EQUALITY DENIED

Equality Denied - The Status of Women in Policing: 1998

In order to monitor the growth of women in law enforcement, the National Center for Women & Policing has completed its second annual study on the Status of Women in the largest law enforcement agencies in the country. The number of law enforcement agencies reporting in 1998 is significantly larger than in 1997 (a 66% increase in sample size) allowing for an even more comprehensive analysis of women's status in police ranks nationwide. This report examines the gains and gaps in the numbers of women in policing, and provides a picture of where women
are in policing today. The report also presents the major barriers preventing women from increasing their numbers in law enforcement and lists the detrimental effects of the continued under-representation of women in police departments.

Since its inception in early 1995, the National Center for Women & Policing has been a leading force behind increasing the numbers of women in policing. The positive impact of women in policing, including the reduction of police brutality, the increased efficacy in police response to domestic violence, and the increased emphasis on conflict resolution over force, mandates that we
strive for gender balance in policing. Yet, our research shows that the increase of women in law enforcement remains stuck at an alarmingly slow rate. Women comprise only 13.8% of all sworn law
enforcement positions nationwide-a paltry increase of one-half of one percent from 1997 and only 3.2 percentage points from 1990 when women made up 10.6% of officers. Moreover, as the number and percentage of law enforcement agencies reporting increased in this year's study, the percentage of agencies reporting no women in Top Command has increased from 20% to over 30% of all agencies.

The data are clear: at the present rate of growth, women cannot achieve equality in law enforcement agencies. Furthermore, the study shows that there has been progress only when women law enforcement officers and women's organizations have taken legal action to fight the discriminatory hiring and promotion practices and when court ordered consent decrees have forced agencies to increase the numbers of women or minorities hired and promoted.

KEY FINDINGS

Among the largest law enforcement agencies in the country in 1998, women comprise only 13.8% of all sworn law enforcement positions; women of color hold 6.0%. In the last eight years, women have increased their representation in sworn law enforcement ranks by only 3.2 percentage points, from 10.6% in 1990 to 13.8% in 1998. The gains for women in policing are so slow that, at the current rate of growth, women will never reach equal representation or gender balance in law enforcement agencies. Women currently hold only 7.5% of Top Command law enforcement positions, 9.6%
of Supervisory positions, and 14.7% of Line Operation positions. Women of color hold 1.9% of Top Command law enforcement positions, 3.1% of Supervisory positions, and 6.7% of Line Operations positions. Eight out of ten municipal police agencies with the largest percentage of sworn women officers are currently under, or have been under, consent decrees to hire women or minorities. Similarly, among municipal police agencies with the highest percentage increase in sworn women officers since 1990, eight out of ten are under, or have been under, consent decrees to hire women or minorities. In contrast, none of the ten municipal police agencies with the lowest percentage of sworn women officers in 1998 report having been under a consent decree. This demonstrates that nearly all of the largest gains for women in policing have been achieved only as a result of lawsuits initiated by women in law enforcement and women's organizations to force agencies to hire more women or minorities. More than 30% of agencies report no women in Top Command law enforcement positions and over 70% of agencies have no women of color in the highest ranks.
Women continue to hold a majority (62.9%) of lower-paid civilian law enforcement positions. Women of color hold 28.9% of the lower-paid civilian positions. State agencies trail by a wide margin municipal and county agencies in hiring and promoting women. Specifically, state agencies report 6.5% sworn women law enforcement officers, less than half that of municipal agencies reporting
15.5% and county agencies at 14.8%. Eight out of the ten agencies with the lowest percentage of sworn women officers are state agencies. Women comprise less than 4% of the total sworn officers among these state law enforcement agencies.

As the percentage of all law enforcement agencies reporting has increased, the number and percentage of agencies with no women in top command has increased. Over 30% of law enforcement agencies reported having no women in top command, a 50% increase from the 20% reporting no women in top command positions last year. 61.4% of agencies surveyed reported that they give preference to candidates who are veterans or have previous military experience. Such policies reinforce barriers to women in policing by favoring a background disproportionately
represented by men. As of 1997 women comprise only 13.7% of active duty military personnel, a strikingly similar number to the percentage of women in policing.

