Women in Policing
Policing has always been seen as a man's profession and up until the past 30 years, women in policing were few and far between. Even the few who did dare to enter the exclusive men's only club were definitely not welcome. Stories abound of different training for men and women, women assigned to the station instead of the street, non-functional uniforms, less than adequate locker room facilities, sexual harassment, and hostile work environments, both from fellow officers and citizens. While the number of women in policing is growing, the profession is still male-dominated, with the most diverse department having between 30%-40% of its force being female. With acceptance of women in law enforcement weak at best, one has to wonder what prompted these pioneering women to enter this man's world? Initially, having little to no support, how did women survive in the profession and how have they managed to survive and in some cases thrive? How have women managed to succeed in a world where the perception is that physical strength and brute force are the main avenues to job success? Have women actually succeeded in breaking through the barrier to equality, or is there still work to be done? Public attitudes of
It is also an advantage that most younger male officers have always worked with women. This paper will examine the changing roles of policewomen from specialists to generalist within the realm of policing. It will also examine how attitudes have changed toward women as police officers and how they have managed to change the face of policing both in presence and practice. In 1915, Alice Wells became the first president of the International Association of Women Police. Before the Christopher Report, several studies conducted in the early 1970s found that the performance of women police was at an equal level to that of male officers. The outlook for women in policing is not completely gloomy. Each lawsuit filed is just one more step forward. These studies were conducted in Washington D. The belief at that time was that the true crime fighting should be left to the men. Also, due in large part to Wells' influence, 25 cities in 20 states had hired women as police officers by 1916. They were however supposed to conduct investigations and write reports. Women were not expected to make arrests or get involved in physical altercations. The outstanding work performed by these women furthered the cause of policewomen by convincing some cities to employ women officers. Traditional styles of tolerating abuse or seeking legal remedies for disparity will become the exception rather than the rule.
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Acceptance Essays
