Breaking the Glass Ceiling? Trends of Females in Law Enforcement

• In Event: Women in Policing: Breaking Barriers and Blazing a Path

Abstract

As U.S. law enforcement agencies struggle to recruit and retain officers, there has been a focus on increasing female representation in the field. Using data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics’, this presentation will examine trends in female sworn officers from Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and female recruits in state and local law enforcement training academies. Changes in sex and racial/ethnic composition of sworn officers over time and in supervisory positions will be discussed. Additionally, female recruit admissions and completions will be discussed. Finally, the relationship between sex and characteristics of law enforcement academies and agencies will be explored.

Authors

• Kevin Scott, Bureau of Justice Statistics, US DOJ

• Shelley Hyland, U.S. DOJ Bureau of Justice Statistics