BARRIERS TO WOMEN IN POLICING

Study after study concludes that the single largest barrier to increasing the numbers of women in policing is the attitudes and behavior of their male colleagues. Nationwide studies consistently find that discrimination and sexual harassment are pervasive in police departments and that supervisors and commanders not only tolerate such practices by others, but also are frequently perpetrators themselves. Hostile environments and systemic discrimination keep women from joining police agencies in more significant numbers and from promoting up the ranks to policy-making positions, thus perpetuating a style of policing which is outdated, ineffective, and enormously costly to communities.

BIASED ENTRY TESTS.

Entry exams with their emphasis on upper body strength favor men and wash out women -- despite studies showing physical prowess to be unrelated to job performance. In fact, no research has shown that strength is related to an individual's ability to manage successfully a dangerous situation. While
discriminatory height requirements were finally discarded in the early 1970's, today's tests that over-emphasize upper body strength continue to bar highly qualified women from entering policing.

WIDESPREAD DISCRIMINATION ON THE JOB.

Once on the job women are frequently intimidated, harassed, and maliciously thwarted, especially as they move up the ranks. In Los Angeles, male officers formed a clandestine organization within the LAPD called "Men Against Women" whose purpose is to wage an orchestrated campaign of ritual harassment, intimidation and criminal activity against women officers -- just one example of the kind of organized harassment women experience in law enforcement. A large number of women across the country have been driven from their jobs in law enforcement due to unpunished, unchecked and unrelenting abuse.

RECRUITMENT POLICIES THAT FAVOR MEN.

Law enforcement agencies continue to heavily recruit ex-military and at military bases that are disproportionately populated by men. Recruitment departments have not adequately intensified their efforts to attract qualified women candidates or to portray policing as a profession that welcomes women.

OUTDATED MODEL OF POLICING.

Law enforcement agencies continue to promote an outdated model of policing by rewarding tough, aggressive even violent behavior. This "paramilitary" style of policing results in poor community relations, increased citizen complaints, and more violent confrontations and deaths. Redefining law enforcement to a community-oriented model of policing would attract more women who reject
policing's trademark aggressive, authoritarian image.

UNDER-REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN HURTS LAW ENFORCEMENT

National and international research shows conclusively that increasing the numbers of women on police departments measurably reduces police violence and improves police effectiveness and service to communities. The studies also show that women officers respond more effectively than their male counterparts to violence against women, which accounts for up to 50% of all calls to
police. Yet this record stands in stark contrast to women's dramatic under-representation in police departments where they make up 13.8% of sworn officers nationwide.

ESCALATING COST OF POLICE BRUTALITY

Study after study shows that women officers are not as likely as their male counterparts to be involved in the use of excessive force. As a result, the under-representation of women in policing is contributing to and exacerbating law enforcement's excessive force problems. The actual and potential liability for cities and states is staggering, with lawsuits due to excessive force by male law enforcement personnel costing millions of dollars of taxpayer money every year.

INEFFECTIVE RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Domestic violence is the single major cause of injury to women and yet the majority of these violent crimes against women go unreported and uninvestigated by law enforcement agencies. At the same time, law enforcement officers who commit domestic abuse are routinely ignored or exonerated, often leading to tragic results. With studies showing that as many as 40% of male law enforcement officers commit domestic abuse, more women law enforcement officers can serve as a strong force to promote a more effective response by agencies to domestic violence cases that occur both within police departments and community-wide.

DAMAGED POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Women favor a community-oriented approach to policing which is rooted in strong interpersonal and communication skills and which emphasizes conflict resolution over force. Women tend to rely on their verbal skills over employing the use of force. With greater numbers of women, this highly
effective model of policing will increasingly improve the public image of law enforcement agencies as well as have a positive impact on police-community relations nationwide.

COSTLY SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND SEXUAL DISCRIMINATI0N LAWSUITS

Law enforcement agencies have tolerated workplace environments that are openly hostile and discriminatory towards female employees, forcing women to bring successful lawsuits against their agencies. The ongoing serious under-representation of women in policing leads to greater numbers of incidents of sexual harassment and discrimination. Increasing the number of women, treating women equally on the job and holding women to fair hiring and promotion practices will reduce the enormous costs resulting from widespread lawsuits.

THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN POLICING: 1998: SURVEY FINDINGS

Over the last 27 years, women have increased their representation in sworn law enforcement positions to 13.8% in 1998, from a low of 2% in 1972. This 11.8 point percentage gain has been spread over the intervening years, averaging an annual rate of less than one-half of 1 percentage point per year. In 1978, women in the largest municipal agencies commanded 4.2% of the sworn law enforcement positions, up 2.2 points from 1972. Nearly ten years later, in 1988, that number had barely doubled to 8.8%, and it was not until 1990 that police agencies on average had reached a major benchmark, crossing into the double digits.

In 1998, the rate of increase remains glacial. From 1997 to 1998 women have increased their representation in policing from 13.3% to 13.8%, a mere gain of one-half of 1 percentage point. With very few exceptions, women remain underrepresented at every level of sworn law enforcement and are essentially absent from the decision-making ranks and positions of authority. Data from 1990
to 1998 demonstrate only a slight 3.2 percentage point increase. Although women hold only 13.8% of the sworn law enforcement positions in agencies surveyed, they continue to hold the majority of lower-paid civilian jobs. Women comprise 50.2% of Management positions within civilian personnel, 54.1% of Supervisory positions, and 66.2% of Support Staff positions. Not surprisingly, women's gains are concentrated in the lowest tier of sworn law enforcement positions. Women hold 14.7% of Line Operation positions. Their numbers rapidly decrease in the higher ranks. For example, women hold 9.6% of Supervisory posts and only 7.5% of Top Command positions. Only eight law enforcement agencies report more than 20% women in Top Command, including Dayton Police, Travis County Sheriff, Pittsburgh Police, King County Department of Public Safety, Atlanta Police, Suffolk County Sheriff, Cook County Sheriff and Cambridge Police (See Table 1). Over 30% of agencies surveyed reported having no women in Top Command and approximately 70% reported having no women of color in Top Command.

Table 1
Top 10 Agencies with the Largest Percentage of Women in Top Command, 1998
Dayton Police37.5%
Travis County Sheriff36.4%
Pittsburgh Police30.0%
King County Dept. of Pub. Safety28.0%
Atlanta Police 26.1%
Suffolk County Sheriff23.1%
Cook County Sheriff22.2%
Cambridge Police22.2%
Detroit Police 19.0%
Seattle Police19.0%
Source: NCWP Report, 1998

In the majority of agencies, women of color in sworn law enforcement positions are vastly underrepresented. While women overall hold 13.8% of sworn law enforcement positions, women of color hold 6.0% of these jobs. Moreover, women of color are virtually absent from the highest ranks, holding a token 1.9% of the most coveted Top Command positions in law enforcement. In contrast, women of color hold 28.9% of the lower-paid civilian jobs. Only one agency, Washington DC Metropolitan Police reported having at least 20% women of color in their sworn law enforcement ranks (See Table 2).

Table 2
Top 10 Agencies with the Largest Percentage of Sworn Women Officers of Color, 1998
Washington DC Metro Police22.5%
Detroit Police18.2%
Cook County Sheriff16.9%
Philadelphia Police15.6%
Miami Police15.0%
Miami-Dade Police12.8%
Caddo Parish Sheriff12.3%
Memphis Police11.9%
Pittsburgh Police10.4%
Palm Beach County Sheriff10.1%
Source: NCWP Report, 1998

Comparisons between state and local law enforcement agencies also reveal sharp differences for women in policing. While municipal and county agencies tally more than 15.5% and 14.8% sworn women law enforcement officers, respectively, state agencies lag with an average of 6.5%. Municipal agencies comprise the majority of those agencies having the largest percentage of sworn women officers, while eight of the ten agencies with the lowest percentage of sworn women law enforcement officers are state agencies (See Table 3 and 4). Women comprise less than 4% of the total sworn officers among these state law enforcement agencies.

Table 3
Top 10 Agencies with the Largest Percentage of Sworn Women Officers, 1998
Madison Police29.7%
Cook County Sheriff26.2%
Pittsburgh Police24.8%
Washington Metro Police24.6%
Philadelphia Police23.8%
Detroit Police23.4%
Caddo Parish Sheriff22.6%
Bexar County Sheriff21.7%
Miami-Dade Police21.5%
Tallahassee Police20.8%
Source: NCWP Report, 1998.

