Women in Law Enforcement - Term Paper Example

Women in Law Enforcement Report Introduction Women’s numbers in the law enforcement agencies are not truly reflective of their true potential. Moreover, low number of women in law enforcement agencies present unique challenges in a society that is egalitarian and non discriminatory in structure. It is strange to see that women compose around 46.5% of the total workforce yet their numbers in law enforcement agencies hover around 10%. This disparity is negatively affecting policing in particular and law enforcement in general. The numbers of women in law enforcement agencies has not registered a substantial increase in the last decade or so. A number of sociological and criminal justice problems are to blame for such a situation. In order to discern this problem better, it is pertinent to compare the trends of hiring women in law enforcement agencies historically and in the present scenario. This can be used to delineate the various sociological and criminal justice issues at work. A look at reasons to hire women law enforcement officers will offer great insight into the need for more women law enforcement agents. Historical and Modern Perspectives on Women in Law Enforcement Historical Developments Women have been employed in law enforcement since the 19th century in various positions in America. Historically, women were consigned to clerical tasks or were hired as dispatchers. This continued till the 1970’s when women were encouraged to take up law enforcement roles through myriad cop and detective shows in the media. Another major factor behind this development was the civil rights movement and the ensuing affirmative action laws that effectively paved women’s way into law enforcement agencies. The first women hired in law enforcement roles were better known as “matrons” and were hired by the New York City Police Department around the turn of the 20th century. These female officers were little recognised for a long period of time. Women constituted only 2% of the entire law enforcement workforce in the 1970’s despite the cultural popularity of women cop shows such as Cagney and Lacy and Charlie’s Angels. (Police Employment) Penny Harrington became the first female police chief in America being appointed in Portland, Oregon in 1985. At this point in time, women furnish an estimated 12% of all positions in law enforcement agencies. Recent Trends A study conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) over women’s role in law enforcement is very revealing of the actual situation on ground. The study was conducted between 1987 and 2008 and focuses on the participation of women in law enforcement. The report clearly indicates that the number of women officers sworn in law enforcement agencies increased very little in federal, state and local agencies. The trend analysis of some 53 law enforcement agencies revealed that the percentage of women officers was 14% in 1998 which went up to 15.2% in 2008 which represents a 1.2% increase in a 10 year period. This indicates an average increase rate of 0.12% annually which represents extremely slow growth. The largest increase in the number of women officers was witnessed in the USPIS (United States Postal Inspection Service) and the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) which was some 7%. Both jobs are more clerical than field related. Furthermore, the U.S. Forest Service as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service experienced a net decrease in the number of women officers which went down from 16.1% in 1998 to some 15.9% in 2008. Other than this the distribution of women law enforcement officers is significantly different for large law enforcement agencies versus small law enforcement agencies. (Langton) Women law enforcement officers accounted for 15% of the total within the larger police departments in 2007. In contrast, women law enforcement officers accounted for 13% of the total within the larger sheriff’s offices. On the other hand smaller law enforcement agencies with 1 to 10 full time officers are composed of 6% women only. Smaller sheriff’s departments across the nation employ a meagre 2% of women only. (Langton) The data presented above clearly shows that larger law enforcement agencies employ the largest number of women while the smaller law enforcement agencies employ the smallest number of women. Though the average amount of women in law enforcement agencies is just around 10% but these numbers are both low and seem to be going lower over time. The total amount of women in the nation’s workforce is around 46.5%. However, the presence of women in law enforcement agencies is substantially low. These differences can be best explained sociologically and through criminal justice evaluations of the matter. Sociological Reasons Socially law enforcement is seen as unfit for women. The larger urban centres may not share these tendencies but the smaller towns hold such beliefs dear. The portrayal of law enforcement agencies in the media has added further fuel to the fire. Law enforcement agency jobs are portrayed as aggressive and excessively authoritarian. Constant rants of discrimination, sexual harassment as well as peer intimidation also discourage more women from applying to law enforcement agencies. This is compounded by discriminatory hiring policies that deflate the number of women in law enforcement agencies. Once hired, women officers are often faced with problems listed above. Moreover, women law enforcement officers lack effective role models and mentors which dissuade their vertical movement within law enforcement agencies. This is the reason why only a handful of women law enforcement officers made it to the top. More ambitious women career makers see restricted vertical movement as a major obstacle to signing up for law enforcement positions. Consequently, potentially the best women law enforcement agents never make it to the application forms. In contrast, a majority of women law enforcement officers never take up promotional exams at all. Their prime focus is diverted more towards family and personal relationships than