Dilemmas Confronting Female Police Officer Promotional Candidates: Glass Ceiling,Disenfranchisement or Satisfaction?

Abstract

Through an analysis of data from one large Midwestern municipal police agency, this study examined some of the issues affecting the promotion of female police officers. Specifically, the issues examined are those influencing the decision about whether to enter the promotional process and, once a decision is made to enter the process, those factors influencing women during the process. Within the agency under study, the rate of promotion for females still lags behind that for males. The study found that personal ‘choices' constrained by impediments from both within and outside the organisation contributed to the lack of parity. Based on these findings, suggestions are made for strategies to increase the numbers of women, relative to men, in supervisory and managerial positions.