Paramilitary “masculine” police organizations are often viewed as a site for socially constructed gendered action. Policing emphasizes gendered divisions of labor and the construction of different police images for male and female officers. The female voice of justice, however, stresses the values of care, connection, and relational concerns. Similar values have been used to characterize recent police reforms that adopt a more community-oriented role for police. This conceptual article explores the contradictions inherent in the conflict between traditional policing styles and beliefs and alternative policing strategies, such as community policing. Also discussed are the strategies used in community policing to personalize law enforcement and the implications for these alternative philosophies and practices in light of gendered action.
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