Table 4
Bottom 10 Agencies with the Lowest Percentage of Sworn Women Officers, 1998
Missouri State Highway Patrol3.5%
Utah Hwy Patrol3.4%
Santa Ana Police3.0%
Alabama Dept. of Public Safety2.6%
Louisiana State Police2.6%
South Carolina Highway Patrol2.5%
Augusta Police2.5%
West Virginia State Police2.1%
Oklahoma Hwy Patrol1.6%
North Carolina St. Hwy Patrol1.4%
Source: NCWP Report, 1998

Upon closer examination, one factor emerges as the primary cause for the higher percentages of women in the ranks of municipal police forces: eight of the top ten municipal agencies reporting the largest percentage of sworn women officers in 1998 are under or have been under consent decrees, requiring these agencies to hire women or minorities as a result of lawsuits originated by women officers and women's organizations (See Table 5). Moreover, since 1990 eight of the ten municipal agencies with the highest percentage increase in sworn women officers are under or have been under a consent decree to hire more women or minorities (See Table 6). Again, this reinforces the continued necessity of the legal system as a vehicle to win gender balance in law enforcement.

Table 5
Top 10 Municipal Agencies with the Largest Percentage of Sworn Women Officers, 1998
Madison Police29.7%
*Pittsburgh Police24.8%
*Washington Metro Police24.6%
*Philadelphia Police23.8%
*Detroit Police23.4%
Miami-Dade Police21.5%
*Tallahassee Police20.8%
*Toledo Police20.7%
*Chicago Police19.8%
*Buffalo Police19.8%
*Agencies that are under or have been under consent decrees to hire more women or minorities.
Source: NCWP Report, 1998

Table 6
Top 10 Municipal Agencies with the Highest Percentage Increase in Sworn Women Officers: 1990-1998 Agency% Increase
*Chicago Police13.2%
*Bridgeport Police11.2%
*Omaha Police10.9%
*Philadelphia Police9.1%
*Cincinnati Police9.0%
*Little Rock Police9.0%
Madison Police8.1%
Lansing Police7.2%
*Buffalo Police6.9%
*Milwaukee Police6.8%
*Agencies that are under of have been under consent decrees to hire more women or minorities.
Source: NCWP Report, 1998

Eight of the ten municipal agencies with the largest percentage of sworn women officers report having over 20% female officers. By contrast, only four of the top ten county agencies report having over 20% women sworn officers (See Table 7), and no state agency reported having over 14% women sworn officers (See Table 8).

Table 7
Top 10 County Departments with the Largest Percentage of Sworn Women Officers, 1998
Cook County Sheriff26.2%
Caddo Parish Sheriff22.6%
Bexar County Sheriff21.7%
Seminole County Sheriff20.2%
Dane County Sheriff19.9%
Travis County Sheriff19.0%
Santa Barbara County Sheriff18.7%
Montgomery County Police18.6%
Palm Beach County Sheriff18.5%
San Diego County Sheriff17.6%
Source: NCWP Report, 1998

Table 8
Top 10 State Law Enforcement Agencies with the Largest Percentage of Sworn Women Officers, 1998
Wisconsin State Police13.8%
Michigan State Police12.6%
Massachusetts State Police10.0%
Illinois State Police9.2%
Ohio State Hwy Patrol9.0%
California Hwy Patrol8.5%
Oregon State Police8.1%
New York State Police8.1%
Minnesota State Police8.0%
Port Authority of NY/NJ6.2%
Source: NCWP Report, 1998

Overall, women have made gains over the past 27 years but continue to increase in numbers at an alarmingly slow rate. Until law enforcement agencies enact policies and practices designed to recruit, retain and promote women, gender balance in policing will remain a distant reality.

