ALTHOUGH LAW ENFORCEMENT POLICY OBJECTIVES INDICATE THE INCREASED NEED FOR PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED AND COLLEGE EDUCATED POLICE PERSONNEL, THE GOAL OF HIGHER ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE POLICE CONFLICTS WITH THE GOAL OF INCREASED REPRESENTATION BY MINORITY GROUPS IN THE POLICE FORCES. THE DISCUSSION OF THE SOCIAL DILEMMA PRESENTED BY THESE ADVERSE POLICIES REVIEWS THE LEGAL HISTORY OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY CONCERNS AND THE SUPPORT FOR MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR POLICE RECRUITS. HIGHER EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS WOULD HAVE A GREATER IMPACT ON MINORITIES, AND TESTING PROGRAMS WOULD CONTINUE TO ELIMINATE CANDIDATES FROM THESE CLASSES IN A GREATER PROPORTION THAN NONMINORITIES. THE INCREASING COMPLEXITY OF POLICE WORK, HOWEVER, APPEARS TO MANDATE THE NEED FOR MORE TRAINING AND FOR THE INITIAL SELECTION OF RECRUITS WHO POSSESS THE CAPABILITY TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY. THE PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE PROPOSES THAT POLICE DEPARTMENTS OUGHT TO ESTABLISH THE GOAL OF REQUIRING COLLEGE DEGREES FOR ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL. CASE LAW HAS ALREADY UPHELD THE RIGHT OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS TO REQUIRE THE HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR EQUIVALENT FOR THEIR RECRUITS, FINDING THAT THE EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT BORE A SUBSTANTIAL RELATIONSHIP TO THE JOB OF THE OFFICER. AS THE COURTS HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION IS A 'BARE MINIMUM' FOR OFFICERS, AND AS THE JOB OF THE OFFICERS BECOMES MORE DIFFICULT, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT A SIMILAR REQUIREMENT FOR 2 YEARS OF COLLEGE WOULD LIKELY BE UPHELD. IF, HOWEVER, SUCH A REQUIREMENT HAS A DISPROPORTIONATE RACIAL IMPACT AND CANNOT BE SHOWN TO BE JOB-RELATED, IT WOULD LIKELY VIOLATE THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, TITLE 7. A DETAILED STUDY AND ANALYSIS IS RECOMMENDED TO DETERMINE THE POTENTIAL RACIAL IMPACT OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION STANDARD. (TWK)