Sunday, June 27, 2010

“There are several things that make you stand out as a candidate; one, you’re female…” 06/28/2010

“There are several things that make you stand out as a candidate; one, you’re female…” It was Saturday, June 25, 2010, when I was told that at an interview with a law enforcement agency. Equal opportunity laws have made female candidates desirable when agencies look for new recruits. While very few can doubt that radical change has occurred within the field of policing, upon closer inspection it becomes apparent that women are still facing discrimination within the workforce. Many believe that policing is a man’s job—that women are unable to perform the tasks necessary to succeed as a peace officer. The old stigmas of what jobs are suitable for women still cling tightly to the workforce, in many cases preventing women from attaining their true working potential. The general perception of the female cop, however, is inconsistent with research findings.

Social stigmas attached to females—a perceived inability to drive, use a firearm, respond appropriately to violence, physical weakness, emotional instability—drastically affect the reactions to female law enforcement officers. Policing, after all, is a violent profession and women are perceived as docile creatures. So what, you might ask, can women possibly contribute to policing? Quite a bit actually. Research shows that women are not just an equally opportunity hiring practice, but rather a valuable, if not necessary, contribution to the police force.

While females are physically weaker than males this is only a minor hindrance. Physical strength has not been shown to predict general police effectiveness nor has it been shown that one’s ability to handle dangerous situations successfully is reduced due to a lack of strength. Policing is much more than fighting with everyone arrested. In fact, violence should be avoided and physical altercations kept to a minimum. Injured officers benefit no one. The job of the peace officer is to maintain order; while fighting cannot be avoided in every situation, it benefits all parties involved—officer, suspect and bystanders—when fighting is avoided.

Statistically, female officers reduce violence. Females are involved in fewer physical altercations with the suspects they arrest, have fewer reports of excessive use of force, and have a smaller amount of citizen complaints made against them. And when female officers are required to respond with force, they are as effective as men. Studies show that women are as driven as men when making arrests, usually having the same arrest statistics. (Garcia, 2003; Hoffman & Hickey, 2005) Overall, women have higher communication skills and are seen as more empathetic than men (Rabe-Hemp, 2008).

Good communication is imperative in police work. When the foundation of a criminal case is built on an officer’s ability to reasonably articulate events that occurred, communication skills become invaluable. With a recent shift in policing styles towards community oriented policing, the majority of police work has evolved into something less violent with a focus on community relations.

Works Cited

Garcia, V. (2003). "Difference" in the police department: Women, policing, and "doing gender". Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, pp. 330-344.

Hoffman, P. B., & Hickey, E. R. (2005). Use of force by female police officers. Journal of Criminal Justice March-April, pp. 145-151.

Rabe-Hemp, C. E. (2008). Female Officers and the ethic of care: Does officer gender impact police behaviors? Journal of Criminal Justice, 13.5: September-October, pp. 426-434.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

A Brief History of Women in Policing; Where are We Today? 06/17/2010

Law enforcement is a quickly evolving line of work. New laws, modern technology, and scientific advancements alter the way policing is conducted on a daily basis. As with all rapidly evolving disciplines, there are some areas within the profession that lag behind; when considering law enforcement, the inclusion of female peace officers has been slow to change.


One of the first recorded female peace officers with arrest powers was Alice Stebbin Wells. She was hired by the Los Angeles Police Department in 1910. Traditionally, women were hired as matrons and social workers, providing services to children and women (National Center for Women and Policing, 2001-2009). As more women entered the police force their job responsibilities expanded in to more traditionally male roles, such as patrol.


With the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (specifically Title VII of the Act), employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin became illegal. However, it was not until 1972 that Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act was expanded to include public agencies, such as police departments.


After 1972, discriminating against women in hiring, recruiting, promotions, and working conditions—many areas that were used to disqualify women from becoming peace officers—created problems for many police agencies. This was because both the Revenue Sharing Act and the Crime Control Act were passed around the same time. These Acts gave the Federal government the authority to withhold funds from departments that discriminated when hiring females (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission , 2009). Ultimately, these Acts created an equal opportunity work force within the police community.


By 1974, only 2% of the national police force was female. By 1991, 9% of the police force was female. In 2003, only 11.3% of officers were female (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2010). Although there is a rise in women entering the line of duty, they are often met with adverse reactions by their male counterparts. The negativity female officers face on a daily basis from their male counterparts creates an adverse work environment, resulting in a compromised police force.



Works Cited

Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2010). http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov. Retrieved from Bureau of Justice Statistics: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=71


National Center for Women and Policing. (2001-2009). www.womenandpolicing.org. Retrieved from National Center for Women and Policing: http://www.womenandpolicing.org/history/historytext.htm


The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission . (2009, November 21). www.eeoc.gov. Retrieved from The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission : http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/qanda.htm

Shoes that would never be practical while on duty, but will make you laugh.


How would you like to walk your beat in these heels?


You can find the original design at http://www.behance.net/gallery/3D-Stiletto-Police-Advertising-Imagery/356753


The design was created by Tim Cooper.