Testimony of Katherine Spillar, 1991-05-13 |
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.> THE FUND FO R THE FEMINIST MAJORITY 8105 West Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048 Telephone (213) 651-0495 Fax (213) 653-2689 Testimony of Katherine Spillar National Coordinator The Fund for the Feminist Majority Before the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department May 13, 1991 Introduction Testimony of Katherine Spillar National Coordinator The Fund for the Feminist Majority Before the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department May 13 , 1991 My name is Katherine Spillar . I testify today in my capacity as the National Coordinator of the Fund for the Feminist Majority . The Fund for the Feminist Majority is a national organization specializing in research on the impacts of , and public policy responses to, the under-representation of women in decision-making positions and positions of authority in all sectors of society. I am speaking on behalf of feminists everywhere who are concerned by the extreme police violence displayed in the brutal beating of Rodney King and the epidemic of violence against women. In preparing this testimony, we have conducted extensive research, including a review of the literature and interviews with specialists nationwide on women in policing and police violence. The research has profound implicat i ons for this Commission' s work in examining and proposing solutions t o the problem of excessive police violence within the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and for saving taxpayer money now paid out in costly settlements in police violence cases and sexual harassment and race and sex discrimination lawsuits . The eyes of the nation are upon this Commission and its work . 1 What you do will affect not only what happens here in Los Angeles, but has implications nationally and internationally as well. By focusing your inquiry around .the. impact Q.t. ~ gender make-up Q_f tile. police force nn policing operations -- especially nn police response .t.Q violence against women -- .filld rn .the. ™ Q_f violence in policing, this Commission has an unparalleled opportunity to recommend effective solutions to the problems of excessive use of violence within the LAPD. The research both in the United States and internationally shows that women police officers ~ .le.s..s.. authoritarian fillli .u.s..e. force ~ often than their ~ counterparts, are better at defusing potentially violent confrontations, possess better communication skills, and respond lllQ.I:.e. effectively .t..Q incidents Q.f. violence against women -- a crime that accounts for as much as half the incoming calls to police departments . ~ Independent Commission lll.U.s.t. examine police violence in .the. ~ in ~ context Qf .the. gender ~ .filld ~ discrimination .th.at. exist within ~ Police Department, in addition to racial discrimination factors . Further, the costs Q.f. sexual harassment .an.ct. ~ anQ. ~ discrimination cases against the LAPD must be added together with the costs Qf police violence itself in calculating the total unnecessary costs to the Los Angeles taxpayer of a white- and male-dominated police force . Until now, the integration of women into the Police Department has been seen in terms of creating potential problems and costs . Policemen feared more women would compromise the Department's toughness and competency, and thus lead to decreased Departmental morale. But after 20 years of exhaustive research, 2 the consensus of opinion is that women not only can do the job of policing equally as well as men , but in fact hold the key for substantially decreasing police violence and its cost to the Los Angeles taxpayer, while improving the ability of the Department to respond to violence in Los Angeles . Therefore, The Feminist Majority calls for gender balance .Q.U .t.ha .LAl:D. .a.t. .a.l..i r anks and in .a.l..i categories Q.f police functions. Gender balance -- that is , equal numbers of women and men in the police department in all decision-making and operational capacities -- would accomplish two vital goals: • police violence would be reduced while at the same time increasing the efficiency of the LAPD, and • the Department's ability to respond to the rising violence against women would be enhanced . The full integration of women into the LAPD .is. Qil opportunity .f.Q.r. a constructive solution to the costly problems of police violence and to the Department ' s inability to more effectively respond to the rising violence against women. We call on the Independent Commission to seek answers to the following questions in order to seriously address the issue of police violence: 1 . How do incidents of police abuse of force and police violence , citizen complaints , and complaints filed by domestic violence/sexual assault victims break-down by gender and race of the police officer involved? 