Think about the officers involved in some of the recent high-profile incidents involving police use of excessive force. The officers involved in George Floyd’s death were Derek Chauvin, Alexander Keung, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao. The officers involved in Tyre Nichols’s death were Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin, Desmond Mills, and Justin Smith. Walter Scott was shot by Michael Slager. These officers vary in age, race, and education. But they have one thing in common: they’re all men. There aren’t many women in policing. At one level, it is not surprising that most officers involved in highly publicized use of force incidents are male, because most officers are male, period. Only about 13% of all law enforcement officers in the United States are female, according to this article by the Pew Trusts. 2018 data from the United States Department of Justice pegs the figure at 12.6%. There are plenty of reasons for that, including a history of male prevalence in the profession, personal appearance and grooming requirements that deter female candidates, the perception that policing is a physical job, and scheduling practices that may not be family-friendly. Of course, those barriers can be overcome, and some agencies have more female officers than others. As evidence of what is possible, in the United Kingdom, the Home Office reports that 35% of police officers are female, including over 42% of recent recruits. Female officers police differently. Each officer is an individual with his or her own approach to the job and way [...]
Faculty Coordinators
