The SIB Network
Monday, January 26, 2009
Percentage of W.Va. female police officers in single digits
Published: January 26, 2009 12:05 pm
By Amelia A. Pridemore
The Register-Herald
Two women came closer to the presidency and vice presidency in 2008 than any other woman but one before them.
Most women now work outside the home.
However, a woman is statistically more likely to work as a chief executive than a police officer, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics. At a time when most police officers of both genders say more female officers are not just wanted, but also seriously needed, West Virginia’s percentages are in the low single digits.
Of the 656 State Police troopers working in West Virginia, only 17 — about 2.59 percent — are female, according to statistics provided by Capt. T.L. Phillips. Another 22 positions are available, but no women are in the current cadet class.
In 2003, the state legislative auditor conducted a study focusing on the number of both women and black state troopers, but the study also provided numbers for county and municipal agencies.
Only 4.6 percent of officers were female in West Virginia’s 10 largest cities, which included Beckley. Twenty-five county sheriffs’ departments, including Fayette, Nicholas, Raleigh, Summers and Wyoming, were surveyed. Only 2.2 percent of the deputies were female.
According to Labor Department statistics, about 17 percent of the nation’s patrol officers, detectives and criminal investigators and “first-line” police and detective supervisors were female in 2007.
During that same year, about 26 percent of chief executives were female.
- - -
Three of the Beckley Police Department’s 47 officers — 6.5 percent of its force — are female. Chief Tim Deems said seven women have been hired as officers since 1976. While their average tenures was not known, Deems noted no woman has ever retired from the department.
Capt. Tomi Peck, a 28-year veteran, and Lt. Cheri Mullens, a 15-year veteran, are the only two women to reach the rank of sergeant or above, Deems said. Both Peck and Mullens have been in supervisory roles and specialty positions. Patrolwoman D.R. Smith, hired in November 2007, is the newest female officer.
The main reason Beckley P.D. does not have more female officers, Deems said, is because not many women seem to apply in the first place.
“Law enforcement may seem like a male-dominated profession, and that may deter some females from applying,” he said. “I just think there’s less interest and less females who want to get into law enforcement. All I can tell you is that there are less females who apply. As for their reasons for that, I couldn’t answer.”
Capt. Jeff Shumate, chief of detectives, spent 10 years as an adjunct criminal justice professor. When he began teaching, about 20 percent of his students were female, but toward the end, the numbers of male and female students were about equal. Female students seemed to have a great interest in law enforcement, but as a whole, they weren’t interested in traditional road patrol work.
“They were very interested in the criminal justice programs,” he said. “But there seemed to be more interest in crime scene work and investigations — not patrol. A lot also didn’t want to be in confrontational situations all the time, or physical altercations.”
Another factor in the lack of female applicants and officers may be some elements of physical fitness testing. Shumate said that the last time Beckley P.D. offered a candidate test, 10 percent of applicants were women. Two scored high enough on the written test, but they were unable to pass the physical agility test.
The physical agility test, he explained, is difficult for men and women alike. But the push-ups and other upper-body exercises tend to be more difficult for women. Both men and women are required to do equal numbers of push-ups — the numbers required for West Virginia State Police Academy acceptance.
However, Shumate said, the physical standards are in place to make sure someone can handle the demands of police work.
Percentage-wise, men and women both seem to have the same failure rate on the physical agility testing, Deems said.
The non-traditional days and hours, he said, are serious concerns for any applicant.
“We work 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said. “With this job, you do spend a lot of time away from your family while working evening and night shifts.”
Despite the 2003 study’s percentages being the lowest for county sheriffs’ departments, its authors noted the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department was one of only two that employed more than one female deputy during that time.
Presently, the department has two female officers, Cpl. T.L. Miles and Deputy E.E. “Ellie” Jarrett. Jarrett, hired in May 2008, is presently taking certification classes at the State Police Academy. Miles and Jarrett make the 46-member department 4.3 percent female.
Two women, Rhonda Winders and D.R. Roush, have retired as captains.
“This department has been fortunate to have a number of female officers in the past,” Chief Deputy Dave Stafford said. “I think that has to do with the population in the county. Some other counties don’t have the population base and resources for hiring females in law enforcement. With our population base, that gives us more opportunities to hire more female deputies.”
Stafford said that since the 2003 study, both the sheriff’s department and other agencies have had more female candidates take their tests. More agencies have female officers than ever. But like Deems, he said not enough women are even taking the testing in the first place.
“We believe female officers are vital in the law enforcement community,” Stafford said. “It’s just that some aspects of their lives don’t allow them to pursue such a career. Maybe it’s family concerns. The opportunity is available.
