NCJ Number
65963
Date Published
1976
Length
270 pages
Annotation
A PROGRAM INITIATED BY THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA POLICE DEPARTMENT IN 1972 TO USE WOMEN ON UNIFORMED PATROL DUTY IS EVALUATED IN RELATION TO SEX DISCRIMINATION AND THE USE OF WOMEN IN POLICING.
Abstract
SEVERAL REASONS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM WERE INDICATED: (1) THE POLICE CHIEF FELT THAT WOMEN COULD HANDLE THE PATROL FUNCTION; (2) POLICE DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATION APPEARED TO BE COMMITTED TO REDUCING DISCRIMINATION AND DEVELOPING A PROGRESSIVE AND PROFESSIONAL POLICE FORCE; (3) COMMUNITY RELATIONS COULD BE ENHANCED BY REDUCING SEXIST HIRING PRACTICES AND ACHIEVING A MORE RACIALLY-BALANCED POLICE FORCE; (4) UPGRADING POLICE DEPARTMENT QUALITY BY INTRODUCING DIFFERENT POLICING STYLES, ATTITUDES, OR GENERAL BEHAVIOR WAS DESIRABLE; AND (5) THE QUALIFIED POLICE APPLICANT POOL COULD BE ENLARGED. THE TOTAL SAMPLE OF WOMEN HIRED FROM JANUARY 1, 1972 THROUGH JUNE 1, 1973 WAS SELECTED FOR STUDY, AND A SAMPLE OF MEN HIRED DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD WAS CHOSEN FOR COMPARISON. WHEN POSSIBLE, EACH WOMAN WAS MATCHED WITH A MALE OFFICER FROM THE SAME TRAINING CLASS IN ORDER TO CONTROL FOR SENIORITY. WOMEN AND MEN WERE COMPARED ON VARIOUS PERFORMANCE MEASURES: DEPARTMENT PERFORMANCE STATISTICS, SUCH AS THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS AND TRAFFIC CITATIONS GIVEN AND NUMBER OF INJURIES; OBSERVATIONS OF INCIDENTS HANDLED BY POLICE OFFICERS, AS RECORDED BY OUTSIDE OBSERVERS; SUPERVISORS' PERFORMANCE RATINGS OF POLICE OFFICERS; INTERVIEWS WITH CITIZENS WHO HAD RECEIVED POLICE SERVICES; ATTITUDES OF CITIZENS TOWARD POLICE; AND ATTITUDES OF MALE AND FEMALE POLICE OFFICERS AND POLICE OFFICIALS. THE EVALUATION HAD LEGAL, POLICY, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND RESEARCH GOALS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE USE OF WOMEN PATROLS, THEIR CAPABILITIES, AND SEX DISCRIMINATION IN POLICE DEPARTMENTS. MEN AND WOMEN PERFORMED PATROL WORK IN A GENERALLY SIMILAR MANNER. THEY RESPONDED TO THE SAME TYPES OF CALLS FOR POLICE SERVICES WHILE ON PATROL AND ENCOUNTERED A SIMILAR PROPORTION OF CITIZENS WHO WERE DANGEROUS, ANGRY, UPSET, OR VIOLENT. CITIZENS SHOWED RESPECT FOR BOTH MALE AND FEMALE POLICE OFFICERS. AS A GROUP, HOWEVER, WOMEN MADE FEWER ARRESTS AND ISSUED FEWER TRAFFIC CITATIONS THAN MEN. DUE TO THE COMPREHENSIVE NATURE OF DATA OBTAINED, METHODOLOGICAL ADEQUACY OF THE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, TIMELINESS OF THE EVALUATION, AND ADVANCE PLANNING FOR IMPACT, EVALUATION RESULTS HAVE BEEN WIDELY CIRCULATED AND ACKNOWLEDGED. WOMEN CAN HANDLE UNIFORMED PATROL; THIS FINDING HAS IMPORTANT RAMIFICATIONS FOR LAWSUITS THAT HAVE BEEN LEVIED AGAINST MAJOR POLICE DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. THESE DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN REQUIRED BY COURTS TO HIRE WOMEN FOR PATROL DUTY. SUPPORTING DATA AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED. THE EVALUATION FORMS ARE APPENDED. (DEP)