Examining the Experiences of Women Police Leaders in Illinois

Introduction

Research indicates women are strong assets to police departments, performing similarly to men in arrest decision-making and coercive force^[1] while using less excessive force and becoming involved in fewer lawsuits and payouts.^[2] The presence of female officers in a police department may influence community policing strategies and engender communication and conflict resolution.^[3] However, despite strides in hiring made during the 1980s and 1990s, women remain severely underrepresented in policing, comprising just 10-13% of the country’s active-duty police officers^[4] and only 1-3% of chiefs.^[5] These percentages have remained stagnant throughout the 2000s, prompting questions into what has caused the stall. Studies show women encounter numerous barriers when attempting to enter the male-dominated field of policing, ranging from exclusionary physical fitness standards^[6] to restrictive appearance requirements,^[7] sexual harassment, and social exclusion.^[8]

For women who pursue leadership positions, this resistance may escalate. Women police leaders may encounter harsher criticisms than their male counterparts and be viewed as less competent.^[9] In addition, many women are expected to tend to their spouses and children at home—referred to in literature as the “irresolvable conflict”—which can deter them from considering promotion.^[10]

To add to the growing body of research, I interviewed six Illinois women police leaders to learn about their experiences and journeys in rising through the ranks. I conducted phone interviews to collect information on their demographics and career experiences. Research questions included:

• What are the experiences of women police leaders in Illinois?
• What are challenges that women police officers and leaders encounter?
• How can women be encouraged to join the profession?
• What advice is there for future women police leaders?

Literature Review

Historically, women have faced resistance to their entry in policing and continue to be underrepresented in modern departments in both patrol and administration.^[11] Critics believe that women may be too weak or too unwilling to use force to be good police officers,^[12] but research shows that women often approach policing similarly to their men counterparts.^[13]

Women officers can also bring specific skillsets to policing. Schuck and Rabe-Hemp (2005) found that female officers were more likely than male officers to engage in underpredicted policing (i.e., using less force than a situation would normally predict), but this was not related to officer injury.^[14] While gender may not predict officer performance or de-escalation skills, the mere presence of women on the force can bring organizational change and alternative policing strategies that benefit citizens and officers of both genders.^[15]

Despite evidence that shows women can play a positive role in policing, a lack of growth in the percentage of women officers indicates departments may not be doing enough to recruit and retain women.^[16] Barriers may include exclusionary testing standards,^[17] strict appearance requirements,^[18] and discrimination and disrespect.^[19] Though some women have long, successful careers as police officers, new barriers arise for women interested in advancement, including few opportunities for promotion and bureaucratic or political barriers.

These challenges must be addressed, as having police leadership who are reflective of the communities they serve may also help to improve confidence in the police and the government. Though simply having gender and racial representation are not enough to fully repair the relationship between the public and the police, increasing diversity within law enforcement agencies—through not only gender and race, but sexual orientation, religion, language, and background—can be an early step in helping citizens view law enforcement as fair and responsive to community concerns.^[20]

Methodology

Women police leaders were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. First, I engaged the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, and the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. Representatives of these organizations were emailed inquiring about their knowledge of Illinois’ women police leaders. Internet searches revealed publicly available contact information for leaders identified, including phone numbers and emails.

The final sample consisted of six women with police ranks of captain or higher. Due to the relatively small sample of participants, semi-structured interviews were used to glean as much information as possible from the participants surrounding their experiences in law enforcement. The interview protocol contained 23 questions on the women’s demographics; entry into policing and early career experiences; challenges and coping; promotional experience; relationships with their peers; and recruitment and promotional advice. Interviews ranged from 35 to 75 minutes, with a mean length of 54 minutes. All six women interviewed were married and had children. Most were White, but race is not shared to protect anonymity of interview subjects. Table 1 offers additional demographics.

Analysis

All interviews were conducted over the phone and audio recorded with permission. The resulting audio data was transcribed in Microsoft Word and analyzed in QSR NVivo 9. As with all research, this study had its limitations. First, the sample only comprised officers with uninterrupted careers in law enforcement, as opposed to those who eventually dropped out or pursued other professions. Therefore, this study does not draw from women who left the field of policing. Further, as there were only six interviewees, the sample may not be representative of all women police leaders’ experiences in Illinois or elsewhere. Finally, interviews were recorded and analyzed by a single researcher. Researcher consensus on theme structure was not sought.

