WOMEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT

Women in Law Enforcement

Women in Law Enforcement

This paper reviewed women in law enforcement today and their evolvement into the field. The current data was complied by the National Center for Women & Policing. The roles and opportunities for women in policing have changed significantly since women first entered policing. The disparities in their employment in law enforcement and opportunities for career advancement have remained constant. While advancements have been made to remove barriers to employment, research shows that a woman's ability to excel in law enforcement is undermined by fundamental issues.

In recent years, the law enforcement industry has been deliberately transforming itself. Once viewed as a misconduct-plagued industry filled with "tough guys", law enforcement was also seen as an occupation that offered little or no job prospects for women. However, with its current emphasis on teamwork, two-way communication, productive problem solving and job security, law enforcement is now becoming a fulfilling profession for thousands of women across the country. Because of this metamorphosis, women are steadily being drawn towards law enforcement careers. According to the National Center for Women and Policing, from 1990 to 1999, the representation of women sworn in law enforcement ranks increased 5.3 percent. Similarly, in 2003, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that out of the nearly 900,000 people employed as police officers, sheriffs, detectives, police supervisors, and criminal investigators, approximately 15 percent of those positions were held by women. While still viewed as a non-traditional career path for women, these increases demonstrate bright career futures for women in law enforcement.

 According to the U.S. Department of Labor, non-traditional professions are occupations where women comprise less than 25 percent of the total employment. Today, law enforcement is still viewed as one of those professions. In fact, women have been enjoying success in non-traditional careers for years. In part, this is thanks to motivating factors like Rosey the Riveter, the World War II symbol who helped encourage more than 6.5 million women to reach beyond domesticity and home-keeping into ammunition, steel, aircraft industry, and military jobs. The U.S. Department of Labor cites the following as some of the benefits for women pursuing non-traditional careers:

Growth in the economy is projected to expand employment in many of the non-traditional occupations.

There is strong demand for workers in these fields due to projected retirements or transfers of current workers to other occupations.

Non-traditional jobs are attractive to women because they generally offer higher entry-level wages.

Women entering the law enforcement industry are experiencing career opportunities like never before. In addition to celebrating a record number of women holding police chief positions across America's major cities, women are also helping to reshape the industry's reputation and future. According to a recent study by the National Center for Women and Policing, women in law enforcement are less likely to use excessive force in intense situations, they are helping implement "community-oriented policing" and they are helping improve law enforcement's response to difficult social issues, such as violence against ...