NCJ Number
182321
Date Published
March 2000
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Information collected from the largest police agencies formed the basis of an analysis of the gains and gaps in the numbers of women in policing, the major barriers that prevent women from increasing their numbers in law enforcement, and the adverse effects of the continued underrepresentation of women in police agencies.
Abstract
The survey reached 56 municipal agencies, 44 county departments, and 26 State agencies. The data collection took place from July 1999 to November 1999. Women comprise 14.3 percent of all sworn law enforcement positions among municipal, county, and State law enforcement agencies with 100 or more sworn officers. Minority women hold 6.8 percent of these positions. The representation of women in sworn law enforcement ranks has increased from 9 percent in 1990 to 14.3 percent in 1999. Women currently hold 5.6 percent of sworn top command law enforcement positions, 9.2 percent of supervisory positions, and 15.6 percent of line operation positions. More than 65 percent of the agencies reported no women in top command positions; 91 percent of the agencies reported no minority women in the highest ranks. State agencies trail municipal and county agencies by a wide margin in hiring and promoting women. Women continue to hold a majority (66.1 percent) of lower-paid civilian law enforcement positions. However, they hold only 42 percent of top management positions. Women comprise 29.3 percent of line operations positions, 16.2 percent of supervisory positions, and 8.2 percent of top command positions among corrections personnel in law enforcement agencies with these personnel. Figures, footnotes, and appended tables and methodological information