California wants new education requirements for police officers. Are they watered down?
- California lawmakers are debating new education requirements for police officers amid a shortage of personnel.
- Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin proposed a bill that would require incoming officers to obtain a policing certificate, associate degree, or bachelor's degree starting in 2031.
- Some law enforcement leaders are skeptical of the bill, citing concerns about its effectiveness and potential negative impacts on staffing.
- Supporters argue that the bill provides flexibility to meet education requirements and addresses ongoing recruitment challenges in law enforcement.
23 Articles
23 Articles
California bill could require new education requirement for police officers by 2031
California law enforcement officers could need to meet new education requirements under a bill introduced by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks). The measure, Assembly Bill 992, proposes that starting Jan. 1, 2031, most newly certified peace officers will be required to obtain a college degree, a professional policing certificate or have equivalent military or out-of-state law enforcement experience within 36 months of receiving their …

California wants new education requirements for police officers. Are they watered down?
California lawmakers could set new education requirements for police officers, but the bill has critics from all sides — including former Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, who authored the state’s watershed 2021 police reform bill.
Bill proposes higher education for law enforcement officers - The Sacramento Observer
By Cayla Mihalovich and Adam Echelman | CalMatters Amid calls for police reform in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, California lawmakers set out to raise education standards for incoming law enforcement officers. Five years later — as California faces a widespread shortage of police officers — those reforms are being debated once again. In 2020, former Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer introduced a bill that would have required p…
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