Soft skills in the context of police education in Colombia: a theoretical review

The present research objective was to analyze soft skills in the context of police education in Colombia from a theoretical perspective, as a contribution to the institutional research under the title: “The professional profile of the policeman in the 21st century and its implementation route in the police training process” by consulting theoretical and empirical sources, in response to the new scenarios of coexistence and security in the country. A qualitative approach was used in its development, through research with a documentary scope. Among the results achieved, it was found that soft skills expected in the professionals of the 21st century, frequently described by the authors analyzed and which are relevant in the police educational field are: thinking abilities, effective communication, problem-solving, flexibility, decision making, emotional intelligence, management skills, leadership, conflict mediation, creativity and service orientation. These skills have been suggested as an asset to the institutional system of generic police competencies for approval by experts in police education and police service and consecutive enhancement into the police training process.