‘The bar is different as a woman’: A thematic analysis of career advice given by female police officers

Abstract

In an effort to reduce gender disparities in policing and move beyond the current legitimacy crisis faced by the profession, there has been a renewed focus on increasing the recruitment and retention of female police officers. Beyond understanding why current female officers have remained in the field, it is important to understand why some have left the profession altogether. The current study employs deductive and inductive coding of a mixed-methods self-report survey from 154 current and former female officers in the Dallas Police Department (DPD). We sought to examine the advice that current and former female police officers would give to other women who might want to enter or promote within policing. Responses highlighted challenges related to the impact on family life, navigating the male-dominated culture, maintaining one’s sense of identity and integrity, and creating strong social support networks. Implications for the DPD and other agencies are discussed.