Gender Roles In Law Enforcement Essay

863 Words4 Pages

Kevin Cain
Dr. Mary Emilie Steinacker
UNIV 2001
January 28, 2018
Women in the Military and Law Enforcement
Gender roles have changed a lot over the recent years at home and in the workplace. We used to see women staying at home and raising their families while we men go out to work and make money to support the family. Men used to have a lot of stress to make enough money to support the family and make sure they had a roof over their head, along with adequate food to eat. Current times have changed, especially in the area that we live in, and in order to support your family you need both partners working to survive. This is not the sole reason many women are now having careers as well as a family. Many women are now working because they get satisfaction out of having a career. Many industries have had severe changes to not only accommodate women working, but to allow them to thrive and do well. Besides big businesses two areas that have changed with women in the workplace is military and law enforcement.
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Although the first female policewoman was back in 1890, they now make up approximately 15% of the police force. A study in Washington D.C. found that “Women patrol officers tended to be more effective than their male counterparts in avoiding violence and defusing potentially violent situations” (Women in Law Enforcement). Men could tend to react quicker than women which would contribute to this result. We currently have 4 female police officers in my department, with an additional female officer that recently retired. Although women are underrepresented in the higher ranks, one of the officers is the K9 handler for our department. There are not many, but women are now being able to move into all roles and ranks within law enforcement. As of 2013 it was reported that “there were just 219 women holding chiefs ' jobs in the U.S., where there are now more than 14,000 police agencies”