The is taking steps to bring more women into the force.
They're a member of the , a national effort that aims to increase the number of female recruits to 30% by 2030. Currently, women make up only 12% of the national sworn police force. Durham is above that with females making up 17% of its police force. Three of those officers are in executive positions, including the police chief.
Lt. Brie Butler said the community has benefited from women in leadership, since they can add a different viewpoint than their male counterparts.
"[The female perspective] has impacts in how policies are written,鈥� Butler said. 鈥淚t has impacts in how we respond to calls. It has impacts into how we investigate crimes. It has impact into how we engage with the community, because it's just a different perspective."
Last month, Durham Police hosted the Women LEED (Law Enforcement Exploration Day) event, which allowed prospective female officers to explore policing as a job. Attendees got to ask current officers questions and experience job duties firsthand through ride-along, firearms safety, and fitness breakout sessions.
The LEED event aimed to demonstrate policing as an accessible career choice for the prospective officers. According to Butler, many women walked away with greater confidence in their preparedness for the job.
鈥淲e even got beyond talking about recruiting and hiring to talk about, okay, once you're hired, what do I need to do to be successful, to get on that unit,鈥� Butler said. 鈥淎nd that's a very empowering thing, because now you're beyond, can I even be hired. You're starting to project into, how do I prepare myself for the specialized unit? That's what we're trying to build, is the confidence you can do this, and there is a home for you here.鈥�
The event was also marketed to teenagers as young as 16. For young people starting to consider their future, Butler said knowing how to enter the field makes all the difference.
鈥淎nd so, it gave an opportunity for them to think, okay, what can I do now?鈥� she said. 鈥淟ike, do I need a degree? And if I go get a degree, what degree should I get? You know, and kind of having those opportunities and knowing what's available to you. And so, for young people who are going to go to college now, that seed has been planted."
Butler also emphasized the importance of students鈥� current decisions. Many criminal charges, like drug use or shoplifting, could disqualify them for a job on the force later.
The 30x30 Initiative is not just about recruiting more female officers, but advancing opportunities for the ones already sworn in. Durham鈥檚 female officers have had the chance to attend national conferences like the International Association of Chiefs of Police鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Leadership Institute and International Association of Women Police.
鈥淭hose experiences come back with the officer,鈥� Butler says. 鈥淚t makes them a better officer. It makes them a better leader, but they also bring that knowledge back to the agency, and so the agency eventually evolves in a positive way, because we're learning from others. We're not just operating in a silo. We're learning from others and taking those experiences.鈥�
The DPD hopes to continue recruitment efforts in policing toward women through future events, similar to LEED.
