NCJ Number
180488
Date Published
June 1999
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The Feminist Majority Foundation and the National Center for Women and Policing have conducted extensive research that shows that women police officers are less authoritarian and use force less often than their male counterparts, are better at defusing potentially violent confrontations, have better communication skills, and respond more effectively to incidents of violence against women.
Abstract
Women comprise only 13.8 percent of all sworn law enforcement positions nationwide. The full integration of women into policing is an opportunity for a constructive solution to the costly problem of police violence, as more female police officers will result in fewer violent confrontations between police officers and citizens. If police departments employ equal numbers of male and female police officers, the result will be fewer incidents of police violence and the enhanced ability of police agencies to modify their policing styles in line with social needs and realities. The lack of female police officers reinforces and exaggerates authoritarian and traditional personalities that thrive on violence. Further, experts emphasize the need to create a formal administrative structure to achieve social equity for women in policing. Recommendations on what police agencies can do to achieve equality for women are offered. 5 references and 14 footnotes