Findings

Entry into Law Enforcement

Research suggests police work stereotypes (e.g., violent, dangerous) can deter women from wanting to enter the profession, so I inquired how these women became interested despite these perceptions. The women interviewed had many reasons for joining the police force, including the financial aspects and the benefits of a structured career. However, most pointed to a familial role model who helped them develop a positive outlook toward policing by highlighting the service aspect of the profession.

Testing

When pursuing a career in law enforcement, many tests are used to determine whether a person is fit to be a police officer, including a written exam, polygraph test, psychological exam, oral interview, and physical fitness test. Upper body strength cutoffs in the physical fitness test can create a barrier for women who want to enter policing. In Illinois, the physical fitness test has different standards for men and women along its various measurements (e.g., sit and reach, sit-ups, bench press, 1.5 mile run). The majority of interviewees did not feel the fitness test was representative of what was needed to perform police work; however, they noted the test can be a good indicator of an officer’s future physical health.

The Police Academy

Once the recruits pass the tests necessary to become an officer, they enter the police academy. The women in this study generally stated the police academy was fair and rewarded hard work. Excelling physically and mentally was praised by instructors and provided the women with positive feedback. Overall, the interviewees felt positively about their experiences in the academy and felt supported in their journeys to become officers, though some acknowledged much of policing is learned on the job.

Experience as Police Officers

Some officers reported that they were met with resistance and harassment upon joining the force in the 1990s and early 2000s. They said male officers occasionally made direct, critical comments regarding their physical strength and capabilities, whereas other times, the distrust of their abilities was more implied, such as only being assigned to stereotypically female assignments (e.g., crimes against children, sex crimes). The officers said as they were being harassed, often by a specific subset of older male officers, they feared it would be detrimental to report the behavior and would result in social exclusion or retaliation. Many women said they had to work “twice as hard to prove half as much” as their male colleagues. However, they also indicated they were often driven by others’ negativity. Using this doubt as motivation, the women pursued education, training, and administrative work experience. As their careers progressed, the women said speaking up against harassment became easier and was the fastest way to stop negative behaviors.

Pursuing Promotion

With education and training that boosted their resumes and expanded their skillsets, this group of interviewees became interested in, and well-prepared for, promotion. Through their time in policing, they learned about the different officer specializations (e.g., investigations, firearms, K-9, SWAT) and diversity of law enforcement careers. Promotions felt like an opportunity to eventually enact policy changes they wished to see in their departments.

For some, the promotional process was relatively smooth and perceived as fair to both men and women officers. For others, promotions seemingly occurred based upon relationships and trust built outside of the organization (e.g., through camping or fishing trips, Little League sports). Even when they deserved promotion, the women were sometimes passed over in favor of male peers. Some of the interviewees found the promotional process challenging, but all persevered and eventually achieved higher ranks. Some interviewees left their original police departments for positions at departments more open to placing women in leadership positions. Some women reported experiencing backlash upon becoming serious contenders for promotion. While they noted that men who received coveted promotions also received backlash, the women encountered certain gendered assumptions, such as that they had been promoted because they were sleeping with senior officers or that they were only promoted because they were women.

Experience as Police Leaders

All women participants had been promoted to high ranks during their careers. In their interviews, the women said they displayed resiliency and knew that being leaders would come with challenges, but being leaders allowed them to serve as better role models and enact departmental organizational change. In their leadership positions, the women said they valued open and honest communication with both their officers and persons involved with the justice system and take time to build relationships within their communities and listen to citizen feedback.

Coping with Stress

The women used multiple methods to cope with the stressors of being women police leaders. All recognized the importance of self-care and engaged in multiple hobbies for their own mental health. Physical exercise was commonly brought up as one coping method, as policing in administrative positions can be rather sedentary. Supportive relationships were the other major cornerstone of self-care for the interviewees. Friendships with other women officers allow them to network, gain new perspectives on challenging situations, and share advice. The women emphasized the importance of choosing a supportive partner, as unsupportive spouses who had trouble dealing with the demands and challenges of law enforcement created additional stress during the promotional process.

