Women in Law Enforcement

 

Once considered one of the last male dominated professions, women are making their mark throughout police organizations and the criminal justice system. Although male attitudes have slowly begun to change, many problems still exist.

In 2004, women accounted for less than 13 percent of all sworn law enforcement positions in large agencies, and only 9 percent of the supervisory positions are held by women. In spite of the fact that women make up over 46 percent of the work force, most law enforcement agencies in the United States have fewer than ten female officers in their organization.

 

Although women can be just as effective as a male officer, many women never consider a career in law enforcement due to the nature of the job. Additional factors keeping women out of the law enforcement profession may also be unfair hiring practices and recruitment policies that keep the number of women applying low to begin with.

While I was in a position to select and hire new agents, I found it extremely difficult to recruit qualified women applicants. It was even more difficult to find women minority applicants. During my six years as a manager, not one African American male or female applied for a position in our Allentown Office. Equally nonexistent were Hispanic or any other women minority applicants.

Over the past two decades of my law enforcement career, I have witnessed a greater emphasis on community oriented policing and crime prevention, which creates a greater necessity for communication within the community. As such, I would have expected the new wave of “community policing” to have led to more than a 12 percent representation of women in the law enforcement community. 

          For the women who do choose a career in law enforcement, they are forced to deal with many more disadvantages that their male coworkers. Once hired, women face discrimination, sexual harassment, or peer intimidation. Women also often lack role models or mentors on the force to help them gain promotions. As a result, many never even take promotional exams.

          Examining complaints about supervisors during the course of the year, policing is the second most sexist organization in the world behind only the Navy, which has a sexual harassment complaint rate of 90 percent. According to Martin (1996), in one study, 63 percent of the 72 women officers interviewed claimed that they experienced sexual harassment while working on the police force. Sexual harassment studies that include African American women report sexual discrimination at higher rates than women of other ethnic groups. In addition, research in the Los Angeles Police Department found that “non-white women officers experienced a greater degree of social discrimination than white women.” (Texeira, 2002). 

Twenty-five percent reported instance of “quid pro quo” harassment, which is the most commonly recognized for of sexual harassment. It occurs when job benefits such as promotions, salary increases, work assignments, performance expectations and other conditions of employment are made contingent on the provision of sexual favors.

While these numbers are disturbing, what is even more alarming are statistics showing that only 11 percent of all women police officers report sexual discrimination, and only 3 percent are willing to continue pursuing the matter through formal channels. According to a survey, 50 percent of women officers ignored the harassment, 25 percent used sick leave, 15 percent resigned, and 10 percent dropped their work productivity.

Clearly, the criminal justice community must take a more proactive approach to the problem of sexual harassment though stronger policies and consequences to anyone who violates the rights of women law enforcement personnel.

References: 

Collins, P. & Scarborough, K. (2001). Women in Public and Private Law

             Enforcement. NY: Butterworth Heinemann.

Felperin, J. (2004). Women in law Enforcement: two steps forward, three steps

            back. Retrieved from http://www.policeone.com/police-recruting/articles.

Martin, S. & Jurik, N. (1996). Doing Justice, Doing Gender: Women in law and

           Criminal Justice Occupations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

 

Texeira, T. M. (2002). ''Who Protects and Serves Me?'': A Case Study of Sexual

Harassment of African American Women in One U.S. Law Enforcement

Agency. Gender & Society. doi: 10.1177/0891243202016004007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boy Scouts of America

 

Discrimination against gay and lesbian people goes far beyond structured organizations like law enforcement and the military. I was disturbed to see the story about seventeen year old Ryan Anderson who worked his way through five ranks in the Boy Scouts and earned twenty-one merit badges in anticipation of earning his Eagle Scout award, only to be denied the award because of his sexual orientation.

 

Anderson had been part of the Boy Scouts since he was six years old. He came out as being openly gay to family and friends prior to earning his Eagle Scout when he was seventeen years old. He received no indication that he would not be granted the award until his scout master refused to sign the official paperwork. On an appeal, a volunteer Eagle Scout Board of Review decided that Andersen completed all the necessary requirements to earn the award and approved his application. However, a paid Boy Scout executive ultimately rejected the board’s unanimous decision and denied him the award. Andersen’s membership into the Boy Scouts was also revoked.  

