Comparison of 80 female police and 80 male recruits during the first four months of patrol duty. In early 1972, police Chief Jerry V. Wilson of Washington, DC began to hire and assign to regular police patrol duties a substantial number of women. This report also noted the performance of 27 policewomen who were reassigned to patrol duties. The instruments used to measure effectiveness were official records, ratings, accounts of observers riding in patrol cars, anonymous police attitude surveys, and interviews with members of the public who had received services from the police. It was found that the women had substantially the same assignments as the men, but were assigned more senior partners. New women and new men made approximately the same number of arrests and were rated about the same in general patrol skills on Chief Wilson's survey. Unsigned surveys, however, showed negative attitudes toward policewomen on the part of patrolmen, both before and after assignment of women to patrol, and a rating of 'less competent' by captains, lieutenants, and sergeants. Police service given by both men and women was equally acceptable to citizens who rated both groups highly for their attitudes, respect for citizens, and their ability to handle a variety of situations. In the four months treated by the report, the new officers had been involved in few situations involving violence or potential violence. In those few situations there was little difference between men and women.

Describes the circumstances and events which led to the 138 women law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty, the identity of their perpetrator(s), and the deposition of the case, with a biography and photo of each officer and their descendants. Author Dr. William Wilbanks carefully researched each case and unveiled the mystery of unsolved deaths.

An up-close account of policing during the Ferguson protests, providing insights from both police officers and members of the community Policing Unrest presents the frontline experiences of police officers during the intense three weeks of protest, vigils, looting, violence, and large civil demonstrations in and around Ferguson, Missouri, following the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer. Looking closely at the lived experiences of police officers and community residents, Tammy Rinehart Kochel raises important questions about police-community relations and the role of police as peacekeepers in support of social justice. Drawing on interviews with dozens of police personnel who policed the protests, Kochel offers insight into their shared experiences and provides compelling personal accounts of how they performed their jobs during the protest. The book covers a range of topics such as police-community relationships and community policing principles; how factors such as police subculture and organizational culture stacked up against social identity during this crisis; the role of an officer’s characteristics, especially an officer’s race, play in an officer’s self-legitimacy; and the implications for police recruitment and training. Kochel’s unique access allowed her to provide a balanced perspective on police officers’ cynicism and public protests against police that were rampant in the year following Ferguson against the need to restore police-community relations and police legitimacy through increased transparency, accountability, and procedural justice. Policing Unrest explains how the Ferguson protests ushered in an era of police reform and reveals what it is like being a police officer facing public unrest, particularly in the wake of widely publicized incidents of police brutality around the country.