Issues for Women in Law Enforcement

Issues for Women in Law Enforcement Women were not considered for law enforcement employment unless it was in a typical job in the profession such as, special units, desk and office jobs and received lower pay. While women were often thought of as being weaker in this profession, they fought to be recognized by constantly trying to prove themselves to be better in a male dominated arena. Women have had their struggles as officers in the police system, they have made advances that wouldnt have been heard of in the early 1900s Overall, women have made great strides in non-traditional careers since the 1950s. With changes in society, cultures and legal mandates have cleared the way for women to become members of law enforcement as well as other male dominated jobs in America and other areas in the world. Compared to the last ten years, law enforcement has changed to meet the demands of a continuing diverse society. We have better trained, educated, and a more diverse law enforcement to help better deal with the issues in our communities. Women were not readily welcomed to this male dominated arena. The role woman played to make this happen has been challenging. Historically, women have always been part of the general workforce in American society, although usually in jobs that fulfilled traditional female employment roles, such as such as nurses, secretaries, schoolteachers, waitresses and flight attendants. Shusta,et al. (2005). In 1845, the first women to be hired by the New York City Police Department were called matrons. In 1888 Massachusetts and New York passed legislation require communities with a population over 20,000 to hire police matrons to care for female prisoners. The early history of women police consisted largely of social service, in which women had to meet higher standards for police employment; Women police officers were given duties that did not allow or require them to work street patrol. Assignments and roles were limited to positions such as juvenile delinquency and truancy prevention, child abuse, crimes against women, and custodial functions. Probably one of the most damaging acts to police officers was their denial to perform basic patrol duties. One of the main reasons for this was male officers also tend to be protective toward women. Being socially conditioned to protect women, they would insist that female officers remain in the police car during traffic stops or arrest. When women were finally given the right, as a Federal law mandating equal opportunity regardless of gender or race, to perform general police work and serve on patrol, they demonstrated their fitness for police work. In many smaller departments, women still hold less than ten percent of law enforcement positions. The National Center for Women and Policing reports that nearly 90 percent of all law enforcement agencies require a physical agility test for job applicants. Women face challenges when hiring practices include physical benchmarks based on male aptitude tests which require more upper body strength than women have, is a practice that has seen some changes in recent years. The survey reveals that departments that do not use the test have 45 percent more women on the force than those with the agility exams. Research has shown that women have encountered difficulties due to negative attitudes of men about being police officers. Most women indicated that when they were exposed to offensive behavior by male officers, they remained quiet for fear of negative male backlash. Sexual harassment is prevalent in most law enforcement agencies. Harassment on the basis of sex is a violation of Section 703 of Civil Rights  Act and is defined as unwelcome or unsolicited sexual advances, request for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Studies have found that 60 to 70 percent of women officers experienced sexual/gender harassment. Even though harassment exists, only 4 to 6 percent of these women ever reported the harassment. This lack of reporting can be directly attributed to the code of silence in law enforcement agencies and severe retaliation that occurs when women report misconduct. Bureau of Justice Assistance (2001). In a 1995 survey, of female officers in a medium sized department, 68 percent responded yes to the question, Have you ever been sexually harassed while on duty by a member of your agency Shusta,et al. (2005). Most of the women revealed that sexual harassment occurs at all levels of an organization and is not limited to male harassment of women. Women, too, can be offenders when they initiate sexual jokes or innuendoes and use of provocative language with men. This kind of behavior usually results in men countering in a similar fashion, which can contribute to and escalate the problem even more. Shusta,et al. (2005). Becoming a police officer might bring about a more radical change to a womans life than male officers. Even today police work is a predominantly male occupation and there persists the notion that assertiveness, aggressiveness, physical capability, and emotional toughness are male characteristics necessary to perform the job, but when female officers display these qualities they are often perceived as cold, emotionless, and uncaring. Lyman, M. D. (2005). According to male police officers, catching criminals is associated with bravery and danger, making it a mans job. It is believed by male officers that female officers cannot protect their male counterparts in confrontations where strength is required. Women who are accepted into the brotherhood of police or correctional officers have generally