NCJ Number
239495
Journal
Women and Criminal Justice Volume: 22 Issue: 2 Dated: April - June 2012 Pages: 89-107
Date Published
April 2012
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This study examined the differences in State and local law enforcement training academies.
Abstract
State and local law enforcement training academies differ in a myriad of ways, including the content of their classes, the type of instruction received, and the tests mandated for graduation. The focus of this study is the physical fitness test and how it affects the proportion of women to men matriculating from these academies. A predictive model of academy completion rates is derived from a sample of 96 police training academies. The presence of gendered physical testing requirements was found to be positively related to the proportion of women to men graduating from training. In addition to the empirical models, data on the specific content of these tests are provided. The variability of tests suggests that gendered physical requirements are an illusionary panacea, as they do not address the fundamental assumptions of the tests themselves. Published by arrangement with Taylor and Francis.