NCJ Number
10549
Date Published
1973
Length
70 pages
Annotation
COMPARISON OF 80 FEMALE POLICE AND 80 MALE RECRUITS DURING THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF PATROL DUTY.
Abstract
IN EARLY 1972, POLICE CHIEF JERRY V. WILSON OF WASHINGTON, DC BEGAN TO HIRE AND ASSIGN TO REGULAR POLICE PATROL DUTIES A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF WOMEN. THIS REPORT ALSO NOTED THE PERFORMANCE OF 27 POLICEWOMEN WHO WERE REASSIGNED TO PATROL DUTIES. THE INSTRUMENTS USED TO MEASURE EFFECTIVENESS WERE OFFICIAL RECORDS, RATINGS, ACCOUNTS OF OBSERVERS RIDING IN PATROL CARS, ANONYMOUS POLICE ATTITUDE SURVEYS, AND INTERVIEWS WITH MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO HAD RECEIVED SERVICES FROM THE POLICE. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE WOMEN HAD SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME ASSIGNMENTS AS THE MEN, BUT WERE ASSIGNED MORE SENIOR PARTNERS. NEW WOMEN AND NEW MEN MADE APPROXIMATELY THE SAME NUMBER OF ARRESTS AND WERE RATED ABOUT THE SAME IN GENERAL PATROL SKILLS ON CHIEF WILSON'S SURVEY. UNSIGNED SURVEYS, HOWEVER, SHOWED NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICEWOMEN ON THE PART OF PATROLMEN, BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER ASSIGNMENT OF WOMEN TO PATROL, AND A RATING OF 'LESS COMPETENT' BY CAPTAINS, LIEUTENANTS, AND SERGEANTS. POLICE SERVICE GIVEN BY BOTH MEN AND WOMEN WAS EQUALLY ACCEPTABLE TO CITIZENS WHO RATED BOTH GROUPS HIGHLY FOR THEIR ATTITUDES, RESPECT FOR CITIZENS, AND THEIR ABILITY TO HANDLE A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS. IN THE FOUR MONTHS TREATED BY THE REPORT, THE NEW OFFICERS HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN FEW SITUATIONS INVOLVING VIOLENCE OR POTENTIAL VIOLENCE. IN THOSE FEW SITUATIONS THERE WAS LITTLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN. (AUTHOR MODIFIED ABSTRACT)