2 . What is the break-down of the total monetary costs to the City of Los Angeles and the severity of police violence by gender and race of the officer involved? 3 . What is the incidence and cost to the City of Los Angeles of sexual harassment and sex and race discrimination lawsuits? 4 . What are the Department ' s policies on affirmative action? Why have the current sex and race affirmative action plans failed to meet their goal? 3 5 . Are there female citizen or policewomen complaints of sexual harassment, rape and sexual assault against male police officers? Is there a pattern of abuse? Are cases vigorously investigated? 6. Is there a pattern of Departmental failure to respond to sexual assault and domestic violence calls? 7. And, finally, does the Department screen recruits for personal views on the use of violence in gaining compliance and the use of violence within the family? The More Women in Policing Reduces Police Brutality Holding significant implications for the Independent Commission's investigation of police violence, the research over the past two decades indicates that women police officers have a less authoritarian and aggressive policing style and use force less often than their male counterparts . Lewis J . Sherman , in his research in the 1970s on women in policing, hypothesized on how the full integration of women into the police department would impact its policies and procedures. Observing that "America's police forces remain bastions of male supremacy and American-style machismo, " 1 he postulated that if more women were hired : • Policewomen would precipitate less violence than policemen . .. • By doing their jobs with less physical force, policewomen would do much to burnish the public's badlytarnished image of police officers. • The less violent behavior of policewomen would spill over on policemen, who would learn that a decrease in muscularity often leads to an increase in efficiency. • Policewomen would be considerably more effective than 1 Lewis J Sherman, "A Psychological View of Women in Policing," Journal of Police Science and Administration 1, 383. 4 policemen in settling problems reported by women, ... 2 Sherman stressed that a greater number of women would lead to fewer violent confrontations between police officers and citizens: "The experiences of women in other hazardous work, the performance of policewomen in America and abroad, plus the social psychological research evidence all suggests that women tend to defuse volatile situations and provoke less hostility than men.n3 In a 1973 study, trained observers evaluated men and women police officers of the Washington, D.C. Police Department on a range of performance variables. The observers rode with the officers, analyzed departmental performance statistics, and interviewed citizens. The study found men and women police officers : . .. responded to similar calls and encountered similar proportions of citizens who were dangerous, upset, drunk, and violent .. . There were no reported incidents that cast doubts on the women's abilities to perform patrol work satisfactorily ... They [the women] seemed more effective .t.fil!n ~ men in defusing potentially violent situations [emphasis added]. Their policing style was less aggressive.• An expansive 1974 study by Peter Bloch and Deborah Anderson sponsored by the Police Foundation concluded that introducing a substantial number of women officers would positively impact police operations : A department with a substantial number of policewomen may be less aggressive than one with only men . Women act less aggressively and they believe in less aggression. .'.I.he. presence .o..f... women m..a.y_ stimulate increased attention .t.Q ~ ~ .Q.f avoiding violence .and 2 Ibid. I 384. 3 Ibid. I 393. 4 Joseph Balkin, "Why Policemen Don't Like Policewomen," Journal of Police Science and Adininistration 16, 30. 5 cooling violent situations without resorting .t..Q .the. .:u.s..e. .Qf force [emphasis added] . 