Abstract

Elite police specialty units are almost exclusively the domains of men. While women have made strides on patrol in many agencies, elite units have not witnessed the same progress. In this study, we interviewed 32 policewomen from across the United States who defied the odds and cultural perceptions of “appropriate” roles for women by earning positions on elite specialty units (i.e., SWAT, K9, motorcycles, and bomb units). Most were the only women on their units and half were the first in their agencies’ histories to enter that space. Participants’ descriptions of department, community, and team members’ responses to their selection are analyzed. Our focus on women who have broken the most formidable gender barriers in law enforcement allows us to better understand the continued exclusion of women and offer recommendations for increasing gender diversity throughout policing.

摘要

精英警察专业单位几乎完全是男性的领域。虽然女性在许多机构的巡逻方面取得了长足的进步，但精英部队却没有看到同样的进步。在这项研究中，我们采访了来自美国各地的 32 名女警察，她们通过在精英专业单位（即 SWAT、K9、摩托车和炸弹单位）获得职位来挑战女性“适当”角色的可能性和文化观念。大多数是他们单位中唯一的女性，一半是他们机构历史上第一个进入该领域的女性。分析了参与者对部门、社区和团队成员对其选择的反应的描述。