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Diversity In Policing

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The challenge of recruiting, hiring, and retaining a diverse workforce is a problem many upper-level management leaders are experiencing on a daily basis. These leaders understand that diversity within the workforce is one way to increase fairness and justice in society by promoting equality and non-discrimination in the treatment of its members (Workman-Stark, 2015). Many of our communities, just like the workforce, are made up of individuals of varying genders, nationalities, religions, sexual orientations, and ages. To best serve the public’s needs, all managers, but especially those of policing agencies should aim to fill their departments with a diverse group of individuals that reflects the populations in which they serve. A diverse …show more content…
The presence of physical risk reinforces a culture of masculinity and the image of the male as autonomous, brave, and strong. Male officers cling to the image of the physical crime fighter and downplay social service aspects of the job that are perceived as feminine work. Women have generally been deemed incapable of possessing the traditional masculine of strengths, courage, and authority, and therefore have been considered unable to do the job (Workman-Stark, …show more content…
The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is a good example of workforce diversity inequity. The following data was obtained from the 2013 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. In 2013, the CPD had a total of 12,042 officers. 6,279 were White, 2,263 were Hispanic, 2, 970 were Black, 39 were Asian, 324 were Hawaiian, and 166 identified themselves as having 2+ Races. The total minority police share was 47.9%, while the total minority population share was 68.0%. A comparison of Police Department and Population Demographics showed the White Police Share to be 52.1% compared to 32.0% of the White Population; for Hispanics the Police Share was 18.8% to a Population share of 29.1%; for Blacks the Police Share was 27.7% to a Population share of 31.3%; and for Asian’s the Police Share was 0.3% to a Population share of 5.8%.

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