Not only do female officers use less physical force, but they are also better at reducing potentially violent confrontations. Their communication skills are invaluable at facilitating the cooperation and trust required in implementing a community policing model. In addition, they are not prone to problems with excessive use of force. In an age of prolific litigiousness, hiring and retaining more women in law enforcement is likely to be one solution to addressing issues of excessive force and citizen complaints. As a further bonus, female officers frequently respond more efficiently to acts of violence against women-a crime that represents approximately half of all violent calls to police (Cassidy, 2001).
These factors prove that not only are female officers as capable as their male counterparts, but that they are also uniquely advantaged. .
The Advantages of Hiring and Retaining Women in Law Enforcement.
Female Officers are Less Likely to Use Excessive Force.
On April 25, 1991, Timothy Egan of the New York Times was quoted as saying the following: Police work used to be like a laborer's job the only requirement was that you had to be tough. Now, that's not what we're looking for [The job] is all about knowing how to talk to people. We screen for drug use, criminal background, but we don't do much screening for people who can get along with other peopleA good cop knows how to defuse the situation by talking it out. (A14).
In this quote, Egan clearly illustrates how essential communication is for "good cops" in virtually every aspect of their job. An articulate officer can often reduce the need for force and help diffuse potentially violent situations. Using this definition coupled with 25 years of research conducted both abroad and within the U.S., females clearly fit the criterion for "good cops." Several studies have been conducted that demonstrate female officers employ an authoritarian style of policing that relies less on physical force notwithstanding comparisons in activity and effectiveness (Grennan, 1987).
