By Nancy Perry
Women currently account for only 12% of the police workforce in the United States and only 2% of police chiefs. Female officers looking to ascend the career ladder in policing may not always have mentors to provide career-track advice, notes former Chief Ivonne Roman who presented at TED2019 on why policewomen make communities safer. Nonetheless, you can learn a lot from observing others in positions you aspire to.
We asked Police1 columnists and subject matter experts what advice they would give a female officer looking to develop a career in LE leadership.
If you are a female officer and have successfully transitioned into a leadership position, please share your story in the box below or email editor@police1.com.
Diversify your work experience
Many officers, regardless of gender, make the mistake of spending too many years in one assignment, failing to diversify their skillset and experience. I spent nearly a decade in gangs and narcotics, turning down administrative assignments. When I reached the executive level, I lacked working knowledge of the behind-the-scenes aspect of policing like administration, support services, human resources and budgeting. The executive must also understand the jurisdiction’s procurement and legislation process necessary for governing bodies to approve legal and financial police agency needs.
Obtain a college degree and additional education
I did not have a college degree when I became a police officer, however, I noticed that a majority of police chiefs I admired had advanced college degrees. LinkedIn is a great resource to research the training, education and experience that the chiefs you admire possess. It is also an effective tool to connect with others who may provide insight during your career.
Many chief executive positions prefer candidates who have attended the FBI National Academy and either the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police or the Southern Police Institute’s executive leadership training. Identify your agency’s selection process to determine how you may become eligible.
Develop your communication skills
Leadership requires excellent communication skills. As I rose through the ranks, I learned that public speaking was a critical aspect of my duties. As a lieutenant, I experienced nerve-racking unplanned speaking events. I realized I needed to improve my public speaking skills. I joined Toastmasters, a public speaking support group that is available in locations across the United States and around the world. The organization provides training on public speaking and opportunities to practice your new skills. After completing their beginner program, I aced my promotional exams for captain and deputy chief, which focused heavily on communication skills.
Maintain a social media presence
This can be tricky, but most major city chiefs have a carefully curated social media presence that allows them to market their policing ideology and connect with thought leaders around the topic of criminal justice. I use Twitter and LinkedIn professionally and have found them fruitful in furtherance of my career and passion projects.
Closely review your agency’s social media policy for compliance. Begin by following leaders you admire and develop an understanding of how social media platforms can be used professionally before diving in. This leads to the next point; ensure your personal social media platforms align with your professional goals. Any thorough employment background check will include a review of all your social media accounts.
Ivonne Roman recently retired as Chief for the Newark Police Department. In 2017, she founded the Women’s Leadership Academy in partnership with the Newark Police Superior Officers’ Association to address the high attrition rates of women in police academies. She now heads up the 30x30 initiative, which challenges police departments nationwide to recruit classes of at least 30% women by 2030.
Learn about gender differences
Law enforcement is still a male-dominated profession, so one of the best things a woman can do is learn about men: how they think, how they communicate and what motivates them. Books like “The Male Brain” by Dr. Louann Brizendine and “Work With Me” by Barbara Annis and John Gray are invaluable for this purpose. There are very distinct gender differences as detailed in this article, so take advantage of relevant training to properly utilize these differences for your own success, as well as the success of your team.
Pursue “non-traditional” assignments
Female police officers often gravitate to or are pushed toward “soft skill” assignments such as juvenile, crime prevention, school resource officer and more. These are necessary and valuable jobs, but they may not get you noticed by management. Look at “hard skill” specialties such as SWAT, hostage negotiations, undercover operations, firearms and defensive tactics. Find a mentor, train hard, excel and become a standout in your agency.
Pursue management-level training
There are so many leadership training opportunities available either in the classroom or online. Take the time to pursue these opportunities.
Traditional law enforcement training such as the FBI National Academy or Northwestern Center for Public Safety School of Staff and Command are excellent options, but also look at your local junior college or nearby university for leadership seminars and certificates. Often, local or online options can offer a broader range of ideas and information while providing you with networking opportunities beyond the confines of your agency. You may have to pay for some of this training yourself and/or attend on your own time, but see this as an “investment” in you and your career, not a hindrance.
