By Police1 Staff
The issue of female representation in law enforcement is being studied by a researcher at the University of Southern California (USC).
The researcher is hoping to answer these primary questions with a recently launched survey:
1. What reasons do female police officers provide for being drawn to law enforcement as a profession?
2. What environmental influences do female peace officers report that may be preventing women from becoming peace officers?
3. What environmental influences, including mentorship, do female police officers report as supporting their success in the application process?
The survey, which takes about 15 minutes to complete, looks at factors that are potentially causing the underrepresentation of women in law enforcement. Women make up over half the population in the U.S., but female law enforcement representation has remained around 12%. In addition, the survey looks at other factors affecting women including mentorships, physical fitness requirements and personal influences.
Responses from full-time female peace officers will be used to identify outcomes that could positively affect female recruitment into the law enforcement profession. All respondents will have the option to remain anonymous and individual information will not be shared outside of the research process.
Researchers hope the findings will increase awareness among law enforcement agencies and provide guidance on how to improve female representation in a law enforcement organization, which studies have shown has a positive impact on the organization and the community.
Find the survey here: https://usc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b4lUceadVorH4kC
Email questions about the survey to Piedmont Police Department Captain Chris Monahan at CJMonaha@usc.edu.