had to become one of the guys Shusta,et al. (2005). It is believed that if a woman has a hard walk, tends to be too hard, or too unemotional she may become criticized by her co-workers and supervisors. If she is too feminine or not sufficiently aggressive, men will not take her seriously and she will not do well in either police or correctional work. When women are confronted with a dilemma: they must be aggressive enough to do the job but feminine enough to be acceptable to male peers, and the must also be able to take different approaches to problems. Shusta,et al. (2005). In the corrections arena, male officers argued that women could not handle the violence and confrontations with inmates that occur in prisons. In a recent study it was found that women officers tended to respond to violent situations as aggressively as their male co-workers, and sometimes more aggressively. Women officers also seemed to have less trouble with the inmates than did their male counterparts; although they were harassed when they first appeared on the job. Clear and Cole (2003). Male inmates in minimum custody had surprisingly low opinions of women performing as correction officers, however, maximum custody inmates had high opinions of their competency and felt that such officers would be calm and cool in  problem situations. Female officers were thought to exert a softening influence on the environment making it more livable and less violent. Clear and Cole (2003). The status of women in correctional law enforcement with comparisons between the percentages of women sworn in as state, county and municipal officers indicate a huge difference. (http://www.womenandpolicing.org/PDF/2002_Status_Report.pdf 2010) Although there has been advantages and a broad leap for women in the law enforcement arena there has also been setbacks. Gender discrimination and double standards have always had women thinking that they had to perform and do better than male officers. They are often placed in jobs that are traditionally held by women police officers, such as domestic violence, child abuse, juveniles, and school programs. They are not usually considered for the more traditionally male jobs such as SWAT teams, gang units, narcotics, and homicide. Women usually face the difficult task of having the dual role of parent and career. Issues with child care, maternity leave, family responsibilities, flexible work schedules, job sharing, and mentoring and support groups. This can be especially hard for a single parent. If women had children when they entered law enforcement frequently find that they have a hard time balancing their commitments to family and work causing a significantly higher divorce rate than do male officers and have a lower group than the national female rate. Shusta,et al. (2005). More modernized police organizations try to show support by changing work schedules, being placed on light duty, Disability insurance and paid leave benefits. The proportion of women among sworn police personnel has steadily grown since the early 70s. In 1972 a survey of cities serving populations of 250,000 or more revealed that women comprised of only 2 percent of uniformed law enforcement personnel. In 1978, women made up 4.2 percent of sworn personnel in municipal departments serving populations over 50,000. By the end of 1986, the proportion of women had risen to 8.8 percent of all sworn officers in these agencies and by 1991, 9 percent of police were women. While women may face many difficulties, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and overall discrimination in the law enforcement field, the lack of women role models is a barrier for many women who are interested in policing as a career. It is essential that departments there are the few that is paving the way for women. In 2003, Annetta W. Nunn took the became Chief of Police in Birmingham Alabama, she sat in a chair once occupied by Eugene Bull Connor, who was an segregationist and a national symbol of the Souths flight against integration who jailed thousands of civil rights demonstrators during the 1960s when Chief Nunn was four years old in 1963. Schmalleger (2005). During her tenure, Chief Nunn was a 23 year veteran of the department heading a force of 838 men and women. In February 2005, Massachusetts had a celebration to its three top women in law enforcement. Boston police commissioner Kathleen OToole leads the nations oldest department. Suffolk county sheriff Andrea Cabral is in charge of 2,500 inmates and Massachusetts corrections commissioner Kathleen Dennehy oversees 18 prisons across the state. Each is the first woman to hold her position. Thompson (2006). In 2006, Cathy Lanier was appointed as the first ever female chief of Police Washington, D.C., by Mayor Adrian Fenty. She officially assumed the position on January 2, 2007. Chief Lanier has been with the Metropolitan Police Department beginning in 1990 with most of her career as a uniformed patrol officer, where she served as the Commander of the Fourth District, one of the largest and most diverse residential patrol districts in the city. She also served as the Commanding Officer of the Departments Major Narcotics Branch and Vehicular Homicide Units. Chief Laniers story is a testimony to overcoming strife and the hardships that life can bring. At the age of 15, she was an expectant mother, and dropped out of high school, but through determination and the willingness to succeed; she continued to pursue her education, despite having family support, she achieved and reached her goal to achieve academic and professional goals in a short matter of time. Premdas, P. (n.d.). Joanne