Term Paper on "Women in Law Enforcement"

Term Paper 8 pages (2227 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

History Of Women in Law Enforcement

Recently the small Iowa community of Montrose made history when it hired Lee County's first female chief of police, Wilma Smith.

As far as I know the Fort Madison Police Department has never had a female police chief," said current Police Chief Randy Van Wye. "That's to the best of my knowledge and the best of the knowledge of several long-time employees." (Baksys G.)

This represents another instance of the participation of women in Law enforcement at a senior level.

Numerous newspapers and journals attest to the fact that the situation of women in Law enforcement is improving. Further evidence of this improvement is cited by the assistant attorney general for the Office of Justice Programs.

In 2001," Daniels said at a convention of female police officers earlier this year, "women accounted for almost 13% of all sworn law enforcement positions in agencies with 100 or more sworn personnel. Today women head the police departments in five major U.S. cities - Boston, Detroit, San Francisco, Milwaukee and Nashville." (ibid)

However, the situation for women in Law enforcement has not always been positive. The road to acceptance and integration by women into Police departments and Law enforcement institutions in both Britain and the United States has been a long and arduous process. It should also be borne in mind that research points out that the situation at present is far from perfect with many instances of discrimination against women working in Law enforcement agencies. Women are however becoming more determined to be part of the police and other agencies and there is considerable evidence that they are winning the battle against gender discrimination. Many contemporary female officers are proud of their positions and see no essential difference in their abilities when compared to male counterparts. This paper discusses the central aspects of the history of women and their roles and experiences in law during the Twentieth Century.

2. The history of Women in Law Enforcement

While there are many reports and articles on the improvement of the position of women in Law enforcement, there are also a considerable number of reports that paint a very different picture of the situation in the United States. The National Center for Woman and Policing, for example states that "Women are severely under-represented in police departments..." (ibid)

In her well-researched and documented book Women in Control?: The Role of Women in Law Enforcement, Frances Heidensohn states that in recent surveys the position of women within law enforcement is definitely improving and is on he brink of a turning point which will enable a more equitable and fair distribution of employment for females in law enforcement positions. She states that this is generally an optimistic time for female rights in the U.S. And British police forces.

I have published a report on my survey of Equal Opportunities in the U.S.A. which highlighted a key feature of the U.S. As compared with British policing: optimism. Almost everywhere I went there was a great deal of confidence about women's role in policing

(Heidensohn 156)

Heidensohn also states that even where the recruitment of females to the police force was modest "there was great confidence amongst the most senior staff that they had reached a 'tip-over' point for female recruitment and that it was rising, and would continue to do so." (ibid) However, she also states that there is still a large disparity in the number of females in top positions.

The integration of women into law enforcement that is experienced today has not been easy and has often met with a great deal of hostility and misunderstanding in the past. Until the 1970's Britain was seen as more advanced with regard to the integration of women into police departments. Before 1970 women found it very difficult to obtain any form of advancement or promotion in departments within the Untied States.

Prejudice against women was one of the main factors that prevented their advancement. Women were seen as being incapable of doing the male-dominated tasks that Law enforcement required. There were, and still are, many cases of sexual harassment of female employees - possibly as a means of deterring women from joining the police force. An actual example is quoted by Haynes in an article entitled How Good Are Women Cops?

Thompson endured another act of sexual harassment at a party for a retiring officer. "This white male officer walked up to me, took both of his hands and cupped them over my breasts," she confides. "I told him to keep his hands to himself. He just laughed and walked off. Back then, the reporting of sexual harassment wasn't as prevalent as it is today. I felt I could handle it." (Haynes, 1993)

In the past women formed only a small percentage of the law enforcement workforce and usually in virtually segregated women's bureau's. They usually were placed in potions that did not offer promotion or advancement. The history of the movement to improve the situation of women in law enforcement is closely tied to the feminist movement and the desire for equal rights in all fields. There was a general reaction among many women against gender discrimination in the work place when they felt they were equally capable of accomplishing the tasks.

