NCJ Number
177161
Date Published
1995
Length
315 pages
Annotation
This book contains descriptions by women police of their experiences in law enforcement.
Abstract
Women in law enforcement are almost unanimous in saying that most male officers have been neutral or even extremely encouraging to their women counterparts. However, the 100 stories discussed in this book reveal a different and almost universal picture of police work. It is a club for men, with a strict hierarchy: white males first, then black and other minority males, then white females, black females and, finally, gay males. The club operates in a culture of socializing and informal contacts; people who are not wanted in the club may be harassed, ostracized, denied desired assignments, days off, shifts or promotions; speaking or filing a grievance about what happens within the club breaks the code and, thereafter, breaks the officer. While a man is automatically accepted into the club, a women must prove herself over and over before she gains respect, if not total acceptance.