LSUPD officers and LSU faculty weighed in on the growing impact of women in the law enforcement field during Women’s History Month.
Currently, 12% of police officers are women, making them a considerably underrepresented group in the law enforcement field. But, the LSU community notices how women hold a unique role in the field.
There are many reasons why women pursue a career in law enforcement, including a family history in the field or simply job availability.
Sgt. Sarah Drake took on a job with LSUPD after being recruited by the department. Although it was not her first career choice, she quickly felt it was where she belonged.
“One of my favorite things about it was I got a small community feel, I felt like I was making a difference, but with some big city actions,” Drake said. “So, it met both criteria of what I was looking for.”
Her first role in the department was as a patrol officer, mainly working night shifts. This role led her to find a unique niche when working in the community.
She said she was able to provide a different outlook on crimes that involved women.
“When we were dealing with females, oftentimes I might be the person to speak with female victims or witnesses of those crimes,” Drake said. “It just makes some other females feel more comfortable and we were able to get a good interview or be able to make a difference there.”
Sarah Becker, director of LSU’s Program in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, said that from an academic perspective, women in law enforcement is beneficial to the job as a whole.
“Women entering law enforcement means police departments gain access to the talent and skills of a larger segment of the population,” Becker said. “This benefits everyone, because we get more high achievers in law enforcement roles.”
Dina Moreau, Communications Supervisor with LSUPD, also elaborated on the role women play in the law enforcement field.
“We have unique and diverse ways of looking at things. That is always going to make for a better agency and better officers, benefiting both sides of the coin,” Moreau said.
But serving in this role has not always been easy for women in the LSU community.
“While it has been difficult at times, there have been very hard calls; I use those as an opportunity to grow and share my experience,” Moreau said.
Becker added that research on women in male-dominate fields often document the challenges they face.
But, she explained that departments that engage with those challenges and prepare their teams to be adaptive have a greater success in creating a positive, effective work environment.
While March marks a month of celebration for Women’s History in all fields, women in law enforcement continue to promote their special role in the field to young girls who may be interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement.
“If that is your passion, do it. Don’t let people put you down or be a negative influence. Get out and do what you want to do, continue to follow that passion,” Moreau said.
