Introduction
Police force is a very important department in America. The police officers play a very significant role in the society. It is no secret that the American police forces are largely dominated by men. There are fewer female officers as compared to their male counterparts. Obviously, the few female officers are faced with lots of challenges. This makes it difficult for them to cope up with the working conditions in which they are expected to discharge their duties. This paper gives a critical evaluation of female police officers. It does this by focusing on the historical trends, their numbers, challenges and the gender issues influencing the performance of police officers in the country.
History of Women in the Police Forces
In a historical sense women have been banned from serving in public work, and instead expected to uphold the idea of being a wife and mother. Women as police officers were not allowed until the passing of legislation that allowed equal opportunity regardless of sex or race approximately twenty years later. In 1985 Penny Harrington became the first female police chief paving the way for female law enforcement.
In the beginning, the duties of women on police forces regarded mainly social service roles. Women faced high standards yet received half the pay of their male cohorts. Women’s units generally limited their activity to clerical, guard duty, or juvenile work. Women were also ineligible for promotion. Basic patrol duties were banned, and discrimination from their male counterparts was quite evident. However despite the negativity women faced the number of women who joined the police force was on a steady rise.
The Role of Gender
The goal is for a female is to integrate them into the force, not completely wipe away gender roles. Police forces are working to redefine roles and re-evaluate how they are perceived. In order for integration to be successful both men and women must be willing to comply with changes. The idea of male or female traits should not be the main focus; instead the system should examine the qualities of the officers as individuals. Tasks should be assigned based on their personal strengths and weaknesses.
Motherhood and Family
Even though the role of the female police officer has challenged since its early days, many of the same challenges still face the modern female office. The issues of motherhood and family have been voiced as a chief concern among women officers. Police works consists of long hours with a lot of danger and stress. All of these issues are challenges for someone trying to balance a job and a family. Police works is unpredictable and officers can be called upon at a moment’s notice. To those with a family it can make it very difficult to provide adequate child care. It would seem that more women officers are foregoing having children asa result of these issues. It is estimated that only a quarter of women officers have children compared to three quarters of men officers. The choice between family and career can be a difficult one to make.
Career Advancement
Despite equal work it seems that women are still not being promoted to the same extent as their male partners. Statistics show that only about 3% of senior officers are female. This very low number leads to question if women are now integrated as forces claim then why is there not a largernumber of women in higher level positions? It would seem that gender stereotypes are still evident in the area of promotion.
According to data provided by police forces, women typically serve around seven years. Perhaps this is due to wishing to pursue a family. Forces claim that men often have a longer length of service and are thus promoted more often. Still one could argue that seven years should be ample time for promotion. While it may be true that some women leave the force to build a family, to say that no women should be promoted because “they will just leave” is an unfair stereotype.
The Male Domination
Since the police forces are male dominated, women still struggle to deal with the masculine culture of police work. Women officers often report the feeling of isolation. Women find it much more difficult to fit in with male officers. They often feel ostracized and not a part of the male based community and comradery. Traditional roles can make it difficult for women to be accepted into “the family.”
Benefits for Female Officers
So why are more women turning to law enforcement as a career? It would seem that women are looking for financial security and are often influenced by others in their life that brings an interest in this career. In an unsteady economy law enforcement is normally a secure job. Pay is equal for the ranks and experience of both males and females. As society is slowly becoming more accepting of female officers, and equality is becoming more attainable, women become more interested in this career.
The International Association of Women Police (IAWP), the National Center for Women and Policing (NCWP and The National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE) are all organization that promote female police officers. These associations offer support and work to correct the concerns of female officers. The also serve to educate police forces and the communities about females in law enforcement. These organizations have given more opportunities to those who wish to take on this career.
The Future of Female Officers
The masculine bias still exists especially in terms of the issues related above, but the future appears to have change in store. Women have gone from making up a mere 2% of the force as opposed to the 12% of today. Women need to deal with the challenges presented to them and move beyond them. As women gain strength in numbers the respect will slowly come. Eventually Police Departments will have to take note, and make room for females in leadership roles. Law enforcement seems to be evolving, putting more of an emphasis on communication than brute force. While change takes a long time, women in police forces are making great advancement and the future of female officers looks strong.
Conclusion
Conclusively, it is apparent that there still exists gender parity in the police force. The few female police officers present are faced with lots of challenges. Although they play a very significant role in protecting American citizens, they are often an unappreciated force working hard to make our streets safer. As we enter the future, we should all show our appreciating by acknowledging the sacrifices they make. This will not only motivate them to work harder, but also attract other people into the force.
Works Cited
Black, K. (2008, May 11). Female police officers break stereotypes. TIMES-REPUBLICAN, 12-13.
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Horne,P. (2006, September). Policewomen: Their first century and the new era. Police Chief Magazine, 1. Retrieved from http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=1000&issue_id=92006
Price, B. (1996). Female police officers in the united states. College of Police and Security Studies, 1. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/policing/fem635.htm
The challenges and benefits of female officers in law enforcement. (2010, May 11). Retrieved from http://www.criminaljusticeschoolguide.com/articles/the-challenges-and-benefits-of-female-officers-in-law-enforcement/