Methodology

This study was conducted from July 1998 to January 1999. An initial mailing of a survey questionnaire was conducted in July 1998. Three hundred agencies representing the largest agencies in the country were surveyed; 176 responded with information. Additional information was collected by the National Center for Women & Policing staff through phone interviews with each department in the study. Comparison data for years 1990 and 1993 was obtained from the Bureau of
Justice Statistics. The study includes 97 municipal agencies, 53 county departments and 26 state agencies. The size of the agencies included in the survey range from a high of 32,991 sworn officers to a low of 24. The mean is 1328.67 and the median is 620.5. It should be noted that the Los Angeles Police Department refused to provide information for the 1998 report after repeated
written and telephone requests. For a complete ranking of all 176 police agencies from the highest to lowest percentage of sworn women law enforcement officers, see Table 9.

Table 9
Law Enforcement Agency Ranking from Largest to Smallest Percentage of Sworn Women Officers, 1998 Agencies STTotal Sworn Officers Total Sworn Women Officers% Sworn Women Officers% Sworn Women in Top Command% Sworn Women Supervisory% Sworn Women Line Operations% Sworn Women of Color
1 Madison PoliceWI36010729.7%9.1%19.2%32.3%3.1%
2 Cook County SheriffIL5556145726.2%22.2%22.7%26.6%16.9%
3 Pittsburgh PolicePA110727524.8%30.0%26.5%24.5%10.4%
4 Washington Metro PoliceDC347685624.6%15.4%22.8%25.2%22.5%
5 Philadelphia PolicePA6900164123.8%6.8%9.8%26.4%15.6%
6 Detroit Police MI396592823.4%19.0%23.9%23.4%18.2%
7 Caddo Parish SheriffLA3999022.6%9.1%18.2%23.9%12.3%
8 Bexar County SheriffTX129628121.7%5.3%15.5%22.6%9.9%
9 Miami-Dade PoliceFL298364021.5%16.9%17.9%22.6%12.8%
10 Tallahassee PoliceFL3226720.8%0.0%23.2%20.9%4.3%
11 Toledo Police OH69114320.7%11.1%12.5%22.9%8.0%
12 Seminole County SheriffFL4258620.2%15.4%12.3%21.9%7.5%
13 Dane County SheriffWI3466919.9%0.0%15.8%20.7%0.9%
14 Chicago PoliceIL13047258519.8%4.6%13.7%20.6%9.7%
15 Buffalo PoliceNY93418519.8%4.8%12.1%21.9%7.0%
16 Cincinnati PoliceOH97918719.1%8.7%11.4%21.4%5.5%
17 Omaha PoliceNE67712919.1%14.3%11.0%21.1%2.5%
18 Travis County SheriffTX81915619.0%36.4%27.7%17.6%7.2%
19 Orlando PoliceFL63711918.7%7.1%19.0%18.9%6.1%
20 Santa Barbara County SheriffCA4237918.7%8.3%13.6%20.3%4.5%
21 Montgomery County PoliceMD101418918.6%6.7%9.7%20.2%3.1%
22 Miami PoliceFL108120118.6%8.3%13.1%20.0%15.0%
23 Palm Beach County SheriffFL160929818.5%8.3%14.2%19.5%10.1%
24 San Diego County SheriffCA201335517.6%12.9%17.2%17.8%6.2%
25 King County Dept. of Public SafetyWA60810316.9%28.0%17.5%16.3%3.1%