Takasato was Honolulu Hawaiis first undercover female narcotics police officer during the 1980s who broke barriers had almost single handedly taken most of the Hawaiian island of Oahus drug dealers off the streets of Hawaii. Her 394 page book tells the story about how she was forced to sever all ties with family, and friends to create a new identity and lifestyle that would get her accepted into the drug community but to also remain undetected as an undercover officer and had almost lost everything she had known to include her family as well as her sanity in the process. This is some of the examples of some of the police women who have paved the way and proved themselves as mentors for women who would want to pursue criminal justice as a profession. It is essential that departments that want to attract women candidates have women working in a variety of different positions to highlight the many opportunities that a department has to offer and the equity in the promotional process and assignment to special units. Female officers working as detectives, tactical team officers, street supervisors and high ranking administrators need to exist on a department to maintain some sort of written policy on and procedure on recruitment. Law enforcement today is facing a crisis a loss of public confidence and trust in the wake of police scandals that are unparalleled in recent history. Highly publicized incidents of excessive force and police corruption have generated shocking headlines Los Angeles, New York, Texas, Louisiana, New Jersey, Washington, Seattle, and Chicago. Police brutality and corruption lawsuits are costing taxpayers millions of dollars each year and the number and costs are only increasing. With the payouts increasing, taxpayers will demand that officers and their organizations be held accountable for their actions. Lonsway et al. (2003) Research conducted both in the United States and internationally clearly demonstrates that women rely on a style of policing that uses less physical force are better at defusing and de escalating potentially violent confrontations with citizens and are less likely to become involved in situations with use of excessive force. Lonsway et al. (2003) As an additional benefit, female officers often respond more effectively to  incidents of violence against women, a crime that represents approximately half of all violent crimes calls to police. Lonsway et al. (2003) The National Center for Women Policing states that there are six advantages for law enforcement agencies that hire and retain more women: 1. Female officers are proven to be as competent as their male counterparts In one study, female police executives were found to be more flexible, emotionally independent, self-assertive, self confident, proactive, and creative than their male counterpart. 2. Female officers were less likely to use excessive force; One study found that male officers were the target of 50% more insults by citizens and almost three times as many threats or attempts at injury in comparison with their female peers. 3. More female officers will improve law enforcements response to violence against women. A 1985 study found that female officers demonstrated more concern, patience and understanding than their male colleagues when responding to calls of domestic violence. Battered women who had contact with a female officer rated the police response as more helpful than those without such contact. They also rated the performance of female officers more favorably. 4. Increasing the presence of female officers reduces problems of sex discrimination and harassment within a law enforcement agency. One of the most prominent impacts is in promotional opportunities. Male and female officers report the same desire for promotion, yet these opportunities are even seen as less available to women in comparison with their male counterparts. This is likely to be part of the explanation for the higher turnover rate that is consistently seen among female officers, at the academy and on the job. 5. The presence of women can bring about beneficial changes in policy for all officers. The Police Foundation noted in 1974 that the introduction of women will create in incentive to management practices which are less acceptable now that they must be applied to men and women alike. This may result in the development of improved selection criteria, performance standards, and supervision for all officers. 6. Female officers implement community-oriented policing One study found that instructors indicated that female officers have an advantage over their male peers in several areas, including empathy toward others and interacting in a way that is not designed to prove something. Lonsway et al. (2003) In conclusion, throughout history women have made a way for themselves by showing that they can compete with men if they when given the opportunity. As police officers, they have come from being matrons and doing police work that was considered only for women, to being accepted as officers on the force, to becoming Chiefs of Police. Although there are not as many in the force as there should be, police women and chiefs are they are constantly paving the way for the respect and acceptance that is rightfully deserved. Police women should not have to prove themselves to their male counterparts to become a member of a team. Many women have proven to their male counterparts that they can do police work just well as a male, if not better. Police women are needed to close the gender gap and bring a different perspective to policing to make any police force not just unique, but equal.

