Police recruits now can earn an associate degree while training to become a Howard police officer, but they may have to pay the county back for the education if they leave the force early.
The Howard County Council unanimously approved a measure easing the minimum education requirement to allow recruits with a high school diploma or equivalent to earn an associate degree during an 18-month probationary period.
“This will allow us to broaden the doors on the front end but still retain the value to make sure these folks get the benefits of the college degree,” said Police Chief Bill McMahon.
Under the recent amended measure, a recruit who leaves the department within three years may be required to reimburse the county the costs of the associate degree.
The exact amount to be paid back would be worked out in the contract, but it could be up to $4,100, the cost of the courses, depending on how many months the officer served, McMahon said.
The department has the ability to require a recruit to payback the cost of police training, up to about $3,500, he said.
The program is expected to cost the county between $47,880 to $68,400 in fiscal 2009 for two training sessions of seven to 10 recruits.
Council Chairwoman Courtney Watson, D-District 1, called the bill “sort of a compromise,” because it opens the pool of applicants while also ensuring police recruits still earn associate?s degrees.
Watson said her concerns that recruits may leave after receiving an associate degree, and the courses may not be as rigorous as a standard associate degree were allayed.
“I?m definitely willing to give it a shot,” she said.
Most police departments nationwide, including those in the Baltimore area, require a high school diploma, according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Montgomery County requires a minimum of 60 credit hours.
Howard Community College offers a program in which police academy courses and additional classes count toward the degree.
