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