26 Portland Police OR103817516.9%11.1%16.2%17.2%1.4%
27 Arlington County PoliceVA3455816.8%7.7%25.0%15.7%4.3%
28 Memphis PoliceTN158226516.8%4.8%16.3%17.5%11.9%
29 Little Rock PoliceAK5699516.7%8.3%6.6%18.9%4.7%
30 Manatee County SheriffFL5298716.4%12.5%8.0%18.6%4.5%
31 St. Lucie County SheriffFL3475716.4%10.0%8.6%18.3%6.3%
32 Lansing PoliceMI2634316.3%12.5%18.4%16.0%4.2%
33 Martin County SheriffFL3706016.2%0.0%11.1%18.1%1.4%
34 Tampa PoliceFL91614716.0%18.2%17.0%15.9%5.2%
35 Fort Worth PoliceTX120119216.0%16.7%7.7%17.3%3.8%
36 Cleveland PoliceOH183029115.9%5.1%16.1%16.1%8.4%
37 Louisville PoliceKY70811215.8%16.7%6.1%17.4%3.7%
38 Monterey County SheriffCA3365315.8%0.0%12.0%16.7%6.3%
39 Pierce County SheriffWA5618815.7%15.4%11.1%16.5%3.6%
40 Milwaukee PoliceWI204531515.4%10.8%8.1%16.6%4.6%
41 Kent CountyMI3685615.2%14.3%8.0%16.4%3.0%
42 New York City PoliceNY37991575115.1%4.3%9.0%16.6%8.5%
43 Columbia PoliceSC3114715.1%0.0%14.3%15.7%9.0%
44 Arapohoe County SheriffCO3585415.1%0.0%6.8%17.1%2.2%
45 Indianapolis PoliceIN100815215.1%7.4%11.8%16.4%4.1%
46 San Francisco PoliceCA218532514.9%10.8%13.6%15.2%5.8%
47 Minneapolis PoliceMN91813614.8%18.2%17.7%13.4%1.7%
48 Pima County SheriffAZ3875714.7%16.7%11.1%15.4%2.8%
49 Charlotte PoliceNC144220914.5%11.9%14.0%14.6%3.3%
50 Harris County SheriffTX254136814.5%12.9%8.6%15.1%5.9%
51 Tulsa PoliceOK78511314.4%8.6%2.6%16.0%3.4%
52 San Diego PoliceCA204629314.3%16.0%12.4%37.1%3.6%
53 Baltimore PoliceMD309144214.3%8.7%7.9%15.6%9.8%
54 Atlanta PoliceGA144420514.2%26.1%N/AN/AN/A
55 Los Angeles County Sheriff CA8163115614.2%9.9%10.9%14.8%7.1%
56 Seattle PoliceWA119916914.1%19.0%10.3%14.7%2.5%
57 Jefferson County SheriffAL4926914.0%8.3%14.9%14.0%7.3%
58 Arlington PoliceTX4786714.0%0.0%7.1%15.8%4.2%
59 Suffolk County SheriffNY82911513.9%23.1%12.0%14.0%1.3%
60 Savannah PoliceGA3985513.8%18.2%7.6%15.0%6.5%
61 Orange County Sheriff FL111715413.8%10.0%12.9%14.1%2.1%
62 Wisconsin State PatrolWI5016913.8%8.3%16.4%13.5%1.2%
63 Pompano Beach PoliceFL2483413.7%0.0%8.3%14.9%2.4%
64 St. Paul PoliceMN5757813.6%14.3%9.8%15.1%1.2%
65 Cambridge PoliceMA2543413.4%22.2%2.2%15.6%5.9%
66 Dayton PoliceOH5136813.3%37.5%8.2%14.0%2.1%
67 Columbus PoliceOH173122913.2%4.3%7.9%14.3%3.6%
68 Macon PoliceGA2663513.2%7.1%13.1%13.6%5.6%
69 Baton Rouge PoliceLA6017913.1%3.8%20.5%10.6%4.3%
70 St. Louis Metro. Police Dept.MO159720913.1%8.3%5.3%14.9%5.1%
71 Colorado Springs PoliceCO5296913.0%0.0%7.6%14.3%1.7%
72 Baltimore County PoliceMD163521313.0%8.1%5.5%14.3%1.8%
73 St. Petersburg PoliceFL5106612.9%11.1%15.3%12.7%3.5%
74 Ventura County SheriffCA7429612.9%6.1%5.1%14.8%3.5%
75 Jefferson County PoliceKY4505712.7%11.8%6.9%13.9%4.0%
76 Alameda County SheriffCA80710212.6%14.3%11.8%12.8%5.1%
