Women In Law Enforcement
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Throughout history there has always been an enormous obstacle for women to overcome in the workplace. Occupational Segregation has continuously acted as a force that impedes on the daily lives of female workers across the world. It not only eliminates several chances for women to capitalize on opportunistic events, but has also denied them of the basic civil rights they are entitled to. Jobs ranging from the military, sports, and even the corporate world have long been dominated by an aura of masculine characteristics. Why is our society structured in such an uncivilized way? Some women may not possess the “supposed” masculine attributes that are sought for in numerous industries, but in all honestly just as many men fail to meet those requirements too. However, over the last few decades the feminist society started to recognize this male weakness and has now taken advantage of opportunities they were previously not permitted to. “Women today constitute 47% of the American labor force – very close to half – compared with 30% in 1950” (Hyde, Pg. 252). This quote represents a shifting economic pattern where women are finally achieving personal prosperity. While female workers are now more popular than ever in some industries, their status in law enforcement stands as a controversial issue in the public eye. Does occupational segregation currently exist in police work? The truth is that “the occupation has long been dominated by men and closely associated with the stereotypical inexpressive masculinity of Sergeant Friday” (Dubeck, Pg. 126). Although “todays police organizational attitudes are finally beginning to change, once the last bastion of male domination in the workplace, serious problems still remain” (Felperin, Pg. 1).
The first ever female police officers were hired in New York City in 1845. “Before women were commonly employed as fully sworn police officers, many police forces employed uniformed women with limited powers to search and look after female prisoners and deal with matters specifically affecting women and children. These female officers were often known as police matrons” (Wikipedia). Several of these women actually highly respected the responsibilities given to them because this was at a point in time when women were not supposed to work outside of the home. As time progressed into the 20th century, women were granted the authority to actually become sworn officers and work along with male peers. “In 1968, the Indianapolis Police Department made history by assigning the first two female officers to patrol on an equal basis with their male colleagues. Since that time, women have entered the field of law enforcement in increasing numbers and played a critical role in the development of modern policing” (Lonsway and Moore, Pg. 2). Before 1968, even though several held minor positions within various departments, women were hardly recognized as members of the police community. It was believed that because all men held superior positions the study of womens rights in law enforcement didnt have to take place. “The study of women in criminal justice was virtually ignored until the rise of what was loosely called police feminist writings dating from the 1960s. At this point women were largely invisible in crime and police management” (Matcalfe, Pg .1). The Indianapolis Police Department changed the face of American law enforcement by implementing a foundation for our culture to build upon. The agency broke certain societal norms that other institutes never dared to challenge. Up to this point women had never been granted a large degree of power and authority over men. This is why this event is considered a revolutionary aspect of American history.
The United States has currently encountered a standstill in trying to recruit women to become involved with police work. In 1999, women accounted for 14.3% of the police force population in large agencies. In 2000, this number declined to 13.0% and reached as low as 12.7% in 2001 (Lonsway and Moore, Pg. 2). Although these numbers are supposed to be slowly increasing, “the 2003 Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics stated that women only account for about 10.6% of all police officers in the United States” (Kasper, Pg. 1). Over the next year an increase of 2.1% was recognized, “but it still falls short of the percentage many departments want to be reflective of their communities” (Kasper, Pg. 1). A thing to note is that these numbers only represent the percentages of women that make up the larger law enforcement agencies across the country. “The percentage of sworn female officers in smaller agencies is even lower (most agencies in the U.S. have fewer than ten sworn officers) in spite of women comprising at least 46.5% of the entire labor force” (Felperin, Pg. 1). The United States is not the only country in the world struggling to promote the well-being and status of female police officers. The United Kingdom is presently trying to reorganize its police culture to help women progress more promptly through their system.
While United States law enforcement agencies are focusing primarily on recruiting and maintaining more women, the United Kingdom is taking an alternative approach. They believe that restructuring their police culture to better relate to womens needs will make law enforcement a more attractive place to work. European officials believe “that the culture of police forces glorifies violence and promotes a cult of masculinity. The female officer threatens this culture because, in enacting the role in more “feminine” ways, she fundamentally challenges what counts as police work” (Dick, Pg. 2). These beliefs not only create a hostile working environment for all females, but they divide the social environment into a complex and uncooperative form of chaos. For the United Kingdom to move towards a more equal workforce these ideas of feminism need to be abolished. In addition, negative and discriminatory beliefs about gender differences can ultimately devastate the societal culture of any organization. “It is apparent that police culture is implicated in impeding the career progression of women. Studies to date limit our understanding of how this happens by assuming that the values which configure the police culture are more likely to reflect policemens rather than policewomens beliefs” (Dick, Pg. 3). The United Kingdom is currently trying to incorporate female ideals into its police culture to ensure a more fair and diverse working environment.
Why is the percentage of women in law enforcement not increasing at the rate which communities want it to? Several theories have been constructed that outline numerous beliefs about why this might be true. From physical agility