Determine your idea of success
Before you decide you want to pursue a role in management, ask yourself, “What do I want from this career? What role do I want to play in this profession?” Recognize that society, your family and even your agency may push you toward promotion when that’s not necessarily the right thing for you as an individual. Decide what “success” means to you and follow your heart, as well as your head.
Sergeant Betsy Smith has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, retiring as a patrol supervisor in a large Chicago suburb. A graduate of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety’s School of Staff and Command and a Street Survival seminar instructor for more than 9 years, Betsy is now a speaker, author and a primary Police1 Academy consultant. Visit Betsy’s website at www.femaleforces.com.
Invest in your career
Due to the fact that there is a gender imbalance in law enforcement, many female officers feel like there is no or at least little chance for them to advance. My advice to them would be to not live day to day thinking about the gender imbalance. We all know it is there, however, don’t put that first, put your career and desires for your career first.
Learn as much as you possibly can. Attend as much training as possible, even if you have to do it on your own time or pay out of pocket. Invest in your career.
While there are training programs that you will likely go through at your department, do not let your learning stop there. If your goal is to be a sergeant, then find out what background other sergeants have. If they have specialized training, get it. If they have a degree, get one. Do this each step of the way. Always look at people in the position you want to be in and look to see what they have in their background that you don’t and go get it.
Do not depend on your agency “giving” you everything that you will need to progress, again, I say invest in your career. Regardless of your gender, when you have a solid background, knowledge base and attitude, your path to success will be an easier one to navigate.
LJ Roscoe was sworn in as the Goose Creek Police Department Chief on January 18, 2019. A South Carolina native, Chief Roscoe came to Goose Creek from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia. She began her career in law enforcement in 1991 when she joined the DeKalb County Sheriff’s office as a detention officer. She was promoted to deputy sheriff in 1994, and continued to receive promotions and assignments of increasing responsibility in various agency divisions.
Do your homework, then make your move
The percentage of female police officers in totality, and at each of the ranks within agencies, are indicators of gender fairness within the agency. Disproportionately low levels of females, both in the ranks and at leadership levels, often indicate systemic biases. Whether you are beginning your career or looking for advancement, my advice is to compare agencies and choose the policing agency with the highest percentages of females at all ranks.
An excellent way to compare agencies for female officers already in the profession is to attend multi-agency leadership development courses and/or policing conferences. Conferences will increase your network sphere, as well as provide an unvarnished view into the culture of other organizations. In addition to broadening your professional network, leadership development courses will develop you personally and make you more competitive during a promotion process.
Don’t be afraid to change agencies. If you hit a systemic roadblock within your agency, bring it to the attention of someone with the power to change it. If nothing changes, it is time for you to change organizations. Look for a progressive, innovative chief or sheriff. Leadership sets the working tone of a department. Good leaders will be happy to recruit hard-working, well-trained police officers who are secure enough to vote with their feet.
Leaders in organizations with high female attrition rates and/or a low percentage of females proportionally represented in rank structure, need to identify the problem and make organizational changes. This is a leadership issue, not a loyalty test.
A certain critical mass has to be achieved for a minority group to gain power and influence in any organization. That threshold has yet to be met in many U.S. policing agencies where unfortunately the percentage growth of female police officers (11%-15%) has been relatively stagnant for well over a decade. Some hard questions have to be asked and answered in forums like this to create the momentum necessary to maintain the policing community’s role as leaders dedicated to a just and fair society.
Change is happening in some U.S. agencies. The best advice I can offer is to do your homework and find those agencies on the cutting edge. The rest will follow.
Jane Hall is the author of “The Red Wall: A Woman in the RCMP.” She currently serves as President of Police Futurists Interntional (PFI) and chair of the RCMP Veteran Women’s Council and is a lecturer at LEMIT on Police Culture and Organizational Change.