"Treating Me Like Glass, Like I'm Going to Break": Women's Experiences in Police Incident Command

• In Event: Women in Policing II

Abstract

Incident Commanders (ICs) are senior police officials tasked with being the key operational decision-makers and leading a command team during major, critical, and public order incidents (e.g., bomb threats, hostage situations, protests). In recent years, there has been growing acknowledgment of the need for diversity and inclusion within policing, particularly in leadership roles such as incident command. This study aims to delve into the unexplored realm of women's experiences in and with this work. Qualitative in-depth interviews were undertaken with male and female officers with professional incident command experience. Several key findings emerged. First, almost all male ICs reported not witnessing or knowing of gender issues among ICs, their teams, and in this work. Second, all female ICs reported there are, including their decision-making abilities being questioned during high-stakes situations; being treated as fragile; being belittled by their team; being over-watched and constantly tested; and being excluded from team bonding events. Third, female ICs responded to these challenges by ‘over-performing’; attempting to prove others wrong; being collaborative; and seeking pockets of support and community. The findings of this study contribute to existing literature on gender and policing. Considerations are presented for supporting female police leaders in incident command work.

Authors

• Lorna Ferguson, Western University, Memorial University of Newfoundland

• Judith P. Andersen, University of Toronto

• Laura Huey, Western University