Police Officer Stereotypes

Female police officers have been saddled with a stigma ever since they were allowed to join the force with male officers. Female police officers performance and ability to do their job and perform well is often questioned because they are women. Female officers are not given the same respect as male officers because of their gender; however, they bring different skills and assets to the profession that male officers do not. Female officers are less likely to use force or become aggressive because they have better communication skills and empathize. However, female officers will resort to using aggressive behaviors or force when necessary. Superior officers and male patrol officers feel that women are only on the force because it is a matter of social integration and an HR requirement. They feel that this is a man’s profession, and women have no business trying to be a part of it.

There are many stereotypes that women in the law enforcement field have to face. In order to recruit more women into policing, law enforcement agencies should attempt to overcome the idea that policing is a "male-oriented profession". This paper will cover parts of the history of women police officers, some views and stereotypes of the female officer, job related issues, life outside of the workforce and job satisfaction.

In recent years, recruitment and retention of police officers has been a pain point for many departments across the nation. Odd and inflexible hours, uncompetitive pay, para-militaristic organizational structures, and a negative public perception have all worked to diminish the pool of applicants interested in careers in law enforcement. Add to the mix the sexist “brotherhood” police culture, emphasis on masculinity and aggression, and the nearly non-existent opportunities for advancement for women, and over half of the eligible workforce has been discouraged from even considering a career in law enforcement. In 2013, women comprised just over 57% of the labor force, but accounted for only 13% of sworn police officers (USDOL, 2013; Crooke, 2013). Not only are women sorely underrepresented in the field of law enforcement, but those who are employed experience discrimination at the hands of their supervisors and coworkers, and as a result, the attrition rate for women is often much higher than that of their male counterparts. Departments should pledge dedication to recruiting and retaining more female officers, as research indicates that not only do females perform just as well as males in patrol positions, but they also have a unique set of advantages to offer agencies when employed in law enforcement. In order to improve the recruitment and retention of females into policing roles, departments must determine the biggest deterrents for women who are considering the pursuit

This time I hated how it felt to be stereotyped. I really felt what people say about police officers. Police officers supposed to be the nice men or women in uniform. This time it felt awful to be on the side of questioning and feeling like a criminal just for minding our business. A group of friends and I were at Fort Lauderdale Airport, waiting for the arrival of two friends coming from their trip. While we waited in the garage filled with cars a security guard in his patrol car came and told us to move before the officers came. The Police officers approached us and asked us why we are here? We all politely answered that we were waiting for our friend to arrive. Thinking that the matter is resolved the officer radioed for backup. In a matter

. . the dominant position of men and the subordinate position of women” (Rabe-Hemp 94). As policewomen tend toward their stereotypes, they strengthen the patriarchal organization of the police subculture: the practice of females assuming “roles that male officers have historically not defined as ‘real police work’ . . . devalue[es] the tasks female officers engage in” (Rabe-Hemp 97). Conversely, “women who dare to challenge these roles are isolated [and] harassed” (Rabe-Hemp 94). Therefore, the police subculture strengthens the differences between male and female police officers that society has pre-established through gendered stereotypes. These findings can be viewed from an individualist perspective as opposed to an organizational perspective because the police officers were exposed to these stereotypes as they grew up, long before they began training. Although the police subculture does make it more difficult to break out of these sex-based stereotypes, these stereotypes do not originate from the subculture itself; as a result, the organization has less of an influence on worker performance than the individual’s

Not more than two years ago, I listened to three minority female officers conversing on the difficulties of being a female officer. Though women have been accepted into police force, it has been a very slow and difficult process. What follows is a brief chronology of their struggle to become assimilated into and become an important part NYC’s “finest” – the N.Y.P.D.

