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 basic certification from the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.
Some officers will be exempt from the new rules, including those working for the Department of State Hospitals.
Officers already working for public agencies in California or enrolled in a police academy before the end of 2030 will also be grandfathered in.
Former Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer told CalMatters that the current bill “undermines the original intent behind his 2021 law by allowing a loophole” for incoming peace officers to satisfy the education requirement without going to school.
The 2021 law raised the minimum age for police officers entering the force from 18 to 21 and tasked California’s community college system to work with “specified entities” to develop a modern policing degree program.
Research has shown that law enforcement officers with a college degree tend to use less force and exercise better decision making.
Despite some concerns, the bill has sailed through the state Legislature, receiving support from various city police associations and statewide law enforcement advocacy groups, including the California Police Chiefs Association, the California State Sheriffs’ Association, and the California Association of Highway Patrolmen.