77 Greensboro PoliceNC4515712.6%5.6%13.3%12.8%2.7%
78 Durham PoliceNC3724712.6%16.7%8.7%13.0%5.6%
79 Michigan State PoliceMI208726212.6%7.7%9.6%13.6%1.0%
80 Tacoma PoliceWA3944912.4%5.3%7.0%13.8%N/A
81 Contra Costa County SheriffCA6307812.4%11.1%7.6%13.5%3.8%
82 Sarasota Police DepartmentFL1892312.2%0.0%14.7%12.2%2.6%
83 Richmond City PoliceVA7088612.1%11.8%13.9%11.8%5.9%
84 Knoxville PoliceTN3704411.9%0.0%14.1%11.7%1.1%
85 Houston PoliceTX546064911.9%4.3%7.8%13.1%6.0%
86 Winston-Salem PoliceNC4405211.8%16.7%14.1%11.2%2.5%
87 Oakland County SheriffsMI6337311.5%0.0%3.3%13.1%2.7%
88 Columbus PoliceGA3894411.3%0.0%7.7%12.8%5.4%
89 Oklahoma City PoliceOK97711011.3%8.6%11.6%10.2%2.1%
90 Bridgeport PoliceCT4194711.2%0.0%8.6%12.3%7.2%
91 Albuquerque PoliceNM89310011.2%16.7%10.6%11.2%4.8%
92 Riverside County SheriffCA116513011.2%10.3%4.9%12.6%2.4%
93 Virginia Beach PoliceVA6967711.1%7.1%5.4%12.0%1.1%
94 Denver PoliceCO137715010.9%9.7%11.4%10.8%4.4%
95 Yonkers PoliceNY5606110.9%0.0%4.2%12.8%2.1%
96 Phoenix PoliceAZ273929310.7%11.4%8.5%11.1%2.2%
97 Santa Clara County SheriffCA4965310.7%9.1%5.6%11.6%2.4%
98 Hialeah PoliceFL3133310.5%0.0%14.3%9.8%4.8%
99 Aurora Police CO4945210.5%0.0%2.7%12.2%0.8%
100 Lexington-Fayette County PoliceKY4564810.5%11.8%6.0%11.3%0.7%
101 Long Beach PoliceCA9169510.4%0.0%5.6%12.1%3.4%
102 Fairfax County PoliceVA106410910.2%10.7%11.8%10.0%0.8%
103 Mesa PoliceAZ6626710.1%14.3%7.4%10.6%1.1%
104 Jacksonville Sheriff's Office FL147314910.1%6.7%4.0%11.2%2.9%
105 Anne Arundel County PoliceMD6266310.1%0.0%4.8%11.4%1.1%
106 Massachusetts State PoliceMA222122210.0%2.3%5.2%11.8%0.8%
107 Fort Wayne Police IN3813810.0%14.3%3.0%11.3%2.9%
108 Onandaga County Sheriff NY536539.9%0.0%10.3%10.2%2.6%
109 Fort Lauderdale PoliceFL487489.9%13.0%7.9%10.0%1.6%
110 Miami Beach PoliceFL348349.8%5.6%10.8%9.8%N/A
111 Stockton Police DepartmentCA369369.8%0.0%3.2%11.4%2.4%
112 Oakland PoliceCA643619.5%15.4%5.7%10.4%5.8%
113 Riverside PoliceCA330319.4%0.0%4.3%10.5%0.9%
114 Norfolk PoliceVA715679.4%6.3%8.9%9.6%2.0%
115 Rochester PoliceNY694659.4%5.0%8.9%9.6%3.9%
116 Hollywood PoliceFL332319.3%0.0%4.1%10.5%2.4%
117 Broward County SheriffFL847789.2%6.3%7.7%9.6%1.5%
118 Honolulu PoliceHI18361699.2%5.5%4.5%10.5%4.4%
119 Illinois State PoliceIL20141859.2%11.1%9.0%9.2%1.0%
120 Nassau County Police NY30602779.1%4.2%4.5%9.9%1.4%
121 Ohio State Hwy PatrolOH14151289.0%0.0%5.1%10.9%0.4%
122 El Paso PoliceTX987888.9%0.0%7.6%9.3%2.2%
123 St. Louis County PoliceMO655588.9%0.0%5.3%9.7%1.2%
124 Stamford PoliceCT308278.8%0.0%4.8%10.3%N/A
125 Nashville Metro PoliceTN12561108.8%16.1%11.1%8.0%1.6%
126 Des Moines PoliceIA358318.7%0.0%7.6%9.3%0.6%
127 Kern County SheriffCA486428.6%4.3%8.5%9.9%1.0%