Police brutality and feminism are some of the issues the United States faces today. Police have always been an issue for people to deal with especially for the black community. Numerous African American males have encountered situations where they have been accused of crimes or beaten by the police. Feminism dates back to history where women were discriminated and degraded because of their gender. In today’s society, many of these conflicts still occur today and many prejudicial statements are made to downgrade women as a whole. In the book “Meet Me Halfway; Milwaukee Stories” written by Jennifer Morales, she addresses these two topics that people face everyday. In her book, she states the issues that African Americans face in

2). Within the past three decades, there has some “discussion about the pros and cons of adding women in large numbers to the rank and file of to the USA police system” (Mastrofski, 2007, p. 4). According to Zhao (et al, 2006), we have a rising number of female officers on the force compared to past decades, which suggest a growing consensus that adding women to law enforcement is a good idea.

My mother was a police officer for almost twenty years. Women have long been subject to, and the subject of, discrimination. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 originally did not include gender in the bill’s wording. Were it not for a backhanded comment made in jest by a backward congressman, women would not have been afforded equal rights protection in employment (Freeman, 1991; 2004).

For female officers, the mentality to prove themselves to their male counterpart is a major stressor. It has been debated for some time women’s ability to handle the pressure of police work. Women are more prone to higher level of harassment, overt hostility and other negative social interaction from their co-workers and the public (He et al, 2005). This is the reason why is it extremely important for police administration to promote resilience and diversity within the

There is also discrimination in the police force. According to Women and the Criminal Justice System, women are discriminated against when seeking a job in the police force (Wormer and Bartollas, 2007). Society and men who are already on the police force believes that women are too weak to carry out law and unable to capture criminals. This is an example of men being the dominant group over women. In society, women are known to be soft-hearted, loving, emotional and supportive. These characteristics make women look weak as a police officer. However, studies have shown that women are just as effective police

Gender inequality still plays a huge role in today’s society. Women comprise only a small percentage of the local law enforcement agencies across the nation. Women have been a part of law enforcement since the 20th century but have only been noticed within the last 40 years. Back in the 1970’s women rarely held positions in law enforcement and if they did it was mainly clerical/desk positions. Even though the amount of women in law enforcement today has increased, women still only make up roughly around 13 percent of the law enforcement work force (Public). Women can make such an impact in the Law Enforcement field if given a fair chance but they may face many problems when doing so. Some say that women don’t belong, while others suggest

When it comes to race within law enforcement, male police officers still question whether women can handle the dangerous situations and physical confrontations that officers may be confronted with, while it is shown that most police women have easily met the expectations of their superiors. Indeed, studies have found that, in general, male and female officers perform in similar ways. In addition, research has found that most citizens have positive things to say about the work of police women (Worden,

While the average earnings for women still lag behind those of men, the March “Women at Work” report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), revealed that the gender wage gap continues to narrow. Women earned 81 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2010, up from 76 cents in 2000. Many attribute this to the higher college graduation rates of women. Women are gaining numbers in various fields of work and the perceptions of their fellow male colleagues are even changing. Captain Purnell Richardson, of the Baltimore City Police Department remembers a time when women were once viewed as inferior to men in the police field. “The women of the force were like the social workers. They took all the calls and did all the paper work at one point in time. They were even given a little bit of lead way in the Academy. The guys had to do 50 pushups and the women only had to do 30. But now a day’s some of these women have more heart than the men. They are quick to draw their weapon and they will have your back. We have some tough women in our force.” Crystal Kidd is a Lieutenant with the Baltimore Police Department, she says, “You have to make a name for yourself in the force. I like when I hear people say they don’t like me or I’m a bitch. To me that just means I am doing my job. I have a zero tolerance for nonsense and that is the only way you will get respect around here. Some

Americans think that they have come a long way since a gap of equality between men and women existed. Because of this progress, many people make the assumption that there is no inequality left in the United States and women have the same opportunities as men. Yes, it is true that the American society has come from one of inequality to that one that is more equal. Yes Americans have come a long way, but unfortunately women are still not equal to their male counterparts. This inequality towards women is evident within several different aspects in life, ranging from politics, gender roles, marriage, society as a whole and, especially, women in the Police Force. The history of women in the criminal justice system as police officers has been