Killer Angels Essays -- essays research papers

The novel The Killer Angles, by Michael Shaara, gives a story like depiction of the American Civil War at the Battle of Gettysburg. In this novel we see the views of both Confederate and Union armies. The officers for both sides in this novel used to go to war with each other but are now on different sides according to their political views. In the end both armies realized the war had accomplished nothing but all the deaths of soldiers. During the novel, the armies are going to war against their opponents and not necessarily their enemies.Despite the fact that the Confederate and Union armies were entirely concerned with defeating their opponent, many times they were fighting against relatives and friends. For instance, General Armistead says, "...will you tell General Hancock how ...

Driving force in the lives of many people Essay

Nowadays materialism is a driving force in the lives of many people, motivating them to their achievements as many people argue. Although, it is considered that humans are controlled by their own avarice, I believe that people are simply motivated to achieve by personal satisfaction. As cynical as I am, I do not think that money and fame are a stimulus to people. Rather they accomplish their goals for personal and emotion gain, not physical. When recently learning the topic of motivation in my Psychology class, we discussed what the main driving force is for a person. Though there are many theories arguing the issue, a person can be mostly content when fulfilling a goal for their own personal satisfaction, not for a physical reward. When this subject, I also learned that one’s happiness and self-esteem are one of the major aspects of being a well-balanced person. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs includes psychological and emotional needs as the highest priority. With this I can conclude that those who strive to achieve goals do it for their own bliss. Money and fame may seem like the a dream come true , but like it is always said, â€Å"money can’t buy you happiness†. There are countless numbers of wealthy people and celebrities who live lavish lives that anyone else would die to have, but they are as miserable and lonely as one can be. I find it beautiful that in today’s society people strive to pursue their own interests without having the end result of money leading their decisions. There is a countless number of underprivileged, even poor artists, journalists, musicians, writers, etc. that enjoy their life fully, waking up every day to go to a job they simply love. Thus, money and fame can never be a satisfying reward without happiness. All in all, in my opinion, people are motivated to achieve by personal satisfaction rather than a physical reward such as money or fame. I consider that contentment is more important than anything to a human being, because fulfilling something for money or fame can lead to disappointment, thus straining ones emotional needs. We ask ourselves: what motivates us, to get up every morning, to go to school, to study, to wear what we wear, to act how we act? We do it basically to satisfy our needs, no to reward us with a prize, but because it is what we want, what makes us happy, and what pleases us emotionally.

An Online IT Degree Can Change Your Future Essay Example

An Online IT Degree Can Change Your Future Essay Example An Online IT Degree Can Change Your Future Essay An Online IT Degree Can Change Your Future Essay Even as layoffs plague most career fields, those in the computer industry seem to be holding their own. While they might not be immune entirely, the need for computer experts is still very high. If it’s time to take control of your future, retraining in this particular field can be wise. An online IT degree can make it possible. Going back to college in the online world can be a little less intimidating than having to sit in a classroom. When you choose to go this route for computer training, nonprofit management or even an online business degree, the differences between this style of learning and traditional college campuses will likely amaze. For would be IT professionals especially, computer-based training just makes sense. Pursuing a masters in education, an online MBA or IT training online is probably not what you think. The schools that now back and offer these programs are reputable and accredited. The courses are designed to teach and challenge. The flexibility, however, is what really makes this option shine. Going back to school in the online arena will enable you to stay on your current schedule and still work in classes. The IT field is a great one to look into for a number of reasons. While some career fields are shrinking, the computer industry is still seeing growth. Experts remain in high demand. The key to breaking in, however, is having the right training backed up with proper accreditations. Getting these things while needing to work another job can be tough. It is much easier to work in classes when they take place at home on your schedule. Getting an online IT degree can open doors for a future that’s more secure. When it’s time for a change, going back to school can make all the difference in the world.

