* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Conaway
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
Informational Hearing - Baltimore City Police Department - Women in Law Enforcement
FOR the purpose of requesting the Baltimore Police Commissioner to report to the City Council on the status of women in the Baltimore City Police Department; the number and percentage of women in supervisory or high-ranking positions; promotional opportunities for career advancement; gender specific training to address issues that might arise among officers within the Department and in interaction with the general public; and recruitment efforts to attract more women to law enforcement.
Body
Recitals
The National Center for Women and Policing has been working, since 1995, to educate criminal justice policy makers, the media, and the public about the impact of increasing the number of women in law enforcement. Despite the positive impact women have had on policing, nationwide statistics show that women remain severely under-represented in police departments, accounting for only 13% of police officers across the country.
Female workforce demographics of the Baltimore Police Department comprise 488 sworn female officers, or 16.4% of the total force, and 942 female civilians. Of the sworn officers, there is 1 Deputy Commissioner - one of 2 in the Department; 1 Major; 2 Directors; 1 Deputy Major, 13 Lieutenants; 39 Sergeants, and 431 Police Officers. These female officers, according to 20 years of Center research on the contributions of females in policing, utilize a style of policing that relies less on physical force and more on communication skills that defuse potentially violent situations.
The President of the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, an organization dedicated to supporting the goals and interests and the mentoring of women law enforcement executives, notes that promotional opportunities in law enforcement, corrections, and criminal justice careers are expanding. Public safety organizations across the nation are acknowledging the value of having women serve in executive positions. A recent count shows that currently 300 women serve as chief executive officers in municipal, county, state, and federal entities.
The Future of Women in Policing: Mandates for Action, a 1998 publication that still retains its relevancy, of the International Association of Chiefs of Police Ad Hoc Committee on Women in Policing, included a survey that found that while the number of women in law enforcement is growing and progressing through the ranks:
· There are few women in policing, compared to their male counterparts.
· Women officers still face bias from male officers.
· Many departments lack strategies for recruiting women.
· Women officers may face gender discrimination and a "glass ceiling" that inhibits promotion.
· Sexual harassment still occurs in many departments.
· While the need is great, there are few mentoring programs for women officers.
We owe it to our mother, our wives, our sisters, our daughters, and, more importantly, the citizens of Baltimore who stand to gain the most by a more integrated force to ensure that the Baltimore Police Department is doing all that can be done to recruit, hire, retain, promote, appreciate, and validate women who make the selfless choice to dedicate themselves to a career in law enforcement.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That the Baltimore Police Commissioner is requested to report to the City Council on the status of women in the Baltimore City Police Department; the number and percentage of women in supervisory or high-ranking positions; promotional opportunities for career advancement; gender specific training to address issues that might arise among officers within the Department and in interaction with the general public; and recruitment efforts to attract more women to law enforcement.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Mayor, the Baltimore Police Commissioner, the Director of Human Resources, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
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