NCJ Number
201970
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 51 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2003 Pages: 103-104
Date Published
July 2003
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This article describes the efforts of the Los Angeles mayor, James Hahn, and police chief, William Bratton, to increase the number of women officers in the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
Abstract
In 2002 Hahn launched an initiative designed to address two of the LAPD's most pressing issues: increasing police recruits and countering the police use of excessive force. Hahn believes that the hiring of more women officers will alleviate problems in both of these areas. The goal is to continue to hire women at a minimum of 25 percent of new recruits, with the hope that this percentage will be exceeded. To encourage female applicants for policing, the city offers physical fitness training programs before applicants come to the academy. Mentors are partnered with new recruits, so that an experienced officer can help the candidates succeed at the academy. Regarding a reduction in the use of excessive force, research has shown that women officers tend to use less force than their male counterparts while still performing their duties effectively. Relying on the findings of such research, the LAPD expects that with the hiring of more women officers complaints about police use of excessive force should decline. Another measure for interesting young women in a law enforcement career is the offering of police science programs in certain high schools in the city. The majority of the students enrolled in the high school academy programs are young women.