Preview

Women in Law Enforcement

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
872 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Women in Law Enforcement
Women in Law Enforcement Essay
There are many stereotypes that women in law enforcement field had to face throughout time. Women troubled with being taken serious as a crime fighter, or if a women would ever be allowed to become a police officer, was a question because women are usually viewed from others as too small, weak and gentle to ever be taken serious from the public. In this research paper I will explain the background on women in the law enforcement and how women have the same intelligence, communication, compassion, and diplomacy as a male officer. Having examples from articles and an interview from a women officer will help my thesis on how women can be successful as any male officer.
Women have struggled since the early 1800s to have a career with law enforcement so one day hope to succeed and be recognized as a valued part of law enforcement just like their male counterparts. Women dealt with lack of respect, sexual harassment, discrimination. These times were very difficult and challenging for female officers not only verbally and emotionally but also because the police department only made uniforms to fit men officers, who made the female officers, look unprofessional and uncomfortable and very hard to do their job, when they could hardly walk in the heavy yet loose-fitting uniforms they wore. "In the past women had two choices: They could wear a very high-waisted, darted pants pattern from the 1970s or they could wear men's pants,"(Garret). These uniforms make a female’s job even more difficult with the extra weight and fabric bunched inside of their uniform, also caused a delay when reaching for their firearm. The uniforms made their job even more dangerous for females than for male officers. This demonstrates an immense example of how fearless women had to be, known that they were an easier target to take advantage of and was more overlooked from citizens.
During World War II women were hired into law enforcement agencies, except most of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    1. Will women ever be viewed as equal in the position of a Law Enforcement Officer?…

    • 386 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are many women in Police forces today. It never use to be that way, policing was considered a man’s job. That changed in the early 1900’s when the first American born citizen was hired as a police woman. Alice Stebbins Wells was born in Manhattan Kansas on June 13, 1873. Mrs. Well’s was the first American born female to be hired as a police woman with arrest powers. Before being hired by the LAPD as the first women officer Alice was a social worker. It was in 1909 when she petitioned Mayor George Alexander and city council, requesting that an ordinance providing for Los Angeles police women be adopted. It was passed an on September 12, 1910 Alice Stebbins Well’s was appointed as the nation a first female to be designated a police women…

    • 824 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Born and raised in Long Branch NJ, I have come accustomed with the local departments throughout our fine city. In particular, the Long Branch Police department have dedicated their service into implementing the law and keeping the community safe. The one thing my local Police department have become successful in is being able to communicate well with the locals. I believe this is an important aspect for any police department to uphold. Living in a very diverse town, the Long Branch Police Department do well by having a well-rounded group of individuals who serve and protect. Even though majority of the officers are males, there has been a movement of female officers who are just as or even more qualified in the process of being hired. This…

    • 241 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There have been many cases not only discussed in this article and these books, but also in the nationwide news. In the article Two Books Argue the Case for Police Reform From Within, the moral of the story is that police officer should start viewing themselves as guardians as opposed to warriors, in hopes that this will transfer into their actions and help mend the relationship between the police task force and the diverse communities and neighborhoods of the United…

    • 572 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Throughout the policing history of women and minorities they have struggled to be seen as equal in the law enforcement. Women have been forced to deal with discrimination within ranking and even overlooked for promotions that they were well qualified for.…

    • 297 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Recruitment of AAW and members of the diverse groups has been one of the major concerns and still a priority of law enforcement. They have not only been underrepresented but entirely been discriminated and programs initiated that barricades the AAW from advancing in the system. Both the government and society has contributed to this problem while the culture long created by men concerning the place of women in law enforcement positions being a difficult barrier to break. Racism and bias at persona level is counted among the many reasons as to why AAW representation in law enforcement has…

    • 4610 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the past, women took a back seat and were viewed at a lesser status than man, but the role of women and minorities has changed over the years with regards to the selection process, how high they can rank, and which areas they would normally patrol. Women and minorities are now able to be promoted as highly as Chief of Police, without regard to their gender or race, but rather to tenure and performance. Additionally, women and minorities are now treated with more fairness within their respective forces, compared to how women used…

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Firstly, it is important to realize the real women’value. Every woman also has a different beauty and attraction which don’t depend on age, bodies, faces, and physical. For example, the policewoman who can complete their mission by the best way also solves many important cases which…

    • 569 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    For most people, the police have been typically seen as the embodiment of fairness and impartiality. Contradictory to this mentality, social inequality exists in law enforcement, arguably the most in the police. This is due to the increased amount of contact with the general populace in their normal lives, as compared to the courts which only deal with the population when they are convicted. This essay will investigate the kinds of social inequalities present in the police, as well as the implications of these inequalities, namely gender specific, racial and sexual discriminations relating to females, ethnic minority groups, and the population in general.…