According to the Boy Scouts of America, the group believes that “homosexuals do not provide a desirable role model for Scouts.”  The organization also does not accept volunteers or professional employees who are homosexual.  The Boy Scouts are a wholly private organization that does not receive federal or state funding, so they are free to discriminate as they see fit against any group.  Of course, they have lost many corporate sponsors because of their archaic policy against homosexuals, but that still has not affected their stance against accepting members who are openly gay.

This organization sends the wrong message that no matter how good you are at the tasks assigned and how good how a kid you may be in general, they will always be looked at as inferior just because of who they like. The only way to force change in an organization such as this is to have sponsors refuse to support the organization, and to have individuals withdraw and/or refuse to be part of such an organization that promotes discrimination and intolerance.

I personally don’t think that sexual orientation should enter into whether a person is qualified to be a Scout. I was happy to see that many outraged current and former Boy Scouts have surrendered their merit badges. Andersen’s mother also started the attached online petition to stand up against the Boy Scout’s discrimination policy, which I signed. There are currently over 477,000 signatures. www.change.org.

I also attached an interview with Ryan Andersen conducted by Anderson Cooper and would like to hear your opinion on the subject.  

 

References:

 http://www.examiner.com/article/scout-denied-award-because-of-sexual-orientation

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gay and Lesbian Police Officers

 

Law enforcement and policing has traditional been a middle-class “masculine” occupation. Racist and sexist attitudes remain a problem in many departments. Similarly, homophobic attitudes in society and within the law enforcement community create many problems for the gay or lesbian officer.  

Unlike other minority groups, integration of gay and lesbian people presents unique challenges to law enforcement organizations. As a profession, law enforcement is particularly susceptible to discrimination against gay and lesbian officers. Unlike one's race or sex, lesbian and gay officers can choose to try to conceal their sexual orientation. Some police officers may experience the stress of concealing their sexual orientation. Having the stress to remain “in the closet” can bring the officer to the point of lacking performance, undependability, and even suicide (Colvin, 2009).

In 1998, I remember a 26 year old gay Philadelphia Police Officer (Thomas Kalt) committed suicide using his department issued 9mm handgun three weeks after graduating from the police academy. Although there was no indication that Kalt’s death had anything to with his sexual orientation, it was reported that he was suffering from emotional distress. At the time, Kalt was reported as being the department’s first openly gay officer. Prior to his death, Kalt told his commanding officer that he was going to quit the police force because he couldn’t handle the attention he was receiving as a gay officer.

According to Colvin (2009), the general consensus among gay and lesbian police officers is that they are under “tremendous pressure to conform to gender stereotypes” and that each gay and lesbian officer must determine the cost and benefits of “coming out at work.”  In doing so, each individual must consider their personal safety, social isolation, or institutional considerations such as evaluations, promotions, and assignments. Research estimates that up to 46% of gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals experience employment discrimination (Colvin, 2009).

Most people who enter into public service do so out of a desire for a good career, job security, and/or to perform their civic duty. Gay and Lesbian people are no different than any other person who chooses to enter into public service and should be treated as equals. “As more police departments explore the benefits of community policing models, the inclusion of gay and lesbian police officers may represent more than a human rights effort; these nontraditional police officers may bring a range of roles and skills that can enhance the flexibility of police work without sacrificing its crime-fighting mission” (Miller, Forrest, & Jurik, 2003).

I believe that a failure to diversify and integrate minority police officers including gay and lesbians into the community reduces a department’s ability to serve the community to its fullest potential. I would be interested in reading your thoughts on this topic.

 

References:

Colvin (2009). Shared Perceptions among Lesbian and Gay Police Officers. Barriers and Opportunities in the Law enforcement Work Environment, Police Quarterly, 12 (1), 86-101.

Miller, Forest, Jurik (2003). Diversity in Blue: Lesbian and Gay Police Officers in a Masculine Occupation. Men and Masculinities, 5 (4), 355-385.

http://articles.philly.com/1999-01-08/news/25491739_1_suicide-notes-gay-community-gay-officers-action-league

 

Is the Prosecution of Gosnell Really Racist?