“It really is an all-hours job. There are a lot of responsibilities that take time away from families.
“With this job, there is self-sacrifice.”
- - -
More female officers are needed, officials say, for very practical purposes, among them, searching female suspects.
However, they come in handy in many other situations.
Sometimes, female officers are particularly useful when police investigate sexual assaults and domestic violence, Shumate said. Most victims are female and most suspects are male. Some victims will say they feel more comfortable speaking with a female officer. But the key in these cases is an officer — regardless of gender — building rapport with the victim.
Like their male counterparts, they answer any call. Officers appreciate the help they get from any fellow officers they can trust, period, Stafford said.
“I would not stereotype the law enforcement profession as specifically male,” he said. “It’s just not that way. I think in law enforcement, in general, it doesn’t matter if you’re male, female, city, county, state — we’re all seen as a family. We are all connected by the badge we wear. There is no distinction between male and female or the jurisdiction you work.”
- - -
Deems emphasized he cannot deviate from the hiring process he must follow. Anyone applying to be a police officer must pass all hurdles like written exams, physical agility testing and background checks. Also, he cannot bypass a more qualified male candidate just to hire a female candidate who may not be qualified at all.
“I am obligated to hire the best applicant. I am required to go down the list,” he said. “If they don’t pass our testing that is required by law, I cannot even consider them. I’m also not permitted to skip down the list to pick out certain individuals.”
What could increase the numbers, Deems said, is more women seeing other female police officers on the job and simply getting the word out more during recruitment efforts. That can be done by working with the media and setting up informational tables at businesses.
“I think we are getting the word out,” Deems said. “We let everyone know when we are taking applications, letting people know our pay and benefits. We encourage anyone to apply. It benefits the community, as well as the police department, to have a diverse group of officers.”
Stafford said the sheriff’s department and most others give people with a serious interest in law enforcement the chance to ride along with deputies.
“If someone is seriously interested in this profession and wants to see what it’s like, they can get a taste. Go and take a look.”
Stafford said women who may be interested should educate themselves about the field. He acknowledged that could push some away, but for others, it could reaffirm that it is what they truly want.
“If law enforcement is something that you’d like to get into, when the opportunity is there, take that step. You will never know unless you do. When you do and maybe find out it isn’t what you want to build your career in, at least you know you’ve tried.”
http://www.timeswv.com/westvirginia/local_story_026120559.html
By Amelia A. Pridemore
The Register-Herald
Two women came closer to the presidency and vice presidency in 2008 than any other woman but one before them.
Most women now work outside the home.
However, a woman is statistically more likely to work as a chief executive than a police officer, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics. At a time when most police officers of both genders say more female officers are not just wanted, but also seriously needed, West Virginia’s percentages are in the low single digits.
Of the 656 State Police troopers working in West Virginia, only 17 — about 2.59 percent — are female, according to statistics provided by Capt. T.L. Phillips. Another 22 positions are available, but no women are in the current cadet class.
In 2003, the state legislative auditor conducted a study focusing on the number of both women and black state troopers, but the study also provided numbers for county and municipal agencies.
Only 4.6 percent of officers were female in West Virginia’s 10 largest cities, which included Beckley. Twenty-five county sheriffs’ departments, including Fayette, Nicholas, Raleigh, Summers and Wyoming, were surveyed. Only 2.2 percent of the deputies were female.
According to Labor Department statistics, about 17 percent of the nation’s patrol officers, detectives and criminal investigators and “first-line” police and detective supervisors were female in 2007.
During that same year, about 26 percent of chief executives were female.
- - -
Three of the Beckley Police Department’s 47 officers — 6.5 percent of its force — are female. Chief Tim Deems said seven women have been hired as officers since 1976. While their average tenures was not known, Deems noted no woman has ever retired from the department.
Capt. Tomi Peck, a 28-year veteran, and Lt. Cheri Mullens, a 15-year veteran, are the only two women to reach the rank of sergeant or above, Deems said. Both Peck and Mullens have been in supervisory roles and specialty positions. Patrolwoman D.R. Smith, hired in November 2007, is the newest female officer.
The main reason Beckley P.D. does not have more female officers, Deems said, is because not many women seem to apply in the first place.
“Law enforcement may seem like a male-dominated profession, and that may deter some females from applying,” he said. “I just think there’s less interest and less females who want to get into law enforcement. All I can tell you is that there are less females who apply. As for their reasons for that, I couldn’t answer.”
Capt. Jeff Shumate, chief of detectives, spent 10 years as an adjunct criminal justice professor. When he began teaching, about 20 percent of his students were female, but toward the end, the numbers of male and female students were about equal. Female students seemed to have a great interest in law enforcement, but as a whole, they weren’t interested in traditional road patrol work.
