INCREASING MOVE

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 4745, 12 September 1935, Page 2

INCREASING MOVE

COLLEGE TO POLICE FORCE. "Rookies" with college education are about to become more numerous in the New York Police Department, according to an analysis by the Municipal Civil Service Commission of the educational background of the 5504 candidates who passed the last examation for patrolmen, says the New York Times. < Studies of the schooling of the 200 top men and the last 200 of the 5504 who passed were made. In the first group are thirty-five college men. Of them, seven are graduates, while the remainder are without degrees, but have attended college from two to almost four years. One hundred and twenty have attended high schools, four have been in business or special schools, and fortythree have a grammar school education. ?

Among the last 200 qualifiers were nine college men, of'whom only three had graduated. It will take months to check up on the education of the whole 5504, but undoubtedly other successful applicants have attended college. Harr yard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia are said to be represented. The first group registers 17.5 per cent, of college men and the last group 4.5 per cent. It is not improbable that 10 per cent, of the total 5504 have been in college anywhere from four weeks to four ; years. There are already many such members in the rank and file of i the Police Department. This is true, especially of the Midtown Squad or: "Courtesy Cops," who, because, of their good address, high "I. Q.s," and their command of correct English, are selected to welcome arid; guide Strangers. The entrance of college men into the Department is accounted for on several grounds. A patrolman's salary is 2000 dollars (£400) at the; start and may in due course reach; 3000 dollars (£600). "Rookies" of; superior education are likely to ad-| vance rapidly to the higher ranks,; and policemen who retire after; twenty years are eligible for good; pensions. If they are still physically? sound they may enter civil employ- 1 ment and retain their city allowance.; Furthermore, men who began by patrolling beats are becoming police! Commissioners, Deputy Police Com-! missioners and City Magistrates. f