How Table Salt Affects the Boiling Temperature of Water Essay Example

How Table Salt Affects the Boiling Temperature of Water Essay Example How Table Salt Affects the Boiling Temperature of Water Paper How Table Salt Affects the Boiling Temperature of Water Paper What hypothesis can you generate about the effect of adding salt to water? Adding table salt to boiling water will cause the water to boil at a higher temperature. Experimental Design List the materials used in this lab, and the procedure you followed. Materials: 1 . Kitchen stove or electric hot plate 2. One 2-cup measuring cup 3. Measuring spoon set, with one tablespoon maximum 4. Table salt 5. Tap water 6. 2 quart cooking Pot (1/2) i dont have sorry 7. One digital thermometer Procedure (list steps in the order in which you performed them): 1. Boil one quart of tap water on stove. . Measure the temperature of the boiling water. Record highest temperature reading. 3. Add the measured salt to the boiling water and stir. 4. Measure the temperature of the boiling water with the salt in it. Record the highest temperature reading. 5. Repeat this process the second time with 2 spoons of salt and the third time with 3 spoons of salt. Data Record the data you collected in the lab. (The data table and the graph. ) Table 2. Boiling point temperatures of various salt solutions. Beaker/ Concentration of Nasal (M) Boiling Point Temperature Pure tap water 100. (00 1 tablespoon salt solution 102 (CO) tablespoon salt solution 103. 5 (CO) 3 tablespoon salt solution 105 (CO) Graph the data from Table 2 Label each axis (X and Y will NOT do). Devise a scale for each axis and label that scale (1, 2, 3 ) Plot the data points. Connect the data points by drawing a straight line. Title the graph. Analysis Analyze the data you collected in the lab. How does the data presented above relate to the hypotheses you generated earlier in lab? Are any hypotheses disproved by your experiment? Use your graph to determine the boiling point of a solution made with 2 h tablespoons. This use of a graph has generated a hypothesis that a 2 h tablespoon solution boils at 104 degrees C. Prepare a 2. 5 M solution and verify your hypothesis. The data i presented above relates very well with my hypothesis i generated earlier in my lab that, if i add table salt to the boiling water it will cause the water to boil at higher temperature. So my hypothesis was approved by my experiment. If i was to boil with 2 h tablespoons of salt, the boiling water would reach 104 degrees C according to my graphs data. Also according to my hypothesis that stated overtime you add more table salt the higher the temperature will go. Conclusion After conducting the experiment, how would you now explain the problem(s) or answer the question(s) raised when you described the purpose of the lab? Be sure to base your answer on the data you collected. If you are given a solution of unknown concentration, can you determine its concentration? Explain. i wouldnt describe my problem i raised when i described the purpose of the lab any different way. i say this because when i described the problem it helped me figure out a good hypothesis, which was if i add table salt to the boiling water it will cause the water to boil at a higher temperature. Thus, i conducted a successful experiment which proved that adding more and more table salt to the boiling water does increases the temperature. Thus, because of the idea of the problem it gave me a successful experiment and hypothesis. Additional questions for this lab: Notebook Activity: How do you apply the scientific method in everyday life? List examples. Notebook Activity: Conversions between units If there are 1000 meters in a kilometer, how many meters are there in 0. 05 km? 50 meters. If there are micrometers (pm) in a meter, how many pm are there in one millimeter (mm)? 1000 pm If an object is 334 pm wide, how many mm wide is it? 0. 334 mm. If we have one Liter of a solution, how many millimeters (ml) is that? 1000 ml Did your TAP water boil at 100 degrees C? If not, what might account for this? No, mine was close though it boiled at 100. 5 C. i think this happened because The tap water most likely did not boil at exactly 100 degrees Celsius because tap water is not pure H2O. There are other impurities in it that would affect the boiling point. An experimental control is a test that lacks the experimental variable. Was one of the solutions prepared in this lab a control? If so, which one? Yes, the tap water being boiled at a 100. 5 C that receives no added table salt is the experimental control. In our experiment, you controlled one of the factors. Which one (temperature or Nasal concentration) was it? i controlled the Nasal concentration. This factor was the independent variable; it was controlled by you, the experimenter. The other variable was a consequence of changes you made. This is the dependent variable. It was a consequence of changes in the independent variable. What factor (temperature or Nasal concentration) was the dependent variable? Temperature was the dependent variable.

