Women in Law Enforcement - Essay Example

Debates still occur in terms of women’s capabilities in combat situations and their factual limited physical strength as compared to men. This applies to all areas of law enforcement, from the level of a patrol officer to a full military officer. It would seem that in the 21st century it would be a non-issue, but women continue to break barriers against them in all fields of law enforcement; with such a recent history of female officers, it would seem that women in law enforcement are only beginning, and the field itself is still learning of women’s capabilities within the field. Over the past century, women have moved out of the home and into the workplace, gaining numbers in jobs and careers that were previously only for men. It has only been in the past few decades that a substantial increase of females in law enforcement has been noticed, but not without protest from men. In 1975, President Gerald Ford signed an Act of Congress stating that the armed services were required to admit women into their ranks (Tilly 1999). Tilly’s article quotes William Steward, who in 1979 was chief of personnel for the United States Coast Guard. When he testified before a House subcommittee that reviewing the DoD’s policies regarding women and asked of his experiences working with women in the Coast Guard, Steward said, “We have exposed the women to the gamut of our missions: law enforcement; marine environmental protection; aids to navigation; all of the other missions that we have. I can categorically state, sir, that their performance has been outstanding." It is in this spirit that I agree that women not only should be engaged in law enforcement, but it is also my hope that women will advance in this extraordinary service. In terms of police work and other civil duties, women have proved themselves worthy of their position as law enforcement officers, judges, deputies and sheriffs. While the ratio of women to men is still low in law enforcement, the numbers of female police officers has risen steadily, especially between 1977 and 1997, where the percentage of females in the military rose from 5.9% to 14.1% (Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Personnel and Readiness n.d.). One case in point that research has supported is that women communicate more than men, and in domestic violence situations (amongst the most dangerous in police work), women have been shown to be better able to diffuse such situations without using excessive force (Daniels, 2004). A 2002 study showed that nationwide, the U.S. police force was only 12.7% female. The percentage of policewomen is especially low in the South. One of the problems female patrol officers face is lack of upward mobility in terms of promotion. Many female police officers have switched from the streets to corrections work; this is not out of fear of being on patrol, but more opportunities in corrections divisions (Augusta Chronicle June 1, 2003). In terms of police work, there is almost no difference between the skills of the men and the women. Other than the physical strength factor, women are as capable as men in terms of enforcing the law, and they are just as trustworthy, if not more so. In a male dominated field such as law enforcement, women still have a long way to go to overcome chauvinism and be taken seriously in general. While the public respects a police officer, policewomen do have to work harder to steel themselves against their personal emotions but they do not compromise in terms of standards. The first American city to grant female police officers patrol equal to their male counterparts was Indianapolis in 1968. Prior to that, policewomen were largely assigned to clerical duties and were called “matrons.” Once women were on patrol, increasing number of departments across the country followed suit; this led to huge shifts of attitude amongst the “good old boys” fraternities previously enjoyed by an all-male police force, and even today the number of women in law enforcement is decreasing, due to the “glass ceiling” that still exists for women in law enforcement. Given that the police forces today are gaining negative attention due to corruption, excessive use of force, overuse of tasers and brutality, some organizations believe that women in the force are more needed now than ever before due to their track record of excellence. In the past, women were disregarded for any part of policing due to their lack of physical strength, their empathy (fictionally afraid to shoot a gun), their menstrual cycles muddling their thinking, the possibility of being pregnant therefore requiring maternity leave, and a plethora of other fallacies. When research over the past couple of decades has indicated that female police officers even outperform their male counterparts, the urge to hire more women accelerated. Where in the past, being tough was the only requirement to be a police officer; today’s officers are encouraged to be educated prior to applying to any agency. While the minimum qualification is a high school diploma, higher education is encouraged, and this enables officers to apply critical thinking and enhanced communication skills in addition to tactical skills. Women are no less able to accomplish any part of police training than men. According to the National Center for Women and Policing (2003), female police officers across seven major U.S. police departments accounted for only 5% of citizen complaints and 2% use of excessive force liability lawsuits. According to this study, male officers cost more in terms of lawsuits alleging excessive use of force, and males are more likely to be cited for complaints of excessive force or brutality. This again addresses the position of physical strength; the NCWP reports that not there are no documented incidents of a lack of physical strength or aggression on the part of a female officer bringing about a negative outcome in the line of duty. Studies show that police deaths in general involve firearms or car crashes, neither of which have anything to do with physical strength. By lacking in physical strength compared to their male counterparts, female officers are less likely to engage in physical conflicts; they have been shown to effectively communicate in volatile situations. The NCWP also reports that these very skills in communication that make women more preferable in a changing police force; now that police violence/use of excessive force has become increasingly deplorable in our society, communities prefer female officers, and one survey showed that 93% of respondents “strongly” prefer a police team comprised of both a man and a woman. Further studies have revealed that the reasoned caution and female officers typically use in the line of duty is often picked up by their male counterparts; thus, male officers learn different tactics and negotiating skills when working with female officers, especially if their department doesn’t offer communication skills training. In the decades of increasing female officers, women in law enforcement have unwaveringly shown their ability to empathize with community members. Women don’t tend to fall into the “I’m the authority” behavior and they therefore draw less violence to themselves than male officers. The presence of female officers has been extremely effective in domestic violence situations, especially where battered women are concerned. Domestic violence accounts for about half of all crimes reported to police, and the female presence in diffusing such situations has