Vallejo Police Chief Bob Nichelini
Higher Degree
of Service
More chiefs are more educated than ever before
Bob Nichelini was a real oddity when he began his law
enforcement career at the Oakland Police Department
in 1971.
Like most other newbie cops at the time, Nichelini was exmilitary, having served in the Air Force for five years.
But unlike many other young police officers, Nichelini had
a four-year college degree - a bachelor’s degree in history
and geography.
Today, it’s routine for rookie police officers to be packing
a college degree in addition to a service weapon. And, at
the top ranks of law enforcement, advanced degrees – a
master’s, doctorate, law degree – have become common.
About 62 percent of the state’s active police chiefs have
advanced degrees, according to a recent survey by the
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Behind The Badge
California Police Chiefs Association. The survey also
found that 82 percent believe cops are more educated than
a generation ago. Even more police chiefs – roughly 85
percent -- believe education has played a key role in the
sustained drop in crime.
Nichelini is reluctant to draw too direct of a link between
smarter cops and safer streets, but the Vallejo police chief
who earned a law degree while in uniform says there are
undeniable benefits to having a well-educated police force.
“We do a better job making sure that the people we arrest
get prosecuted, which leads to a lower recidivism rate,”
Nichelini said.
Better-educated cops, he said, translates to more solidly
written reports and an ability to deal with the public and