Practicum Counseling Report Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Practicum Counseling Report - Case Study Example I explained at no time during the session would there be shaming, blaming, criticism or judgment. The goal of the session was to test listening and dialogue skills (Hendrix, 2008). Hope and Jermaine Bailey wanted to discuss their increasing feelings of isolation in their marriage. There children were grown and had left their house. The quiet of their home had become deafening for both of them and Jermaine was spending less and less time at home with Hope. The tradition of family dinners ended when the children left. Both Hope and Jermaine find themselves freer than ever before. They feel like they have let their relationship grow stale. Hope tells me that she feels like they don't have quality time together. She feels like Jermaine is uninterested in her - he works all day and is busy in the evening-Hope works during the day and is home in the evening. Hope explains that she feels like Jermaine's life is more exciting than hers. She is feeling frustrated because he doesn't seem to listen to her when he is home-he always seems preoccupied according to Hope. Hope doesn't feel like she is a part of Jermaine's life or the people he surrounds himself with. Jermaine explains that when he comes home he is always tired. I don't think she understands what I'm going through at work. I have a pretty stressful job. Jermaine says he is annoyed that Hope doesn't understand that he is tired and that he doesn't listen to her because she is a complainer. She talks at him instead of to him. Jermaine and Hope didn't have these insights when we first started the session. The couple first started talking about what they argue about-the dirty dishes and not being home at mealtime. By the end of the session, the real problems were divulged and it had nothing to do with mealtimes and dirty dishes. I explained that they were cut up in a trap and that they could get out of it. I gave an example of the trap they were in-he complains that she is irritable and argumentative and negative so he tunes her out, doesn't share his thoughts or feelings with her and becomes isolated. He shuts himself off from the relationship and she is pushing him a way from her while becoming clingy and needy because he is physically and emotionally removed from the relationship. Hopes clinginess and neediness is pushing Jermaine farther away instead of bringing him closer like she desires. By the end of the session Hope explained to Jermaine that she feels if she gives him more space they won't have a relationship. Jermaine explains to Hope that he worries that she loves him, but isn't in love with him any more. Both explain that they are feeling pressured in the marriage. Neither really feels that home is a safe haven anymore. Session #2: Date of session: October 6, 2008 Time of Session: 7PM Location of session: We returned to the same space used for the first session. The room was set up in the same way. The first few minutes of the session was used to calm the couple down through breathing exercises. I explained at no time during the session would there be shaming, blaming, criticism or judgment. The goal of the session was to recapture their feelings of isolation and to find ways to use dialogue more effectively (Hendrix, 2008). Background information: Hope and Jermaine began to see their patterns of behavior and

Functional Area Interrelationships-Kuddler Fine Foods Essay

Functional Area Interrelationships-Kuddler Fine Foods - Essay Example Collaboration among the departments can be improved if the company introduce Balance Scorecard (BSC) as a part of management control system. Unlike traditional management strategy it not just focus on the financial performance; rather it also takes other non-financial prospective into consideration. First of all financial prospective should be used determine how financially the company should appear in front of the shareholders like the ROI, profit margin, annual growth in the revenue and so on . The second prospective should be internal business processes. This will assist the company to understand that for satisfying the customers and the stakeholders which processes should be improved. It means the core competency of the company. The third one should be learning and growth. To retain competitiveness, a company should pay attention towards learning and growth of its human resource through training and development program. Finally, the customer prospective should be used to identify that how the company must appear in front of the customers so that it can achieve its vision and mission. This can be done by better customer relationship management, following relationship management strategy and improving customer satisfaction level. ... With the guidance of top management, objective should be selected, the measures should be pointed out, to achieve the objective required targets should be assigned and finally the initiative should be assigned. Managers of different departments should share their view with each other while developing the BSC for the organisation. Once the plan is over, the human resource should be encouraged to participate in the implementation process. They should be given required training as this will motivate them to be part of the whole process. The plan should be executed in part by part manner so that it can be monitored effectively. The BSC system should be evaluated on regular interval to make required changes as this will retain its utility in the organisation. Some of the vital steps are discussed below: Figure 2: Steps to be followed while developing BSC in the organisation (Source: Kaplan & Norton, 2002, p.275) Part-2 Use of lateral collaboration and vertical collaboration within the org anization, and the action plan to use lateral and vertical collaboration Companies take into account vertical as well as horizontal integration to use its resources effectively and to gain synergy (Camarinha-Matos, 2002, p.28). Kudler Fine Foods should also collaborate both vertically as well as horizontally to improve its competitiveness in the market. Through vertical integration, Kudler Fine Foods will bring together all the parts of value chain under its control. For backward integration, the company should invest in the farmers that supply the fresh products. Kudler Fine Foods can also purchase some of the bakery whose products are sold in the stores. In this manner the company will have better control on its supply of material. For foreword integration, Kudler Fine Foods should