 

Racial discrimination present among law enforcement officials is a constant topic of conversation in today’s society.  Police officers are often accused of racial profiling by people who claim that the police target certain races more than others. It seems that we are at the point where almost every arrest involving an African American suspect arrested by a white or non-black police officer has accusations of racial overtones. 

I have been a law enforcement officer for almost 23 years and have seen my share of prejudices among both white and black officers. I’m not here to defend racial discrimination or prejudices on any level but I do think that cries of “racism” are overused as a defense mechanism in today’s society.

A common theme for most defense attorneys (especially in Philadelphia courts) is that the police are racist and targeted the defendant on trial because of the defendant’s race.  In doing so, they put the focus on the accusers instead of the accused and his or her crimes. For example, Kermit Gosnell is currently on trial in Philadelphia for eight counts of murder. Gosnell is a former West Philadelphia abortion doctor who is also African American.

 

In defense of his client, Gosnell’s attorney, Jack McMahon, who is white, portrayed Gosnell as a “victim of a prosecutorial lynching by an elitist, racist prosecution.” I find this interesting since in 1997 while McMahon was a prosecutor for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office he was recorded on video teaching lawyers questionable techniques for “gaming the jury selection process using race as a criterion.” During the video, McMahon was quoted “The blacks from the low-income areas are less likely to convict,” McMahon said in the video. “I understand it. It’s an understandable proposition. There’s a resentment for law enforcement. There’s a resentment for authority. And as a result, you don’t want those people on your jury.”

 

 

 

Gosnell operated his clinic for 31 years in West Philadelphia, which is predominately an African American neighborhood. Many of the doctor’s patients and victims were African American. In fact, as the prosecution pointed out in response to the defense claim of racism, it was Gosnell who treated his “white female patients better than woman of color” by personally meeting with them and ordering his staff to keep him advised of their treatment. Lost among all of theatrics of playing the race card are the innocent infant victims who were allegedly butchered by this doctor (regardless of his race), who murdered them by “snipping” their spinal cords after they had been born alive.

Today's blog included a case that has been in the headlines since the arrest of Dr. Gosnell. I chose to blog on it because the trial opened this week, and involves racial overtones.  However, instead of focusing on discriminations between the police and the public, I want to examine discrimination and prejudices within law enforcement organizations themselves.

Racial discrimination is the practice of unfairly letting a person’s race or skin color affect who receives a job or promotion. Usually this affects minority men and women who feel they have been discriminated against in favor of a white person. However, there are cases where white people have claimed “reverse discrimination” where a minority individual has received favorable treatment at the expense of a white person.   

Unfortunately, many police departments do not take serious actions against racial discrimination, if at all, until an incident takes place and they are named in a lawsuit.

One recently filed case, the Galloway Township Police Department, Atlantic County, New Jersey is being sued by the only African American officer on the force alleging racial discrimination back to 2003. In addition to discrimination, the officer claims a hostile work environment, retaliation, and differential treatment. A review of the complaint which names several high ranking officers including a captain and Police Chief, cites several incidents where racial slurs were open used while the complaining office was present. The officer also claims to have been removed from a special unit because of his race.

I was amazed and saddened at how many similar cases could be found on a quick Google search. As was the case with the Galloway Township incident, many police departments spend their efforts defending the allegation but seems to spend little time and effort on sensitivity or other relevant training to take a proactive stance before problems arise. To help prevent racial discrimination, police departments should follow the lead of some of our largest corporation such as IBM for example, who has established employee task forces for almost every group employed by the company. This includes men, women, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, disabled persons, gays and lesbians. The groups, meet regularly to discuss diversity and workplace concerns.

 

References:

Hillstrom, K, & Collier, L. (2002). Racial Discrimination. Encyclopedia of Small Business.(Vol. 2.). Gale Cengage.

http://articles.philly.com/2013-03-18/news/37817849_1_west-philadelphia-clinic-women-s-medical-society-kermit-gosnell

http://www.gallowaytwpnews.com/2013/02/galloway-police-department-faces-racial.html