The first policewoman was Alice Stebbins Wells who was hired by the Los Angeles Police Department in 1910. In England Edith Smith became the first policewoman with arresting powers in 1915. However, for most of the Twentieth century women in both the United States and Britain formed only a very small proportion of the Law enforcement officer contingent. The actual beginning of female involvement in Law enforcement was with women more in the role of the "moral" enforcer rather than involvement in actual police work. This was known as the moral rescue unit in the United States. "Feinman begins her version of women's role in U.S. law enforcement with a description of the nineteenth-century women's moral rescue movement, especially the introduction of prison matrons." (Heidensohn, 1995, p. 42) in effect this meant that the first women law enforcers were employed primarily in the role of prison wardens and in other roles of a "moral" nature as Feinman states:

although they were concerned with homeless and drunken women, their prime interest centered on eliminating prostitution... police matrons were necessary to prevent sexual abuse and attacks upon arrested and incarcerated women by policemen and male prisoners and to protect young girls and first offenders from hardened women criminals. (Feinman 1986: 80-1).

The first policewomen were similar to social works and "moral reformers." The first U.S. policewoman, Alice Stebbins Wells conforms to this early model.

She has a degree in theology and has been involved in church-based social work. She 'felt that social workers engaged in preventive and protective work for women and children would achieve better social results if they had police powers available to them'" (Heidensohn, 1995, p. 45)

With the advent of the First World War new opportunities arose for women to be employed in Law enforcement. It must also be remembered that there was increased pressure from societal institutions at this time to increase women's rights. It was the era of the women suffrage movement; there was a greater moral basis for a better dispensation for women. During this period there were also more women volunteers which added to the number of females employed in the various agencies and institutions. Another factor that added to more female involvement was the need for specialist services.

In both the U.S.A. And Britain the movements for women in policing sought to establish the right of women to work with women and children. They wished to bring the feminine into control: to interview female victims and suspects, rescue children, and patrol and supervise doubtful public venues. (Heidensohn, 1995, p. 53)

There was a marked increase not only in the number but also in the confidence among women that they could make inroads and be better represented in police work. By 1922 there were 500 female officers in the United States and by 1932 there were 1, 500 women actively involved in law enforcement. (ibid)

However, a factor which was to temporarily retard this growth in female involvement was the great Depression.

Despite these positive signs many researchers stated that while there was increased female representation, this was usually at a very low level and with little security or the prospect of promotion. 'The creation of separate women's bureau's had been a national goal of policewomen, but... this tended to restrict and isolate policewomen from the rest of the department'. (Horne 1980: 31).

The position of women began to improve during the Second World War when more posts became available. Recruitment also began to increase after the War and "in 1950 there were about 2,610 female officers; in 1960 5,617; and in 1970 11,234."

Heidensohn 55) the increase was also ascribed to the new force of "gender justice" which was a social movement whose… READ MORE

How to Reference "Women in Law Enforcement" Term Paper in a Bibliography

Related Term Papers:

Women Representation in Law Enforcement Thesis

Women Representation in Law Enforcement

Women Working in Law Enforcement

The United States has proven once again that it is capable of change, and the election of the first African-American… read more

Thesis 15 pages (5449 words) Sources: 25 Style: APA Topic: Crime / Police / Criminal Justice

---

Violation of Women Rights in India Term Paper

Women's Rights In India

Violation of Women's Rights in India

As a fast-growing economy and the largest democracy of the world, India struggles with numerous human rights issues in its… read more

Term Paper 8 pages (2284 words) Sources: 8 Topic: Women / Feminism

---

Women's Issues When the Term Feminism Interview

Women's Issues

When the term feminism was first used in the United States of America, it was largely used to refer to the pursuit of women to get the right… read more

Interview 6 pages (1740 words) Sources: 1 Topic: Women / Feminism

---

Women in Abusive Relationship Research Paper

Women Abuse

Abuse of Women: A Legal and Social Problem

The problem of domestic violence in the United States is both pervasive and historically omnipresent. Though its definition has often… read more

Research Paper 6 pages (2083 words) Sources: 6 Topic: Women / Feminism

---

Diversity in Law Enforcement Article

Diversity in Law Enforcement

On the afternoon of July 16, 2009 Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., one of the nation's pre-eminent African-American scholars, was arrested at his home by… read more

Article 2 pages (647 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Crime / Police / Criminal Justice

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>