been noted as very favorable. Female officers tend to have more patience and empathy for those involved, and are less likely to further aggravate a situation (NCWP). Why are there not more women in law enforcement then, and why are the numbers even decreasing? In addition to the lack of promotion, there are still the challenges of sexual harassment, gender discrimination and negative attitudes toward women within law enforcement agencies. The NCWP reports that as many as 68 – 86% of female officers have experienced some form of sexual harassment on the job as well as in the academy, and this obviously negatively affects the retention and promotion of female officers. Oddly enough, the answer to the problem is to add more female officers. Having more female officers in a department decreases sexual harassment and negative attitudes. Very often, more is expected of women than of men, forcing women to “prove themselves;” these circumstances lead to low morale and burnout. Another boon to hiring and retaining more female officers is the testing of the integrity of management. If job performance is equal to or better than one’s counterparts, what reason is there not to promote an officer, regardless of gender? A few departments across the U.S. have implemented new management strategies that have not only resulted in a higher retention rate of female officers, it also increased the number of women entering the agency by as much as 15% (NCWP). One very blatant problem that can occur with a male/female police team is a “beyond the boundaries” relationship. The partnering of a married officer to an officer of the opposite sex can be a daunting experience or even destructive, depending on the people involved. While most male/female police partnerships don’t extend beyond the patrol car, the fear that they might can be damaging to outside relationships. Police work has, in its own sense, a form of chivalry and camaraderie between officers, whether they are same sex or opposite sex work partners. Intense and dangerous situations shared bring that partnership closer, since in a conventional marriage, most couples don’t spend ten hours a day together either facing danger or waiting for a call. The fact that two officers who are working partners, regardless of gender, will be closer in some ways than to their spouses can be a weak argument against women in law enforcement, but this argument would be considered immature and easily surmountable. Regardless of the challenges faced by women in law enforcement, promotions can and do occur; in 2004, five major metropolitan areas had female-lead police departments in the United States: Boston, Detroit, San Francisco, Milwaukee, and Nashville (Daniels). The fact that women are also making significant advances at the federal level is encouraging to women who desire to become police officers. In a society where women occupy many formerly male-dominated jobs such as space exploration, commercial airline pilots, construction, medicine, law, the natural sciences and the military, it seems that the call for more women to law enforcement would be more supportive. Female soldiers in battle face dangers every day, but they do get to come back home if they live through their ordeal. A female police officer faces potential danger every day of her career, yet largely goes uncelebrated by department heads. This does seem to be slowly changing, however. Assistant Commissioner Electra Bustle has offered eight survival tips for executive leaders (especially females); in one’s law enforcement career, the sky can be the limit and an officer can ultimately be promoted into an executive branch of the government. Several women have reached this achievement and their presence continues to bolster other women who are considering law enforcement or promotion from within law enforcement agencies as a career. The eight survival tips are (Bustle 2006): 1. Adjust your attitude; flexibility, integrity and mutual support gets things done more effectively. 2. Establish priorities: A. Tie priorities to the Mission; B. Gain Internal Input; C. Strategic Input (identifying the key individuals or groups directly related to the mission). 3. Once priorities are in place, maintain a united front. 4. Ready, Set, Go! Meet people, communicate, listen and make yourself known. 5. Know your place (remember that your group is in existence because of others’ funding). 6. File your bills early (bills filed early will have a better chance of moving quickly through committees and being amended appropriately). 7. Practice Selling (learn both sides of an issue, and understand what your own motivation is for supporting an issue). 8. When an important bill dies, be prepared. Regroup and move forward. Although these tips are aimed at executive levels of law enforcement, they are well followed; these tips were presented in the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE) newsletter. This essay will conclude with a profile of a woman who has recently been recognized for her extraordinary skills in law enforcement: Colonel Sarah Garcia stands out as not only being a stellar female in federal law enforcement, but also the first Hispanic-American Colonel in the history of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. She was selected as one of only a few women to attend the Army School of the Americas, and spent a year amongst many men who had never worked with women as peers. At the end of the year, Col. Garcia was hailed as a virtual symbol of excellence, and a portrait of America’s diversity and promotion of women. Further spurred by this experience, Col. Garcia was led to the International Military Staff where she was selected to be the first Advisor to the NATO Chairman on Women in the NATO Armed Forces, a very prestigious post. It was here that Col. Garcia made significant inroads and progress for all women in law enforcement and the military. After becoming a keynote speaker in Europe at the same time as fully engaging in a stellar career due to her own extraordinary talents and accomplishments, Col. Garcia was given the Women In Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE) award for the Outstanding Advocate for Women – Senior Advocate Category, in 2005. Col Garcia’s policy changes have and will continue to benefit female officers in the Western world (Sameshield 2006). References Bustle, E. October 2006. Successful Executive Leadership. NAWLEE News. 6 January 2007 http://www.nawlee.com/newsletter.html Career Progression of Minority and Women Officers. N.D. Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Personnel and Readiness 3 January 2007 http://www.dod.mil/prhome/careerprog.pdf Daniels, D (Hon.). April 2, 2004. REMARKS OF THE HONORABLE DEBORAH J. DANIELS, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS AT THE 2004 WOMEN IN POLICING CONFERENCE SPONSORED BY THE NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICEWOMEN'S ENDOWMENT ASSOCIATION. 5 January 2007 http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/aag/speeches/womenpolice.htm Female Officers are a Rare Site in Georgia Police Department. June 1, 2003. Augusta Chronicle. 6 January 2007 http://www.sameshield.com/ Law Enforcement News link. Hiring & Retaining More Women: The Advantages to Law Enforcement Agencies. 2003. National Center for Women & Policing. 7 January 2007 http://www.womenandpolicing.org/publications.asp Tilly, J. January 1999. A History of Women in the Coast Guard. U.S. Coast Guard Website, 3 January 2007 http://www.uscg.mil/history/h_womn.html Read More