NCJ Number
45053
Journal
International Review of Criminal Policy Issue: 33 Dated: (1977) Pages: 25-33
Date Published
1977
Length
9 pages
Annotation
THE ROLES OF POLICEWOMEN IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES WHERE THEY HAVE ASSUMED SPECIAL DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS ARE SURVEYED.
Abstract
THE BASIC POLICE STRUCTURE OF 21 COUNTRIES IS DESCRIBED, AND THE CONDITIONS AND UTILIZATION OF WOMEN POLICE OFFICERS IN EACH ARE SUMMARIZED. IN MOST OF THESE, WOMEN PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE POLICE FORCES OF THE COUNTRY, AND IN MANY CASES THEIR TRAINING, QUALIFICATIONS, AND PAY ARE THE SAME AS MEN; HOWEVER, THEIR DUTIES ARE LIMITED IN SOME WAY. USUALLY THEY ARE EXCLUDED FROM GENERAL PATROL OR OTHER DUTIES 'REQUIRING PHYSICAL STRENGTH' AND ARE FREQUENTLY LIMITED TO DEALING WITH WOMEN AND JUVENILES AND PERFORMING TRAFFIC FUNCTIONS AND ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES. COUNTRIES WHERE THIS IS THE CASE INCLUDE THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, TURKEY, CANADA, DENMARK, JAPAN, THE FRENCH AREA OF SWITZERLAND, URUGUAY, AND VENEZUELA. IN VENEZUELA, WOMEN POLICE ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO WORK DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. WOMEN PLAY A RELATIVELY INSIGNIFICANT ROLE (USUALLY TRAFFIC AND JUVENILE DUTIES) IN THE POLICE FORCES OF AUSTRALIA, FRANCE, ITALY, AND THE GERMAN AND ITALIAN SECTIONS OF SWITZERLAND. IN FOUR OF THE COUNTRIES, THERE IS DISCRIMINATION WITH REGARD TO PAY AND PROMOTION; IN FINLAND AND ITALY, WOMEN'S DUTIES ARE SEVERELY RESTRICTED AS WELL, WHILE IN IRELAND AND THE NETHERLANDS, WOMEN PERFORM THE SAME DUTIES AS MEN BUT WITH LESS PAY. COMPLETE EQUALITY IN EVERY ASPECT EXISTS IN NEW ZEALAND, POLAND, THE UNITED KINGDOM, ISREAL (WITH THE WORLD'S HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN POLICE - 12.5 PERCENT), SOUTH AFRICA (WHICH EVEN GRANTS WOMEN 6 MONTHS SICK LEAVE FOR PREGNANCY, WITHOUT DISCONTINUATION OF SERVICE), SWEDEN (WHICH DOES NOT KEEP SEPARATE STATISTICS FOR WOMEN POLICE), AND IRAN (ALMOST -- THEY ARE NOT PERMITTED ON GENERAL PATROL, BUT ARE EQUAL IN EVERY OTHER WAY). A NUMBER OF OTHER COUNTRIES ARE ALSO DESCRIBED VERY BRIEFLY. THE ONLY GENERALIZATIONS TO BE MADE ARE THAT: (1) THE ROLES OF WOMEN IN POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE CHANGING DRAMATICALLY IN MOST COUNTRIES; (2) THEIR ROLES USUALLY MIRROR THE ATTITUDES TOWARD WOMEN OF THE SOCIETY AT LARGE; AND (3) WHEN EMPIRICAL DATA REGARDING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF WOMEN IN EXPANDING ROLES BECOMES AVAILABLE FROM THE MORE ADVANCED COUNTRIES, MORE AND MORE WHO ARE NOW 'WAITING TO SEE' WILL BEGIN TO UTILIZE WOMEN TO A GREATER EXTENT IN THEIR POLICE FORCES.