Throughout history, police forces have changed profoundly, with the first forms of policing appearing in the Anglo-Saxon era in England; where the king would ensure the protection of civilians in return for a tax (Mawby, 1999). Centuries later, the principles of protecting the people are generally the same. However, in recent times, crimes and their perpetrators have become more sophisticated; the need for superior capabilities to control and manage these complex situations is becoming increasingly prevalent. We can see that the conditions for entry into the police force have also increased considerably over the decades. This article aims to critically evaluate the effectiveness of higher education requirements by highlighting the advantages and disadvantages and how they can be further improved. To better understand, a brief history of this constant debate will be analyzed. In the early 20th century in Berkeley, California, Police Chief August Vollmer encouraged police to acquire formal college training (Carte, 1973). Unfortunately, it was not until the late 1960s that a significant debate arose among police leaders about the effectiveness and benefits of formal qualifications, and how they play a role in professionalism of the police (Roberg and Bonn 2004). The first major debate in Australia took place in 1990; when the National Police Professionalism Implementation Advisory Committee (NPPIAC) recommended that to achieve national professionalism in policing, a college degree should be included in the training requirements (Trofymowych, 2008). Although the topic has been debated for nearly a century, only minimal requirements have been enforced. In Queensland, current education requirements f...... middle of paper ......e early 1990s; it is recommended that this be a requirement instead of the current 18 months of higher education. The conviction that the current 18 months is sufficient is sorely lacking. The main goal observed is to increase an individual's "professionalism", but it is hard to believe that a person will be professional if they only earn half a college degree and then drop out. A nationwide requirement must be set as a minimum for Australia's security; it is believed that advancement in skills, methods and training can only be achieved through higher levels of education. It is not certain that the police will ever obtain “professional” status; However, it is believed that with proper structure and implementation, higher education will play a decisive role. Although we also believe that there is still a long way to go.