“They were very interested in the criminal justice programs,” he said. “But there seemed to be more interest in crime scene work and investigations — not patrol. A lot also didn’t want to be in confrontational situations all the time, or physical altercations.”
Another factor in the lack of female applicants and officers may be some elements of physical fitness testing. Shumate said that the last time Beckley P.D. offered a candidate test, 10 percent of applicants were women. Two scored high enough on the written test, but they were unable to pass the physical agility test.
The physical agility test, he explained, is difficult for men and women alike. But the push-ups and other upper-body exercises tend to be more difficult for women. Both men and women are required to do equal numbers of push-ups — the numbers required for West Virginia State Police Academy acceptance.
However, Shumate said, the physical standards are in place to make sure someone can handle the demands of police work.
Percentage-wise, men and women both seem to have the same failure rate on the physical agility testing, Deems said.
The non-traditional days and hours, he said, are serious concerns for any applicant.
“We work 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said. “With this job, you do spend a lot of time away from your family while working evening and night shifts.”
Despite the 2003 study’s percentages being the lowest for county sheriffs’ departments, its authors noted the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department was one of only two that employed more than one female deputy during that time.
Presently, the department has two female officers, Cpl. T.L. Miles and Deputy E.E. “Ellie” Jarrett. Jarrett, hired in May 2008, is presently taking certification classes at the State Police Academy. Miles and Jarrett make the 46-member department 4.3 percent female.
Two women, Rhonda Winders and D.R. Roush, have retired as captains.
“This department has been fortunate to have a number of female officers in the past,” Chief Deputy Dave Stafford said. “I think that has to do with the population in the county. Some other counties don’t have the population base and resources for hiring females in law enforcement. With our population base, that gives us more opportunities to hire more female deputies.”
Stafford said that since the 2003 study, both the sheriff’s department and other agencies have had more female candidates take their tests. More agencies have female officers than ever. But like Deems, he said not enough women are even taking the testing in the first place.
“We believe female officers are vital in the law enforcement community,” Stafford said. “It’s just that some aspects of their lives don’t allow them to pursue such a career. Maybe it’s family concerns. The opportunity is available.
“It really is an all-hours job. There are a lot of responsibilities that take time away from families.
“With this job, there is self-sacrifice.”
- - -
More female officers are needed, officials say, for very practical purposes, among them, searching female suspects.
However, they come in handy in many other situations.
Sometimes, female officers are particularly useful when police investigate sexual assaults and domestic violence, Shumate said. Most victims are female and most suspects are male. Some victims will say they feel more comfortable speaking with a female officer. But the key in these cases is an officer — regardless of gender — building rapport with the victim.
Like their male counterparts, they answer any call. Officers appreciate the help they get from any fellow officers they can trust, period, Stafford said.
“I would not stereotype the law enforcement profession as specifically male,” he said. “It’s just not that way. I think in law enforcement, in general, it doesn’t matter if you’re male, female, city, county, state — we’re all seen as a family. We are all connected by the badge we wear. There is no distinction between male and female or the jurisdiction you work.”
- - -
Deems emphasized he cannot deviate from the hiring process he must follow. Anyone applying to be a police officer must pass all hurdles like written exams, physical agility testing and background checks. Also, he cannot bypass a more qualified male candidate just to hire a female candidate who may not be qualified at all.
“I am obligated to hire the best applicant. I am required to go down the list,” he said. “If they don’t pass our testing that is required by law, I cannot even consider them. I’m also not permitted to skip down the list to pick out certain individuals.”
What could increase the numbers, Deems said, is more women seeing other female police officers on the job and simply getting the word out more during recruitment efforts. That can be done by working with the media and setting up informational tables at businesses.
“I think we are getting the word out,” Deems said. “We let everyone know when we are taking applications, letting people know our pay and benefits. We encourage anyone to apply. It benefits the community, as well as the police department, to have a diverse group of officers.”
Stafford said the sheriff’s department and most others give people with a serious interest in law enforcement the chance to ride along with deputies.
“If someone is seriously interested in this profession and wants to see what it’s like, they can get a taste. Go and take a look.”
Stafford said women who may be interested should educate themselves about the field. He acknowledged that could push some away, but for others, it could reaffirm that it is what they truly want.
“If law enforcement is something that you’d like to get into, when the opportunity is there, take that step. You will never know unless you do. When you do and maybe find out it isn’t what you want to build your career in, at least you know you’ve tried.”
http://www.timeswv.com/westvirginia/local_story_026120559.html
Labels: "female police officers", "The SIB Network", "West Virginia", "women in non-traditional careers"
posted by Sisters In The Brotherhood at 1:13 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home