WELCOME TO FEMALE LAW ENFORCEMENT ADVOCATES (FLEA)
In the United States of America, we have come a long way since the times where female officers of the law were non-existent; however, women still make up a very small percentage of local, state, and federal police levels and still suffer discrimination and tokenism within their departments.
There are multiple benefits to both women and to departments to have a strong female representation on the front lines of criminal justice. With enough information on what to truly expect from being a woman in law enforcement and how females can be a valuable asset for agencies, we hope that the still low percentage can climb to a more even level with their male counterparts as they have proven to be emotionally and physically able to perform in a black or blue uniform just as well.
Before the 20th century, if a woman even had a role in a law enforcement department, it was purely symbolic. In 1845, the first women were hired by the New York Police Department and called “matrons.” It was not until 1968 that the Indianapolis Police Department allowed the first two American women to patrol streets on an equal basis as their male counterparts.
Congress passed an amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in 1972 that prohibited state and local agencies from discriminating applicants based on gender. This made it a requirement for law enforcement agencies to hire and assign women to the same jobs as men.
In 1985, Penny Harrington of the Portland Police Department in Oregon became the first female Chief of Police. Women have since been entering law enforcement in slowly increasing numbers every year, but the percentage remains around a small 12% including local, state, and federal departments.
Women were not even thought of to help patrol streets because of society’s general thought that women were too fragile to be exposed to the violent front lines. They were instead given what were coined as “women’s work,” i.e. clerical duties and tending to youth. As the times evolved and the push for Civil Rights emerged, the equality between men and women in the workplace was put into the spotlight.
As mentioned, there has been an increase every year since the 1970Â’s in female participation in law enforcement, but it is an extremely slow-paced rise. The lack of interest from women in being employed within police departments can very much be contributed to our historical societyÂ’s legacy.
With all individualism and political correctness set aside, women are supposed to be natural delicate flowers that serve as objects to be protected. In a culture that supports masculine values, a manÂ’s ability to protect the woman was something that could only be devalued with a womanÂ’s participation in protecting communities. Lengths such as lessening physical ability requirements have been taken to promote the recruiting of females, but there is low promotion in retaining women as existing policies, practices, and attitudes of organizations have remained largely unchanged.
Other factors that inhibit the growth of female law enforcement:
•The masculine value based society lessens the “need” for female involvement in policing
•The view of female officers as homosexuals
•Sexual harassment faced on the job due to the value of female appearance/objectivity
•Knowing one will probably not have a female companion at work
•Female law officers rate themselves as less competent than male coworkers
•They may also have less opportunity to gain competency similar to the males
(glass ceiling phenomenon)
•Departments are seeking to save money by avoiding maternity leaves and on-the-job injuries
•The overall percentage of women in United States policing in 2002 was estimated at
approximately 11% even though adult women make up 46.5% of the entire labor force
•Few departments are comprised of more than 15% women
•On average, only 17% of eligible women and 24% of eligible minority officers participate in promotion processes
•Women in departments with <15% females officers have lower levels of job satisfaction, higher levels of depression, and lower levels of self-esteem than women in departments that comprised >15% of sworn personnel
•70.2% of men and only 47.8% of women in policing have reported having been the target of an internal affairs investigation
•58% of female officers believe that they have to do better than their male counterparts to be seen as equal, where only 9% of male officers felt the same demand concerning the opposite gender
•Concerning public perception, though the majority had no preference, 38% preferred a male officer to come to their aid compared <1% that preferred a female
Showing equal respect for male and female officers as a citizen can make a difference, but the best way to improve women's position in law enforcement is to increase their rate of employment and retainment so that females can band together and take a stand against internal discrimination and discomfort. It is true that women still have a long way to go until there is equality of genders in law enforcement employment, but by becoming a female member, one can help the progress.
Benefits of a career in law enforcement:
•Women are more likely to possess a degree when applying
•Women are more likely to get past written testing phases
•Law enforcement is a challenging, rewarding, secure, and prestigious career for either gender
General Steps in Becoming a Law Enforcement Officer:
1) Apply online or in person at desired hiring department
2) Submit to background and credit checks
3) Confirm testing dates and take written, physical agility, and supplemental tests
4) If passed, complete interviews, medical/psychological tests
5)Complete 3-7 month academy
6) Become sworn officer of the law! (In probationary period, of course)
Click here for a listing of currently hiring departments.
Informative Sites and Organizations for Existing or Aspiring Female Law Officers
International Association of Women Police
National Center for Women & Policing
Women in Federal Law Enforcement, Inc.
Mid-Atlantic Association of Women in Law Enforcement
Female Law Enforcement Advocates
