Summary: Obtaining Police Misconduct

Benefits By completing a college degree program, there are several benefits beyond personal satisfaction and achievement and officer is able to reap. Increased salary can motivate just about anyone and officers obtaining a degree can be rewarded with extra monthly income. Zimmerman (2014) explains in the late 1970’s a college graduate earned a 55 percent greater salary than that of a person holding only a high school diploma. This percentage had soared to 75 percent by the 1990’s. The author points out in today’s economy, this percentage is even higher. A college graduate earns an 85 percent higher salary than a person holding only a high school diploma. Although many departments do not require a police officer to have a post-secondary degree, possession of such can greatly increase their chances for promotion. Promotions can vary from achieving a higher rank such as Sergeant or Lieutenant to becoming a Detective. According to Hilah, and Densley (2013), officers who hold college degrees have a great career advantage over fellow officers who do not. Obtaining
The author explains police misconduct is divided into different classifications. The first category is work-related deviance which includes sleeping on duty, internal corruption, theft or burglary of departmental property and accepting monetary bribes in exchange for special treatment or privileges to local businesses or citizens. The second classification is mistreatment or abuse of authority. Officers abuse their authority when they use their granted power to use unnecessary force or brutality against citizens such as verbal attacks on citizens during traffic stops or calls for service. This also includes abuse to legal statues by violating the constitutional rights of fellow officers and citizens (Ivkovic,