This article addresses the challenge of staffing shortages, faced by U.S. law enforcement agencies, which is an even greater challenge when considering the goals of achieving staffing that matches the communities they serve; it focuses specifically on how to resolve the issue of under-representation of women among sworn law enforcement officers.
In this article, the authors address the challenge of staffing shortages faced by U.S. law enforcement agencies, and specifically focus on how to resolve the issue of under-representation of women among sworn law enforcement officers. The article notes that existing research has failed to provide police agencies with adequate guidance on optimizing the recruitment of women. It also points out that women officers have been found to help restore trust in police, obtain higher clearance rates for some types of crimes, and tend to use less force than men. As a result of those factors, the article provides insights into law enforcement agency recruiting websites and social media materials, based on the authors’ analysis of 22 agencies’ websites and social media posts. The authors discuss their analysis methodology, findings, and characteristics of outreach materials that may impact the recruitment of women to careers in law enforcement. The authors also recommended practices for more inclusive law enforcement practices that highlight community policing and other activities that emphasize valuable soft skills that women have that would contribute to police work.