Women in policing: the experience of female police chiefs and deputy police chiefs

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the experience of Female Deputy Police Chiefs and Female Police Chiefs in the Male-Dominated Law Enforcement Environment. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten (10) female police chiefs and deputy police chiefs. Of the ten female police chiefs and deputy chiefs, five held the position of deputy chief of police, and five held the position of police chief. This qualitative phenomenological study involved one hour to one and one half hour long interviews with the ten female participants. The participants were asked questions pertaining to their experiences entering law enforcement, their experiences moving up the ranks, their experiences as the leaders of a police agency, and what advice they would give potential female officers, female officers who want to be police chief, and law enforcement. Audiotapes were transcribed and data analysis was performed. HyperRESEARCH™ was used to assist with the coding and analysis. Issues of validity and reliability were addressed through the use of member checking, a reflexive journal, and an audit trail. The analytical processes of this phenomenological research design revealed five major themes. They are: the female challenge in the male-dominated environment; the personal characteristics of the female police officer, the female deputy police chief; and the female police chief; the advantages of females in law enforcement; the participants' leadership styles; and advice from the participants to females entering law enforcement, female officers wanting to be police chief, and to the law enforcement community. Another final aspect of this study was to determine what the female deputy chiefs' perceptions of the police chief's job was accurate, and what the police chiefs believed to be the insights about the chief's job that is unknown to the deputy chiefs. These themes represent the phenomenon of the experiences of the female deputy police chief and female police chief.