With women only comprising 12 percent of officers in the field, and just three percent of leadership roles, law enforcement agencies are struggling to meet recruitment goals in terms of diversity and community representation.
Research shows women officers engage more frequently in de-escalation; are effective in responding to crimes involving violence against women; and foster the cooperation and trust required to implement community policing.
To address the need for more women in policing, NIJ funded researchers explored if women-focused recruiting strategies could improve engagement, perceptions and motivation to apply to law enforcement jobs.
A copy of the findings can be read at https://tinyurl.com/3hnte2rr