anything else. The amount of financial security offered by positions in law enforcement agencies is deemed enough by these women. There is a large need to change this conventional mindset to promote the hiring of women law enforcement officers by portraying law enforcement careers for women as progressive. (Felprin) Criminal Justice Causations Research indicates that women police officers are just as effective as their male counterparts but there numbers remain artificially low in law enforcement agencies. The most common causes include uneven hiring practices including recruitment and selection processes that keep the number of women law enforcement officers low. Most women applicants are screened out from selection processes early on based on tests that favour strength as well as previous experiences such as military service. (Felprin) Perhaps the most common reason assigned to low number of women in law enforcement is that women are more sentimentally driven than men. Furthermore, it is often held that women are not able to react as swiftly under pressure as men. Given that law enforcement work positions expose one to constant measures of stress and danger, women are considered unsuitable for such jobs. This stereotyped image of women has been circulating around for quite some time now. Consequently hiring procedures are often biased in an attempt to minimise women hiring by design. (Brown) Smaller police departments frequently employ less than 10% of women police officers. It has been reported by the National Centre for Women and Policing that around 90% of law enforcement agencies mandate some kind of a physical agility test for hiring. These physical agility tests are generally bench marked using male aptitude benchmarks. This practice is seeing a decline in recent years; however, the projected change is still not enough. Surveys indicate that law enforcement agencies that do not utilise such tests experience around 45% more women law enforcement officers hiring than those using these tests. Using tests based on female physical abilities is criticised as lowering standards but there is a move to revise these tests. (Police Employment) Another major problem that women law enforcement officers have to deal with is prejudiced remarks from male counterparts. Shirley Gray who retired as the highest ranked African American women law enforcement officer from Dallas Police recommends not taking such remarks personally. Need for Hiring Greater Numbers of Women in Law Enforcement The need to hire more women law enforcement agents is obvious. Female law enforcement officers are “substantially less likely” to end up in complaints by citizens regarding the use of brute force. A study revealed that male law enforcement officers are eight times as likely to end up reported for using excessive force during handling. Hiring more women means that the amount of civil liability suits will decrease significantly. Each year these lawsuits cost cities and towns millions of dollars. (National Centre for Women and Policing) Moreover, women law enforcement officers use different styles of policing in comparison to their male counterparts. Their emphasis is more on communication than on physical strength. This helps women law enforcement agents to avoid potentially violent situations from occurring. (Eagly and Schmidt) Another problem is that women law enforcement agents are able to intervene in domestic problems with greater ease than male law enforcement agents. The presence of women law enforcement officers encourages women facing domestic violence to express themselves more openly. Male law enforcement officers tend to display a detached attitude towards domestic disputes while women law enforcement officers are more actively involved. Moreover, women law enforcement officers tend to negotiate better in these situations and aid in finding common ground to settle such conflicts with ease. This is a necessary social instrument that should be better utilised by hiring a greater number of women law enforcement officers. (Hazenburg) Conclusion The current strength of women law enforcement officers is a significant improvement over the 2% in the 1970’s. However there is dire need to hire more women police officers so that their proportion in the total workforce can be better balance out. Women law enforcement agents are just as efficient and well suited to law enforcement roles as their male counterparts are. Currently, the larger law enforcement agencies hire more women than smaller law enforcement agencies. This indicates that the number of women law enforcement officers in the smaller law enforcement agencies needs to be worked upon more aggressively. Adding more women to the law enforcement community will ensure that policing is more communication based rather than based on sheer physical strength. Furthermore, the various sources of discrimination against hiring women law enforcement officers should be removed both during hiring and throughout the career. The working environment of law enforcement agencies should be made more conducive for women officers. Moreover, the negative portrayal of law enforcement agencies as unsuitable for women officers should be checked and improved upon to encourage greater participation of females in law enforcement. Women numbers in the law enforcement community are increasing at a gradual steady rate but the bid to increase the number of women should be pursued more vigorously on all fronts. Bibliography Brown, J. Integrating Women into Policing: A Comparative European Perspective. 1996. 2 August 2011 . Eagly, A. H. and M. C. Schmidt. “The Leadership Styles of Women and Men.” Journal of Social Issues 57(4) (2001): 781-797. Felprin, Jon. Women in Law Enforcement: Two steps forward, three steps back. 18 May 2004. 2 August 2011 . Hazenburg, A. Breaking the Silence. 1996. 2 August 2011 . Langton, Lynn. Women in Law Enforcement, 1987-2008. Washington D. C.: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2010. National Centre for Women and Policing. About Us. 2009. 2 August 2011 . Police Employment. Women in Law Enforcement. 2011. 2 August 2011 . Read More