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POST advisory committee: 22,000 officers have no degree recorded; agency data updates and AB89 may improve reporting
Summary
POST staff told the advisory committee that about 22,000 active peace officers in POST records do not have a college degree recorded; presenters said sample analysis showed most officers have some college coursework and that data gaps stem from when and how education is submitted to POST via EDI.
POST’s Certification Bureau presented new analyses March 3 showing that about 22,000 active peace officers do not have a college degree indicated in POST records, while noting limits to the data and that most sampled officers have at least some college coursework.
Bureau Chief Michelle Wiler told the advisory committee the number comes from POST’s records and a composite sample covering 2023–2025. “There are more than 22,000 active officers who do not have a college degree indicated,” she said, adding that the total number of active peace officers in the dataset is 83,218.
Wiler and Staff Services Manager Stacy Townsen said the bureau analyzed three samples of 500 officers each and found about 91.2% of sampled officers had some college coursework, even when a degree was not reported. They cautioned that the dataset reflects what officers or agencies submit to POST at the time of certificate applications, not a guaranteed full census of earned degrees.
Committee members pressed POST staff on whether the POST data system (EDI) could be changed to collect education earlier in officers’ careers. Wiler said most education entries arrive when officers apply for intermediate or advanced certificates and that updating the portal or requiring earlier reporting would likely require work by POST’s Computer Services Bureau and policy changes tied to AB89 implementation. “We don’t collect the data when we issue a basic certificate or proof of eligibility,” she said.
The committee discussed whether education correlates with misconduct. Wiler said POST’s internal comparisons of education levels and disciplinary allegations have not revealed a statistically significant correlation so far. ‘‘We haven’t found anything yet,’’ Wiler said, adding academic mixed-methods research would be useful to investigate links among tenure, assignment, wellness and discipline.
Why it matters: the presentation shows large administrative gaps in POST’s education fields and outlines a path—through regulation and systems work—by which POST and agencies could obtain more complete information. Committees urged the bureau to work with the Computer Services Bureau and agencies to capture degrees more reliably and sooner in an officer’s career.
What’s next: POST staff said changes under AB89 and future regulation work on 1202 and 1005 could improve how education and certificate eligibility are collected and tracked. The bureau recommended follow-up research and system updates before imposing new requirements.
