NCJ Number
216830
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 54 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2006 Pages: 63-67
Date Published
December 2006
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article presents proven steps and strategies in effectively recruiting female police officers.
Abstract
The first step in recruiting female women as police officers is to abandon the traditional recruiting strategies that involve advertising vacant positions and then simply waiting for candidates to apply. Each police department should have a recruitment team whose job it is to go out into the community to educate potential candidates about police employment and attract potential candidates. Today, the Internet is used as a primary tool to conduct research and gather information. Administrators need to understand that Web pages may be a critical source of information for the public and potential candidates. Web pages should be used as an opportunity to advertise, maintain online applications, and have a special section for women interested in employment. Recruitment posters and brochures should contain images of female officers working alongside their male peers. When recruiting and looking for diversity, recruitment teams should target areas where women can be found, such as athletic clubs, martial arts studios, and sports leagues. Recruitment teams should have larger career fairs to attract a wider variety of candidates. Departments must attract women candidates by having women working in a variety of different positions in order to highlight the many opportunities the department has to offer, as well as the equity. Recruitment procedures need to be rewritten to better reflect and detail the department's proactive recruitment strategies. The philosophy of the department must not promote or tolerate sexism which should be reflected in their policies. Lastly, community outreach programs have the potential to filter in possible candidates. They are likely to foster the support of family members. To recruit women officers, departments can no longer rely on traditional recruiting methods. They must design and implement recruitment strategies that target the specific goal of attracting minority candidates.