both the extent of knowledge required and the need for advanced intellectual reasoning will require training and education at a higher level than currently exists. Indeed, the extent to which current training and education is able to develop future police leaders are currently under the microscope.

Certainly for some governments there has been concern that the training/educational development programs for senior police will not be sufficient to meet the demands of future police management. In the United Kingdom, for example, the Home Secretary has expressed concern about the level of traditional training and education for senior officers. He specifically notes the need to train/educate/develop prospective executive police managers in the areas of:

Police jurisdictions are now starting to address these “indicators” of higher expectations by linking personnel development and succession planning programs with university education specifically geared to industry needs. Universities in turn, have adapted to changing demands from the police industry and have consulted police to develop curricula to meet these needs. Put another way, while in the past the industry went to the university, now the university goes to the industry. In a typical police development/succession program, the university will credential police students progressively as they develop through a combination of in-house courses and a tertiary program.

So What does all this mean for you?

It must be obvious to most that, if not just for pragmatic reasons, the need to achieve higher qualifications is just a fact of life if you want to progress.

Another practical reason for raising your training and education levels is the need to just to keep up with the rising standards of the general community. This is especially so with the gigantic leaps in technology, especially electronics.

At yet another level, study or continuous learning is an important dimension to your personal growth and to your value as a contributor to public debate on important issues like “justice.” The ability to reason and contribute a well informed comment is necessary in the justice debate, for as Mark Israel and Rick Sarre in their book, Exploring Criminal Justice say:

...justice cannot be guaranteed purely by reference to the law, for justice is an ethical concept as well as a legal one. It is therefore impossible to ascribe certainty to its meaning just as it is difficult to define accurately concepts as subjective as morality, law, right and wrong, and ethics.

Remember this: issues under the banner of justice seldom have a single point of view. One of the most prominent issues in this country today involves re-conciliation of a disadvantaged people and reminds us that it is not always the majority or the most vocal in our society who deserve attention. True justice is about providing remedies for such issues (and there are many) and a truly democratic system allows each of us to contribute a point of view. Justice (and related) studies alert you to the fact that politicians, academics lawyers and police do not have franchise on what the laws should be or how they should be applied. Each of us has a place in decision-making which helps develop and sustain a progressive society.

So do not let modesty or coyness prevent you from recognising how higher education qualifications, which you now have, or are currently working towards, will allow you to make a more informed contribution to the justice system overall.

To those of you have accepted the challenge, reflect on the path towards this achievement and think back to the time and commitment you and your family and friends have given to it. You will recall that it was not simply a case of you having the time to do it - you had to make the time. While the end product is fulfilling the process was not necessarily enjoyable. To those with an ambitious career plan think carefully if you are leaving out higher education as a component – that just might be too much of a gamble.

It is healthy to be energetic and loyal to your service and it makes sense to have a career plan which addresses both contemporary and future expectations of the police industry.

What is equally relevant is that when you eventually graduate with the piece of paper, grab it with both hands and rejoice in the support of others who have actively encouraged you to start, then keep on with your study. For these are the people who offer you the worthwhile and supportive comments.

I opened with an anecdote so it might be appropriate to conclude with one. Ideally, the circumstances I referred in the introduction should attract different dialogue today and should go something like this:

Member, “I find it very interesting. There are some interesting subjects and I am learning not just how policing should be done by why. I am also appreciating other perspectives.”

Senior Officer, “Let me know if I can help. You may be able to link some of your research/project with the work place.”

*John Murray, APM, BA, LLB, MBA, GCLP took up the position of Chief Police Officer, Australian Capital Territory on September 11, 2000.

His former positions include, Assistant Commissioner, South Australia Police, Head of the Australian Graduate School of Police Management, Developer with the Open University of Hong Kong, Consultant and Advisor to the Hong Kong Police.

He is currently Visiting Professor with the Charles Sturt University, Sydney, NSW, and Adjunct Associate Professor with the University of South Australia.

Australian Federal Police - Platypus Journal/Magazine

Murray, John --- "Convenient myths about higher education in policing" [2000] AUFPPlatypus 25; (2000) 69 Platypus: Journal of the Australian Federal Police, Article 3

Note the Changes in Policing

Higher Expectations of Police Leaders

So What does all this mean for you?