5 Studies in the 1980s and early 1990s, have shown women to be more effective in many facets of the policing discipline: women police officers rely less on violence and more on verbal skills in handling altercations, they are less likely to be involved in "serious unbecoming conduct, " 6 and they are more effective in handling female victims of violence. In his 1983 study of the performance of women in the Los Angeles Police Department, Kenneth Hickman made similar findings. Hickman noted that women had superior communication skills, field tactics , initiative and self-confidence, and were more adept at public relations. The 1990 Claremont Graduate School study on the selection, recruitment, training, appointment and performance of women and minorities found that "females on probation were the subject of significantly fewer citizen complaints than either male or minority officers . " 7 In perhaps the most significant empirical research on the differences in the use of force between women and men police officers , Sean Grennan studied the 3,515 complaints filed against the New York City Police Department in 1989. Women officers received fewer complaints, were less inclined to use deadly force and were involved in fewer shooting incidents, ~ though they were involved in just as many violent confrontations as their male s Peter D. Bloch and Deborah Anderson, "Police Women on Patrol: Final Report," (Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 1974), page 4, as quoted in The Claremont Graduate School Study, "The Impact of Fanchon Blake v. City of Los Angeles," July, 1990 . 6 Patricia W. Lunnenborg, Women Police Officers--Current Career Profiles, (Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas, 1989), 110. 7 The Claremont Study, 108. 6 counterparts. Grennan concluded : The reality of the information related to the [lower] proportion of shooting incidents involving female officers and the [lower] number of civilian complaints against female officers is that these figures have remained, consistently, at the same levels for the past seven years . This, of course, seems to indicate that female officers have not accepted the overly aggressive style of policing that has become the trademark of most male officers. 8 In an earlier article entitled "Findings on the Role of Officer Gender in Violent Encounters with Citizens," Grennan writes: Police officials and the public have speculated that because women lacked the physical stature and body strength of male officers a female officer may be more inclined to use a firearm than her male counterpart. This research indicates that this belief is incorrect. Women police officers .. . lack a need to project the "macho" image that seems to be inherent in the personality of most male officers . ~ female officer, Ni.th heI. ~ aggressive personality , ~ ~ likely .t.Q ~ a potentially violent situation .and avoid injury .t.Q all Q.f .the. participants [emphasis added] . 9 Patricia W. Lunnenborg, compiling the data from a variety of studies on gender and policing styles, summarizes that data shows women police officers : •are less aggressive and less confrontational •are more polite, gentle and compassionate •depend more on verbal skills •handle service and domestic calls better 8 Sean Grennan, "Who is More Violent: The Male or Female Police Officer," Article submitted to Glamour Maqazine for publication, April 1991, 4. 9 Sean Grennan, "Findings on the Role of Officer Gender in Violent Encounters with Citizens," Journal of Police Science and Administration 15 : 1, 1987, 84 . 7 •have the edge in public contacts and community relations . 10 Studies show that because .Q.f_ their less authoritarian personalities. there il less likelihood .Q.f. escalation .Q..f. potentially violent situations liit.h women police officers .t.lliin Researcher Carol Ann Martin found that "Women have proven that they have excellent communication skills which can be extremely helpful in police-citizen encounters where there may be potential violence. Quite often if the male officer is of the John Wayne-type he will provoke a fight or violence, instead of calming down the situation."11 In an extensive review of the research on women in policing, Joseph Balkin reports that "policemen see police work as involving control through authority, while policewomen see it as a public service . The women's orientation is more likely to result in better relations with the public and a better image of police departments . " 12 Balkin went on to suggest that \\ .. in. some respects .QJ:. least , women ~ better suited .f.ru;: police ~ .t..hfill m.e.n. •• . not all women are able to handle all police jobs--but neither are men [emphasis added) . " 13 Katharine Van Wormer went even further, in an article entitled "Are Males Suited to Police Patrol Work?" Although written in a somewhat tongue-and-cheek manner, her theories are solid. She found that the policeman's proclivity fQ£ violence .filll! ~ resistance .t..Q. women officers tends .t.Q. make him counter- 10 Patricia w. Lunnenborg, Women Police Officers--Current Career Profiles, (Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas, 1989). 11 Carol Ann Martin, "Women Police and Stress : Remarks," The Police Chief, March 1983, 108. 12Balkin, 34 . 13Balkin, 35. 