    • 531 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The individuals that work in the field of law enforcement today are presented with issues and concerns unlike any faced by those of the past. The changing face of crimes and criminal activity in this country and around the world are at the root of many of these challenges. In this country, the most significant issue is the shift to a more multicultural society. There are also concerns regarding police corruption, use of deadly force, racial profiling and the job hazards of policing in an increasingly dangerous world. The way police agencies enforce the laws and work to provide a safe environment to those they serve has perhaps never been more complex than it is today. The…

    • 961 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Among police occupations, gender disparity has existed for centuries even though progress has been shown throughout past decades. Valiant efforts from women on all accounts have proven progress towards the goal. The fight and battle from women exemplify an end to gender disparity among police officers as statistics show headway into the equalization of the work force. From the beginning of the first sworn woman officer to 13% population of women among the force show progress through history. Media plays a massive role in the perception of women in the force due their representation. Changing attitudes of the male counterparts have been proven to help incorporate women into the field. In all, gender disparity exists through all work forces…

    • 150 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Week 7 Individual Work

    • 402 Words
    • 2 Pages

    As the political landscape and social conditions of American society have changed, so have the personnel policies and practices of local law enforcement and the racial and gender makeup. American law enforcement remains a male dominated field, but it is recognized that more women are wanted and needed. Statistically, a woman is more likely to be employed as a CEO then a police officer. In 1845, the first women to be hired by the New York City Police Department were called “matrons.” In 1985, Penny Harrington of the Portland Oregon Police Department became the first female Chief of Police. In 2004 women accounted for only 12.7 percent of all sworn law enforcement positions in large agencies and the numbers are declining. The percentage of sworn female officers in smaller agencies is even lower. There are many possible reasons for the decline in the number of women in law enforcement. Research shows that woman can be just as effective as men; uneven hiring practices; selection processes and recruitment policies keep the number of woman artificially low. Often women are screened out early as a result of certain entry level tests that favor upper body strength or previous life experiences. Most women never even consider a career in law enforcement to begin with, due to their misunderstanding of the nature of the job and the aggressive and authoritarian images portrayed in the media. Once hired women still face discrimination, sexual harassment or even peer intimidation and they often lack the necessary role models or mentors to help them move up the ranks. The under-representation of women at all levels in the modern police agency negatively impacts the culture and operational efficiency of law enforcement agencies throughout the country. Rookies, because they are the new recruits and are the less experienced offices they tend to be given the grunt jobs until they have proven themselves at least. They must prove…

    • 402 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Due to the concept of affirmative action, which simply states that when a minority group is found to be underrepresented within an organization that organization must take steps to hire more individuals within that minority group, and the use of hiring quotas, African Americans represent a higher number of police officers in today’s society. Hispanic and Latino officers have increased significantly in recent years. Spanish speaking officers are in high demand because of the growing number of communities in which Spanish is the primary language. For many agencies, especially those that serve in communities with large immigrant populations, the need for police diversity extends far beyond traditional groups. With the hiring of Alice Stebbins Wells in 1910, women joined the ranks of police officers (O 'Connor, 2012). In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s roles for women within the police force began to change; due partly to the before mentioned Civil Rights Act but also because of individual efforts of policewomen. An increase in the number of policewomen has improved relations between police and the community. This is partly due to the fact that policewomen are less likely to use excessive force and because these officers are better able to diffuse violent…

    • 958 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    This essay will discuss the historic assumptions of the female criminal, theories of gender blindness which look toward the feminist criminologist perspective on gender attempting to show studies where the female criminal has been studied, but to which degree, and finally does this present criminology as more of a sexist social science, gender blinded or possibly even gender biased discipline.…

    • 2255 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Diversity In Police

    • 285 Words
    • 2 Pages

    According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, “The number and percentage of full-time sworn female officers also increased since 1987. About 58,000 females were employed as local police officers in 2013, compared to about 27,000 in 1987”. Female officers provide a vital tool in communicating with victims. Female officers are more thoughtful and sympathetic to victims, especially to domestic and raped victims because they are able to take their time to understand what has occurred rather than a male figure, in most cases can be very straight forward with very little emotion. The compliance of the victim is essential in providing evidence for a case. Indeed these aspects of diversity within a police department are only aiding the overall goal of community policing. Ultimately, with an effective community police approach, police officers can be effective in performing their job description and can ensure a safe…

    • 285 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics