LAWTON Okla_ Duncan Police Chief
Danny Ford said working in law enforcement these days requires a lot more
education than when he started out 37 years ago.
Chief Ford delivered
that message Monday to a room full of students and staff in Cameron University's
Criminal Justice and Sociology Department. He was invited as part of a
year-long speaker series involving law enforcement professionals. The program
began last November, with Lawton Police Chief James Smith as the first guest
speaker.
Chief Ford said
when he started in law enforcement in 1975, he didn't need a degree. Things
have changed, though. These days, officers moving up in rank have their Bachelors
or Masters Degree in Criminal Justice. As a former CU assistant professor in
the Criminal Justice Department and currently part-time teacher, Ford said he
sees it most needed in law enforcement.
"A college
degree doesn't make you any smarter," Ford said, "And everybody goes, ‘Uh-oh. I
paid a lot of money for nothing.' A college degree gives you a bigger library
to draw on. A college degree gives you the ability to problem-solve."
Chief Ford said
that's true especially when dealing with the law, bad guys and the cyber world
these days.
"Social
networking has just gone bonkers," Ford said. "It's a very good system. The
problem with the system is somebody is going to misuse it."
He said these
future law enforcement officers need know what to do when defining the laws
dealing with the Internet.
"They've got to understand the liability
factor is directly connected to a person's ability to solve problems and solve
them in a reasonable manner," Ford said.
CU Criminal Justice
major Darlene Holle plans to work with the National Forest Service to protect
state parks and keep people from endangering animals. She said Chief Ford is
right: Knowing exactly what laws exist in their law enforcement careers is
vital.
"It's really important that our law
officers do have the education," Holle said. "So, when they do arrest somebody
for something, they do it the right way; that person can be prosecuted. Some of
the law officers aren't trained that well. They make mistakes, and you have a criminal
background on the streets because you have a simple mistake."
Both Ford and
Holle said the only way to avoid that is to never stop learning.
"People should
always strive to be lifelong learners," Holle said. "I learn something new
everyday and it keeps your brain fresh."
"Even
though you get the degree, that's not
the beginning," Ford said. "That's just the start of a different trail,
and as long as they do that, they'll be okay."
Chief Ford said
since coming back to work with the Duncan Police Department in 2009 after a
10-year hiatus, he's finally catching up to some of his officers who have shown
how much law enforcement education has grown.
The Criminal
Justice Department's Speaker Series will continue February 18th with a visit
from GEO Lawton Correctional Facility Warden Hector Rios.
