FROM MATRON TO COMMANDING OFFICER - WOMEN'S CHANGING ROLE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT (FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT BIBLE, 1978, BY ROBERT A SCANLON - SEE NCJ-49390)

• NCJ Number: 49404
• Author(s): L ACERRA
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: Stoeger Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Historical Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE CHANGING ROLE OF WOMEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, FROM THE FIRST POLICE MATRONS HIRED IN 1891 TO THE PRESENT, IS REVIEWED. EMPHASIS IS ON FEMALE POLICE IN NEW YORK CITY.

Abstract

ALTHOUGH AN EARLIER MOVEMENT HAD INTRODUCED MATRONS INTO THE NEW YORK CITY'S JAILS, POLICE OFFICALS ADAMANTLY RESISTED HIRING WOMEN FOR POLICE DETENTION CASES. LEGISLATION IN 1888 LAID THE GROUDWORK FOR THE HIRING OF THE FIRST POLICE MATRONS. WORLD WAR I EXPANDED THE ROLE OF FEMALE POLICE, AND LEGISLATION IN 1920 GAVE MATRONS POLICE POWER AND GRANTED TENURE TO FEMALE WAR HIREES. THE TITLE, 'POLICEWOMAN,' ESTABLISHED IN 1920 ENDURED UNTIL 1973 WHEN THE UNISEX TITLE 'POLICE OFFICER' WAS ADOPTED. BOTH THE POLICEWOMAN DESIGNATION AND SEX-BASED SEGREGATION OF POLICE DUTIES AND SEPARATE PROMOTIONAL POLICIES AND TITLES SERVED TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST FEMALE POLICE. IN 1952, THERE WAS A SPECTACULAR INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF WOMEN WITH DETECTIVE RATINGS. AND BY 1955 WOMEN DETECTIVES WERE BEING ASSIGNED TO A VARIETY OF DUTIES. IN 1965 A UNISEX MERIT SYSTEM OF ADVANCEMENT WAS INITIATED, AND IN 1967 WOMEN WERE BEING ASSIGNED TO PATROL PRECINCTS, PRIMARILY ON STATION-HOUSE ASSIGNMENTS. DURING THE EARLY 1970S, EXPERIMENTS IN NEW YORK CITY AND WASHINGTON, D.C. DEMONSTRATED THAT WOMEN COULD PERFORM A WIDE RANGE OF PATROL DUTIES AS WELL AS THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS. IN NEW YORK CITY, HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS WERE ABOLISHED AND WOMEN PARTICIPATED IN THE SAME TRAINING AS MEN. ALTHOUGH IN THEORY, WOMEN'S ASSIGNMENTS WERE TO BE EQUAL TO MEN'S PATROL DUTIES, SEGREGATION IN ASSIGNMENTS WAS STILL PRACTICED AND WOMEN OFFICERS WERE GENERALLY ASSIGNED TO MATRON DUTIES. HOWEVER, THIS PROBLEM IS BEING SOLVED BY THE HIRING OF CIVILIAN MATRONS. ISSUES REGARDING UNIFORMS, WEAPONS, AND OTHER AREAS WHERE DISCRIMINATION STILL EXISTS ARE BEING RAISED AND THEIR LEGALITY CHALLENGED. INCREASING CAREER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR FEMALE OFFICERS SHOULD RESULT IN AN INCREASE IN FEMALE APPLICANTS. WHAT IS NOW NEEDED IS THAT POLICE DEPARTMENTS, AND THE MALE OFFICERS PROJECT A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD WOMEN'S DRIVE FOR EQUALITY. A SYSTEM OF CONTROLS MUST BE BUILT INTO THE SYSTEM THAT WILL ENSURE TRUE EQUALITY OF ASSIGNMENT AND POLICY FORMULATIONS SHOULD INCORPORATE THE FEMALE OFFICER'S POINT OF VIEW, PARTICULARLY IN THOSE AREAS DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO HER ROLE.