Women have always been underrepresented in the policing profession, and, early on, women police officers were put on desk duty or restricted to dealing with minor offenses.1 In some departments, the first women officers were unsworn and received less pay than their male coworkers.2 Traditionally, police work has been seen as a masculine profession, and the general image of policing has focused on the aspects that are “stereotypically male.”3 However, research has documented the benefits of female police officers as part of the force, including ensuring the interests of the public, demon ..read more

  One of the many things I have thought about in the profession is the question, “How do we teach others to appreciate perspectives different from our own?” As a deputy chief, I have worked my way up through the ranks and served in a number of different specialties in my career. I have also had the opportunity to work with three different agencies, all with different cultures and leadership. I have learned to build rapport with officers not only to gain trust, but also to have the chance to discuss different perspectives and ways of doing the job. There is never only “one” way of accompli ..read more

  The authors, Chief (Ret.) Ivonne Roman and Executive Director of the Center for Excellence in Policing and Public Safety Maureen McGough, joined forces to launch the 30×30 Initiative in March 2021 to improve the representation and experiences of women in policing. The initiative’s goals are simple: Understand how current policies and practices fail to meet women officers’ unique needs Understand how the status quo may be unintentionally biased against women and other underrepresented groups Work collaboratively with police departments to address these issues and ensure a truly diverse ..read more

Photos courtesy of ministère de l’Intérieur et des Outre-mer. Times have changed since the first women joined France’s police force in the mid-1970s. Back then, it was a male-dominated profession in which a small number of women served mainly in departments where the potential for use of force was not considered an issue. Today, 29.4 percent of the force is made up of women, who enjoy broad access to the profession’s various ranks and career paths. An Ambitious Set of Measures and Structural Changes For many years, the prevailing model for policing in France stressed tasks that were seen as “m ..read more

  I have been in public service for over 30 years, and female representation in policing has been a topic of conversation since I engaged in the field. As one of the few women in the early and mid-2000s at my agency, I often would have schools, colleges, and various organizations ask me to come and speak to young women who may be looking for a career. Even then, I would often get questions about police requirements for attire and haircuts or prohibitions regarding things like jewelry. It was the visual aspect that concerned them—the young women wanted to know what would have to change in ..read more

  Despite compelling research demonstrating the unique value of women officers, many departments suffer from a significant lack of representation of women across ranks. As departments seek to simultaneously improve the representation of women and address the current staffing crisis more broadly, a promising strategy is gaining traction in certain jurisdictions: flexible work opportunities such as job sharing and part-time positions. U.S. President John F. Kennedy, who established Police Week and Peace Officers Memorial Day, once famously reframed the word “crisis,” suggesting that fr ..read more

  Women in law enforcement face many challenges. Research reveals women and men tend to follow different pathways to leadership.1 The pathway for women is full of “glassy” situations, both overhead and underneath. The metaphorical glass ceiling still exists as many agencies are experiencing the honor of having the first women to serve in various rank designations. The existence of these firsts is a reminder of how much work is needed and required even now. If overcoming the proverbial glass ceiling was not challenging enough, the “glass cliff” can be even more difficult. The glass cl ..read more

  Recruiting personnel is a continuous challenge for police organizations. Many U.S. state and local government employers identify policing positions as their most difficult to fill—more difficult than engineering, information technology, or firefighting and emergency medical services.1 Incidents such as the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests accelerated the number of voluntary resignations from police departments and underscored the need to examine both external and internal influences on police staffing levels.2 To reduce staff turnover, some police agencies have increased s ..read more

  Law enforcement agencies, much like the international corporate world, recognize the need to implement succession planning, maybe now more than ever. In the corporate world, 67 percent of businesses reported an increase in productivity due to mentoring.1 In addition to a succession plan, the organizational leader’s goal is to develop their personnel to their fullest potential. This includes capitalizing on individual and team strengths and improving any deficiencies or weaknesses. A true gauge of a leader’s effectiveness is their influence in developing their replacement. There are two ..read more

  Law enforcement agencies are grappling with the persistent challenge of attracting and retaining top talent. With high turnover rates and fierce competition for the best candidates, it is crucial that organizations adopt a tailored and strategic approach to recruitment and retention. The conventional one-size-fits-all recruitment and retention strategies are no longer effective in today’s landscape. It is important for law enforcement leaders to recognize that an officer’s decision to stay or leave a department is influenced by a multitude of factors, some of which are commonly addresse ..read more