A COLLEGE EDUCATION HAS BEEN INCREASINGLY PERCEIVED AS A NECESSARY REQUIREMENT FOR POLICING BECAUSE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF SEVERAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMISSIONS AND BECAUSE OF A DESIRE OF THE POLICE TO BECOME MORE 'PROFESSIONAL.' RESEARCH ON THE VALUE OF A COLLEGE EDUCATION FOR POLICE OFFICERS HAS NOT BEEN SUFFICIENTLY CRITICAL OR RIGOROUS, NOR HAS IT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE CONFLICT BETWEEN SOME OF THE PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE TRADITIONAL, BUREAUCRATIC, ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS. BEFORE COMMITTING RESOURCES IRREVOCABLY TO EXTENSIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, CAREFUL RESEARCH NEEDS TO BE UNDERTAKEN ON THE VALUE OF A COLLEGE EDUCATION IN LIGHT OF EXISTING ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND ALSO IN LIGHT OF SOME ALTERNATE STRUCTURES (SUCH AS DECENTRALIZED, MORE FLEXIBLE, LESS FORMAL SYSTEMS WITH GREATER OPPORTUNITY FOR CREATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS BY LOW-RANKING PERSONNEL). (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED.)