Recruitment and Future Directions

The interviewees said perceptions of women police officers have steadily improved since they entered law enforcement. They said today’s newest recruits “don’t even bat an eye” at a woman in a leadership position, as many were raised with mothers who were in the workforce. In addition, the leaders reported they had great relationships with the officers in their departments. Despite this, recruiting women for policing was noted as a major challenge. The women suggested focusing on the service aspect of the profession to attract new recruits, as that is what got them interested in becoming officers. They also suggested creating recruitment videos featuring women officers both on and off the job. These videos could show potential recruits the wide range of specializations offered in law enforcement (outside of patrol), while off the job clips could inform them that a career in policing still allows free time for family and hobbies.

Recommendations

Based on the interviews, the following recommendations are suggested to address barriers women face in entering and being promoted in policing.

Offer Mentorship for Women Officers

Many of the interviewees emphasized the importance of having friendships and support from other women officers, as these relationships provide invaluable guidance and perspectives. While there are organizations and conferences that bring together women officers, such as the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, some of the interviewees noted that some officers are unaware of these organizations and that funding may restrict the number of officers who can attend. State and local coalitions of women officers should be nurtured and made more accessible to women officers. As receiving honest feedback and advice was important to the interviewees, these organizations could offer support and encouragement to other women officers who may not have high-ranking women in their own departments for mentorship.

Prepare Women Officers for Promotion

During the interviews, several women described escalating negative behavior toward them once they were serious contenders for promotion. While they reported attitudes toward women police officers seem to be less discriminatory than in the past, more work must be done, particularly for women pursuing and attaining leadership positions, where they are perceived as more threatening to the status quo. The women interviewed also suggested that officers seeking promotion should pursue training and education to enhance their skillsets, as they did. The women shared that operational, managerial, and communication skills were valued and necessary for their positions. Preparing for negative feedback and relying on personal support systems may be important in departments that are more resistant to women in law enforcement.

Employ Supportive Police Department Policies

Women should support each other and practice self-care, but there also needs to be organizational change within police departments. The burden of responding to negative work environments should not be solely the responsibility of women officers. Police management should ensure departmental policies and training are in place to prevent and address harassment based on gender identity, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

Police departments should also develop clear policies around the promotional process. The interviewees indicated a perception that women are only promoted as part of diversity initiatives, which created increased animosity toward women who pursue and achieve promotions they deserve. Therefore, departments should create objective criteria for selecting promotional candidates. The criteria should be developed using a diverse group of both officers and the public and posted publicly so all officers are aware of how scores are tallied.^[21] Police departments should also collect data on law enforcement applicants, as well as those pursuing and receiving promotions, to identify and address underrepresentation.

Use Recruitment Methods to Engage Underrepresented Populations in Policing

Some of the interviewees indicated that their departments did not use any sort of targeted recruitment strategies to attract underrepresented populations, including women, to law enforcement. During the interviews, the women noted their motivation to join and remain in the policing field was a love of helping people. Recruitment strategies highlighting the service aspect of policing may attract women. However, research has also indicated that these strategies may not be enough to counter public distrust and a negative perception of police legitimacy. Police departments should recruit persons representative of their communities and be open to feedback on improving relationships with the community. Leadership should also be careful to not place unrealistic pressure on underrepresented individuals to transform the culture of policing entirely.

Conclusion

Research shows that women in police leadership bring unique strengths to their positions, often using democratic and compassionate leadership styles to effect organizational change and connect with their communities.^[22] Lending support for this, the women interviewed for this study emphasized the importance of positive relationships both with their peers and with individuals involved with the justice system. They made significant efforts to connect with the communities they police and valued their relationships with citizens and city officials. However, they faced challenges to their entry into policing and pursuit of promotion. Harassment, discrimination, and challenges to authority can create a toxic culture that drives women away from careers in policing. Ensuring that women officers have access to strong support systems both within and outside of their departments and opportunities for training and professional development can ease the promotional process. However, this must be paired with an organizational culture that discourages discriminatory behavior. Continuing to diversify police leadership to reflect those in the community and utilizing methods to rebuild trust within communities affected by police-sanctioned violence may be the first step in mending the relationship between police and citizens.