Women and Policing
Local: University police officers, City police officers and Sheriffs
State: State police officers Women are found in all ranks within all of the departments at every level of policing.
Federal: Federal agents and Special agents
State: State police officers Women are found in all ranks within all of the departments at every level of policing.
Federal: Federal agents and Special agents
Women police officers in America:
The number of women who have turned policing at the local, state, and federal level into a career is steadily increasing, as well as the number of women who hold a high ranking position within those police agencies.
Even with the increase of women in the police force, much of society still views policing as a profession meant for men. Policing is a very physical occupation that requires aggression in some situations. Boys are reared to be more physical and aggressive than girls, but that does not mean that women cannot police just as well as men can. People also believe that women should have to meet the same physical test requirements as men in order to be obtain a position as a police officer; this is interesting because some police departments and agencies have no physical tests in order to be accepted, and others only have one physical test as part of the application process in order to become an officer. There are also concerns about how well women would be able to stand their ground when confronting male offenders who are much bigger than the women officers.
People also see the advantage of having women police officers as stereotypical aspects of the job. People see the advantage of women police officers as having officers who will work better with women offenders, juvenile offenders, and the paperwork behind all of the police work, as well as aspects of policing that do not have to deal with patrol work; women are good at things other than working well with people and doing secretary type work well.
Others believe that women would make excellent police officers and would do well with patrol work, but they worry about the safety of women while they are on patrol and other dangerous tasks of policing. Because of the risky nature of policing, even people who think women would make great police officers, believe that policing is not a field which women are cut out for.
All of these negative views of women joining the police force are popular among both some male members of law enforcement and members of society who are not a part of law enforcement because of the differences in the way men and women are socialized. Women continue to prove that the negative views are misconceptions of their ability to police just as well as men police officers; women are just as capable as men to complete all tasks of policing successfully at the local, state and federal level. Within some police departments, the men officers treat the women officers poorly because the men feel threatened by the presence of the women. The men do this because they feel threatened by how capable the women actually are of policing without their help; the men want the women to feel as though the men have power over them and want to deter the women from feeling as though they can handle all aspects of policing without guidance of the men police officers.
It is assumed that with the increasing exposure of women in the police force the attitudes toward women in those position will become increasingly positive.
Any ladies out there who dream of becoming a police officer and working your way through the ranks, at any level of policing, don't let anyone make you think that you're incapable of being successful at completing any and every task that comes your way. Gentlemen who have the same dream, don't underestimate your female co-workers, and work just as hard as they do to prove yourself and your abilities.
The number of women who have turned policing at the local, state, and federal level into a career is steadily increasing, as well as the number of women who hold a high ranking position within those police agencies.
Even with the increase of women in the police force, much of society still views policing as a profession meant for men. Policing is a very physical occupation that requires aggression in some situations. Boys are reared to be more physical and aggressive than girls, but that does not mean that women cannot police just as well as men can. People also believe that women should have to meet the same physical test requirements as men in order to be obtain a position as a police officer; this is interesting because some police departments and agencies have no physical tests in order to be accepted, and others only have one physical test as part of the application process in order to become an officer. There are also concerns about how well women would be able to stand their ground when confronting male offenders who are much bigger than the women officers.
People also see the advantage of having women police officers as stereotypical aspects of the job. People see the advantage of women police officers as having officers who will work better with women offenders, juvenile offenders, and the paperwork behind all of the police work, as well as aspects of policing that do not have to deal with patrol work; women are good at things other than working well with people and doing secretary type work well.
Others believe that women would make excellent police officers and would do well with patrol work, but they worry about the safety of women while they are on patrol and other dangerous tasks of policing. Because of the risky nature of policing, even people who think women would make great police officers, believe that policing is not a field which women are cut out for.
All of these negative views of women joining the police force are popular among both some male members of law enforcement and members of society who are not a part of law enforcement because of the differences in the way men and women are socialized. Women continue to prove that the negative views are misconceptions of their ability to police just as well as men police officers; women are just as capable as men to complete all tasks of policing successfully at the local, state and federal level. Within some police departments, the men officers treat the women officers poorly because the men feel threatened by the presence of the women. The men do this because they feel threatened by how capable the women actually are of policing without their help; the men want the women to feel as though the men have power over them and want to deter the women from feeling as though they can handle all aspects of policing without guidance of the men police officers.
It is assumed that with the increasing exposure of women in the police force the attitudes toward women in those position will become increasingly positive.
Any ladies out there who dream of becoming a police officer and working your way through the ranks, at any level of policing, don't let anyone make you think that you're incapable of being successful at completing any and every task that comes your way. Gentlemen who have the same dream, don't underestimate your female co-workers, and work just as hard as they do to prove yourself and your abilities.