ORANGE COUNTY VOICES : LAW ENFORCEMENT : Police Corps Creation Would Help Recruiting

According to the Bureau of Criminal Statistics in California, in 1968 the ratio of violent crimes to police officers in Orange County was 1.2. In 1978 it was 2.7; and by 1988 it was a whopping 3.5. In other words, the volume of crime our police in Orange County are expected to confront and deter has increased three times faster during the last 20 years than the number of sworn officers. This has resulted in a lot of overworked cops.

Orange County is typical of a national problem. Across the country, police recruitment is in crisis. Large numbers of peace officers are expected to retire during the next three years, and many departments are scrambling to replace them.

In order to attract more young men and women to the law enforcement profession and to get more college-educated cops on the street, I have introduced legislation to establish a Police Corps. Based on the ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) program, the Police Corps would provide a college education to qualified candidates in exchange for serving four years on a local police force.

A Police Corps will help plug the coming manpower gap by increasing the number of college-educated police officers on America’s streets each year. After four years, this program could increase the number of police by about 20%. And because graduates would be placed almost exclusively on foot patrols, the Police Corps could increase cops on the front lines by about 40%. Most of these officers will be in our highest crime areas.

Despite its laudable goals, I have heard complaints about the program from some in the law enforcement fraternity. They say the Police Corps will result in elitism, that graduates will not stay past their four-year commitment and that the money could be better spent on providing educational opportunities for officers already on the force. Let me address these criticisms.

First, if elitism is argued against the Police Corps, it may also be applied to countless other special units. I have heard from police officers that they have observed an elitist attitude among SWAT teams, anti-terrorist units, and narco squads. Does that mean we should do away with such units? Indeed, this same logic carried to an extreme would require us to close down our three military service academies and end the military ROTC program because they create “elitist” cadres inside the armed services. Of course, this is ludicrous.

I am confident that Police Corps graduates will be sensitive to appearances of elitism and that they will work hard to earn the respect of their colleagues. Sure, there may be some resentment at first, but as Police Corps graduates prove themselves, I believe the program will infuse our police departments with a new spirit.

Second, some critics contend Police Corps graduates would not be committed to police work and would leave the force after their four-year obligation expires. While there is no doubt some Police Corps graduates will move on to other professions, it is my belief that the percentage who stay in law enforcement will be far higher than the percentage of military officers who remain in the service. And according to the Pentagon, there is a retention rate of 55% for ROTC-trained officers.

After all, policing is far more conducive to regular family life than military life where overseas assignments or sea duty put great strain on families. Furthermore, the type of people drawn to the Police Corps will be individuals who are attracted to the excitement, adventure and satisfaction of public-service associated with police work. As American University professor James Fyfe, an ex-cop, said of police work, “There is nothing like it, and once exposed to and bitten by it, few people rush to leave it.”

But what about the others who leave the police and move on to other careers? Again, the military offers a compelling example. Throughout our nation, all aspects of our society benefit from the training and experience of former military officers. The U.S. Congress and the Bush Administration are full of ex-military people like me who use their knowledge and experience to shape foreign policy and other national security issues. The Police Corps might help establish such a tradition among police officers. I would love to see as many ex-cops among my colleagues here in Congress as ex-military officers. And I am sure that we would be much closer to winning the war on drugs had we more policy-makers with police experience directing that struggle. In short, Police Corps graduates who choose to move on to other careers will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience with them.

Finally, critics argue that we should use the money set aside for the Police Corps to educate officers currently on the force because these officers have already shown a commitment to police work. I agree that educating police officers is a worthy endeavor. Spending federal funds on existing officers, however, will do little to solve the problems of police recruitment, increasing the number of cops on the beat and increasing the pool from which law enforcement organizations can recruit qualified candidates.

The Police Corps will solve these critical problems. A free education is a way to both entice qualified and committed people to the field and to ensure that our police keep pace with the growing sophistication of criminals. Coast to coast, our current group of police officers is a well-honed, highly motivated and caring group of professionals. I believe that the Police Corps will add to that professionalism as well as increase the ranks.