Increasing Representation of Women in Policing
Women are severely underrepresented in law enforcement. While women account for roughly half of the U.S. population and 58% of the American civilian labor force, only 12% of police officers in America are women. The number of women in law enforcement has only increased 2% since 2000.
Source: FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting Program, 2018
Increasing the number of women in law enforcement would not just help departments better reflect the communities they serve. More women police can increase police legitimacy and trust within communities. Policewomen can also improve department performance; for example, research has shown that they have higher reporting and clearance rates for rape cases and less use of force when policing.
Overview
RTI International was funded by the National Institute of Justice for the Recruiting Women in Policing Study, intended to help police practitioners and researchers better understand 1) reasons behind the lack of female representation, and 2) specific messages and strategies to recruit and retain women police. Specifically, the project team:
- Conducted a review of agencies’ online recruitment materials (IACP Police Chief Magazine Article and International Journal of Police Research Article)
- Held focus groups with over 70 women in law enforcement (Recruiting More Women in Policing Recommendations Document)
- Implemented updates to law enforcement agency recruiting websites to increase female applicant recruitment, and evaluated outcomes (Policing: Experimentally testing the effectiveness of recruiting materials)
- Broadly disseminated actionable findings in practitioner and academic outlets (New guide outlines actionable strategies to enhance recruitment websites and Improving law enforcement recruiting messaging for female applicants)
Recommendations for Police Agencies
Agencies can take action today based on the study’s findings. The resources below provide actionable strategies for strengthening your recruitment efforts.
Guide to Inclusive Recruiting Website Content
Make a few key evidence-based changes to make your website more inclusive and motivate more applicants.
Job Description Guidance Document
Agencies can take immediate action to improve job descriptions to ensure that they are more supportive of diverse candidates.
Infographic
This infographic highlights the recommendations heard from women officers about how agencies can better recruit women in policing.
30x30 Initiative
The 30x30 Initiative set an ambitious goal: for 30% of American police recruits to be women by 2030. We are pleased to support this initiative by advancing research on barriers to increased representation of women in policing and identifying strategies to draw more women into the profession.
Project Partnerships
RTI was proud to partner with the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE), the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and the International Association of Women Police (IAWP) on this project. If increasing the number of women in law enforcement is important to you, we encourage you to:
- Explore what your agency is doing to recruit and retain women
- Connect with the 30x30 Initiative and commit to their pledge
- Talk with current female officers on barriers to recruitment and retention
- Engage with agency leadership on the benefits of a representative department
Learn More About Our Work
Listen to a special release episode of RTI's Just Science podcast, Just Recruiting Women in Policing, which covers findings from this project and steps organizations can take to increase the representation of women in policing.
Listen to a webinar presented on behalf of the COPS Office, in partnership with the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), which provides an overview of evidence-based and science-backed practices for enhancing police recruiting and hiring.
Listen to a webinar hosted by Justice Clearinghouse, in collaboration with the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE), and learn how to optimize website content, social media posts, recruitment videos, and job descriptions to encourage women and other diverse candidates to apply.
Listen to an audio-only podcast on overcoming recruiting shortages by applying industrial and organizational psychology practices, hosted by the COPS Office.
CROSS-CUTTING COLLABORATIONS
Advancing Service-oriented Policing through Inclusion, Relationship-building, & Engagement
With funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, RTI is leading the ASPIRE Project, designed to enhance recruitment and retention program strategies, develop and pilot police mentoring and student engagement programs in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), convene solutions-oriented workshops, and develop resources for local police agencies, aspiring police officers, and other stakeholder groups to improve the recruitment, retention, and support of diverse officers. ASPIRE is a joint effort among RTI; the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators; the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives; and Clark Atlanta, Howard, and Southern Universities.
Real-world Engagement & Turnover Analysis to Inform New Solutions (RETAINS)
With funding from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), RTI is leading the RETAINS Project, intended to identify key factors in turnover and develop concrete strategies to mitigate them through a landscape analysis, officer preference survey, analysis of administrative data, and the development of “stay” and exit interview guides that can be used by any agency to improve retention. RETAINS is a collaboration between RTI and the 30x30 Initiative, which aims for 30% of all police recruits to be women by the year 2030.
More information coming soon.
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