| Abstract | Education requirements for police officers have increased since the 1920s and will likely
continue to increase amidst calls for criminal justice reform. The effects of higher education are
well documented, and findings suggest it reduces use of force, involvement in traffic related
accidents, use of sick time, and even racial prejudice. This study aimed to add to the body of
research in a different regard, by examining the effect education has on officers’ job satisfaction.
Education showed to be significant at the bivariate level with both current job satisfaction and
the change in job satisfaction. At the bivariate level, education was statistically significant with
respect to current job satisfaction and change in job satisfaction. At the multivariate level,
education no longer exerted a significant effect on job satisfaction. Rank and experience were
found to be statistically significant. Recommendations for policy implications and directions for
future research are also discussed. |
