NCJ Number
44444
Date Published
1977
Length
43 pages
Annotation
AN 18-MONTH STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE WHETHER DENVER POLICEWOMEN COULD PERFORM ALL ASPECTS OF POLICE WORK AS WELL AS MEN; POLICEWOMEN APPEARED TO BE AS EFFECTIVE IN ALL OBSERVED FACETS OF POLICE WORK.
Abstract
STUDY SAMPLES OF 27 POLICEWOMEN ASSIGNED TO PATROL AND TRAFFIC DUTY AND 27 POLICEMEN SIMILARLY ASSIGNED AND MATCHED FOR TENURE WERE COMPARED ON 56 POLICE PERFORMANCE VARIABLES. DIFFERENCES OCCURRED ON NINE VARIABLES. MEN RECEIVED MORE COMPLAINTS AND MORE RESISTANCES, HAD BETTER SHOOTING SCORES, HIGHER PATROL FACTOR, AND GAVE MORE INSTRUCTIONS TO THEIR PARTNERS AS WELL AS RECEIVED MORE INSTRUCTIONS FROM THEIR PARTNERS. WOMEN TOOK MORE SICK LEAVE, HAD HIGHER ENTRANCE TEST SCORES, AND WERE MORE VARIABLE IN THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD CITIZENS INVOLVED IN POLICE INCIDENTS. SINCE AT LEAST AS MANY OF THE OBSERVED DIFFERENCES FAVORED WOMEN AS FAVORED MEN, IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT POLICEWOMEN WERE AS ADEQUATE IN ALL OBSERVED POLICE TASKS AS POLICEMEN. SUPPORTING DATA, INCIDENT DESCRIPTIONS, AN INCIDENT FORM, AND A BRIEF INCIDENT SHEET ARE APPENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).