Police Discrimination Essay

1016 Words3 Pages

Discrimination against law enforcement and correctional officers based on gender has been a growing problem in the United States. Women are comprised of a small percentage of law enforcement around the nation. Though their work in the police force dates back to the 1800’s, it has only been noticed for a little over 40 years. Women are often troubled with being taken seriously as a crime fighter, or if a woman should even be allowed to become a law enforcement officer. They are usually viewed as too gentle, emotional, or weak. Over Ninety-five cases have been documented since 2000 of discrimination by sex. This is a rising problem in our country and if not corrected it could harm law enforcement as a whole.
Women have struggled since the 1800’s to have a career in law enforcement and to be treated with the same respect as male officers. The early history of police women consisted of social service, in which women had to meet high standards for police employment, but received lower wages, were restricted to a special unit or bureau, and were assigned to clerical, juvenile, guard duty and vice work. (Price2002)
Discrimination towards women in law enforcement dates back to the 20th …show more content…

This task wasn’t easy and they did endure a lot of hardship. They created groups such as the Women’s Peace Officers Association which helped acknowledge discrimination and created ways to stop it. Another way female officers are dealing with discrimination in law enforce is by reporting cases and filing discrimination lawsuits. Most of the time these cases have resulted in court ordered decrees, which requires the law enforcement agencies to change their policies. This mean that police department much change their course of action regarding the hiring or promotion process. The women who have made these efforts and attempts may still have endured discrimination but they paved the way for future female

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