128 Fresno County SheriffCA383338.6%0.0%13.1%7.9%1.0%
129 Mobile PoliceAL504438.5%0.0%5.6%9.5%4.6%
130 California Hwy PatrolCA64545498.5%3.2%7.2%8.9%1.7%
131 San Bernardino PoliceCA279238.2%0.0%3.9%9.4%2.2%
132 Montgomery PoliceAL453378.2%18.8%10.2%7.1%3.5%
133 Oregon State PoliceOR879718.1%0.0%1.7%10.1%0.7%
134 New York State PoliceNY39753218.1%3.7%6.2%8.6%0.6%
135 Mobile County SheriffAL150128.0%0.0%2.6%10.3%2.0%
136 Minnesota State PoliceMN502408.0%3.8%10.1%7.8%0.0%
137 Volusia County SheriffFL391317.9%0.0%5.2%8.8%1.0%
138 Maui County PoliceHI317257.9%0.0%6.3%8.8%2.8%
139 Brevard County SheriffFL347277.8%0.0%3.4%8.9%1.2%
140 Cobb County PoliceGA465357.5%5.6%5.6%8.0%0.4%
141 Corpus Christi PoliceTX417317.4%3.7%9.4%7.5%2.4%
142 Maricopa County SheriffAZ544407.4%5.0%3.3%8.3%1.3%
143 Kansas City PoliceKS382287.3%8.3%3.6%8.0%1.8%
144 Reno PoliceNV318237.2%0.0%1.9%8.5%1.3%
145 Wichita Police KS599437.2%6.7%3.3%7.9%1.2%
146 Chesterfield County PoliceVA432306.9%8.3%3.7%7.4%0.5%
147 Hamilton PoliceOH11686.9%0.0%0.0%8.3%0.0%
148 Rapid City PoliceSD9466.4%0.0%0.0%8.0%0.0%
149 Port Authority of NY/NJNJ1238776.2%4.3%6.4%6.2%3.3%
150 San Antonio PoliceTX18671166.2%8.0%7.2%6.0%3.6%
151 Washington State PatrolWA1015616.0%4.3%4.1%6.4%0.3%
152 Worcester PoliceMA477275.7%0.0%3.7%6.3%0.8%
153 Huntsville PoliceAL338195.6%0.0%5.0%5.9%0.9%
154 Henrico County PoliceVA479255.2%8.3%2.7%5.6%0.8%
155 Texas Dept. of Public SafetyTX28701485.2%N/AN/AN/A2.5%
156 Hawaii County PoliceHI358185.0%0.0%2.3%5.7%3.9%
157 Indiana State PoliceIN1281634.9%2.9%4.9%5.0%0.4%
158 Arkansas State PoliceAK592294.9%0.0%3.7%5.3%0.7%
159 Colorado State PatrolCO585284.8%2.1%2.9%5.3%0.9%
160 Nebraska State PatrolNE481214.4%0.0%5.3%4.2%0.0%
161 Concord PoliceNH9344.3%0.0%0.0%5.3%0.0%
162 San Jacinto Police Dept.CA2414.2%0.0%0.0%5.6%0.0%
163 Pennsylvania State PolicePA41001634.0%4.6%5.8%3.8%0.9%
164 Erie County SheriffNY18173.9%0.0%5.6%3.9%0.6%
165 Trenton PoliceNJ378143.7%0.0%3.0%4.0%1.9%
166 Virginia State PoliceVA1733643.7%0.0%3.4%3.8%0.6%
167 Missouri State Highway PatrolMO1107393.5%0.0%1.6%4.5%0.4%
168 Utah Hwy PatrolUT411143.4%0.0%1.2%4.0%0.2%
169 Santa Ana PoliceCA362113.0%0.0%3.2%3.0%1.1%
170 Alabama Dept. of Public SafetyAL726192.6%5.9%2.4%2.5%1.0%
171 Louisiana State PoliceLA958252.6%3.2%0.4%3.3%0.4%
172 South Carolina Highway PatrolSC907232.5%0.0%0.0%3.0%0.7%
173 Augusta Police ME4012.5%0.0%0.0%3.6%0.0%
174 West Virginia State PoliceWV615132.1%0.0%1.9%2.3%0.0%
175 Oklahoma Hwy PatrolOK760121.6%0.0%1.6%1.6%0.1%
176 North Carolina State Hwy PatrolNK1325191.4%0.0%0.0%1.6%0.2%

Total 233846 32192 13.8% 7.5% 9.6% 14.7% 6.0%

Status Reports Women in Policing 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001