Introduction The Indianapolis Police Department made history in 1968 by allowing the first two female officers to patrol on an equal level as the male officers (Dr.Lownsway p. 1) In 1910 the first female officer was sworn in, but that was an exception. Women in policing were selected with separate criteria than men; women police officers were preordained and limited to working with other women, children and typewriters. It was only until 1972 when the civil rights act of 1964 that women officers obtained the right of equal opportunity in the law enforcement. Even after these recent changes women are still facing a variety of barriers and challenges.
Statistics The National Center for Women & Policing conducted its third annual study on the status of women in the largest law enforcement departments in the country. This report examines the barriers that are preventing women from increasing their numbers in the agencies and the effects of the under-representation in the departments.
English: mounted Tourist-Police officers in Petra,...
A senior police officer of the Hamburg police on a...
South Australian Police officers wearing duty belt...(Equality denied; p.1) ÃÂ÷ Women make up 14.3% of all sworn Law Enforcement officer. (Men 85.7%) That's up from 9.0% in 1990. Women of color make up 6.8%.
ÃÂ÷ Women in top command positions currently hold 5.6%, 9.2% of supervisory positions and 15.6% hold line operation positions. Colored women hold 1.1% sworn top command; 2.8% supervisory; and 7.8% of line operations.
ÃÂ÷ 65% of the agencies surveyed reported not having any women in Top Command positions while 91% reported not having any colored women in higher rank positions.
ÃÂ÷ State agencies reported 6.2% sworn women officers, which was extremely lower than municipal agencies at 16.6% and county at 11.1%.
Many women (66.1%) hold the lower paying civilian positions. While 25.7% women of color hold the same positions. (Equality denied; p.1-2) These statistics just prove that women are not...