he training of police officers in the last century focused
mainly on the physical aspects of the job. Officers were
expected to be reactive, appearing in a community only when a
situation had gotten out of control. They adhered to a
militaristic chain of command and were not encouraged to find
creative solutions to neighbor-hood problems. In that milieu,
many departments considered a high school degree all the
academic preparation that was necessary to be an efficient
officer. But as the new century brings new challenges and new
opportunities for police officers, it also requires the police
profession as a whole to reevaluate its educational
requirements. The Change" When I became an Arlington, Texas,
police officer in 1983, officers were expected to be submissive
to authority and follow policy and supervisory directions,"
recalls Theron Bowman, now police chief of Arlington. "Policies
attempted to address every conceivable situation so as to
release officers from the necessity of thinking for themselves.
Dec