8 productiye. His attitudes jeopardize both community and inter-police relations and threaten his ability to effectively serve his community. Van Wormer concludes that policewomen meet the public better and are better at dealing with rape victims and domestic violence. To overcome the men's shortcomings, Van Wormer proposed police departments create "special" selection and training policies for male recruits. The apparent differences in female/male police officer use of violence reflects what we know generally about sex role socialization and aggressive behavior. A number of studies have shown males to be more aggressive and authoritarian than females: The male gender role includes norms encouraging many forms of aggression . . . Numerous public opinion surveys document that men are more approving of aggression than are women. Survey findings ... have shown repeatedly that men have more favorable attitudes than women toward aggressive and violent behavior in realms as diverse as international relations and war, social control and law enforcement, interpersonal relations, and the portrayal of violence on television. 14 Th.e. Feminist Majority calls ..fQJ;: adding equal numbers .Q..f women police officers !..Q .the. LA£ll .t.o. reduce police violence. Not only would this decrease the level of police violence but it would also bring police work. Times: LAPD personnel more in line with the real nature of As discussed in a recent article in The New York "Police work used to be like a laborer's job .. . The only requirement was that you had to be tough. Now, that's not what we' re looking for . " . .. [The job] is all about knowing how to talk to people. We screen for drug use, criminal background, but we don't do much screening for people who can get along with other people." .. . "a good cop knows how to defuse the situation by talking it 1•Alice H. Eagley and Valerie J. Steffen, "Gender and Aggressive Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Social Psychological Literature," Psychological Bulletin 100 : 3, 1986, 310. 9 out . 111s Although policemen continue to believe that "the women's relative lack of physical strength ... could be a problem in dangerous and violent situations, 1116 the reality is that 80 to 95 percent of policing involves non- violent or service-oriented activities . And in defense of policewomen, Balkin points out in his review of the research in this area: ... physical strength has. never b..e..en. shown t..Q. b..e.. related t..Q. police function i ng (Sherman 1973). No research has shown that strength is related to an individual's ability to manage successfully a dangerous situation (Bell 1982) . There are no reports in the literature of bad outcomes because a policewoman did not have enough strength or aggression (Charles 1981) ... Lehtinen (1976) observed that the ability .t.Q. defuse a potentially violent situation .is. preferable t..Q. .the.~ Q.f. strength. Rogers ( 1987) argued that coolness .and skill .ar..e. lllQ.J:.e.. important .than strength .in. conflict situations [emphasis added] . 1 ' The Claremont Study summarized : The consensus of informed opinion is that effective professional law enforcement requires a high level of intelligence and less emphasis on physical strength . .I.he. less-aggressive, interactive , progressive approach generally .is. preferred .t..Q .the. traditionally aggressive, confrontational , .aru:.l conf lict escalating approach criticized .in. several Q.f. .the. studies . 18 In sum, adding equal numbers .Q.f women police officers .t.Q. ~ .LA£.Q liill reduce incidents .Q.f police violence .an.d enhance .t..he. department's ability .t..Q. modify .it..s. policing style .in .l.in.e. lii.t.h societal needs QilQ. realities . 15 Timothy Egan, "Image of 'Man' Behind Badge Changing," The New York Times, April 25, 1991, Al4. 16 Balkin, 34 . 17 Ibid. 18 The Claremont Study, 77. 10 More Women Officers Improves Police Response to Violence Against Women The gross absence of women on the police force not only contributes to the problems of police violence, but results in violence against women being treated less seriously. Violence against women is now a nationwide epidemic : •Every six minutes a woman is raped in the United States . •Every fifteen seconds a woman is beaten by her husband or partner. •Domestic violence is believed to be the most common yet least reported crime in the United States. •Battery is the single major cause of injury to women--more significant than street rapes, muggings, or auto accidents. Yet the majority of violent crimes against women go unreported, uninvestigated, and unpunished . Police departments have shown a lack of serious attention given to domestic violence. As a result, women victims of domestic violence are reluctant to call the police because they believe the officers won't help or, worse yet, will side with the male perpetrator of violence . The views expressed .by and. reinforced within .t.h.e. male-dominated police department serve .t..Q. obstruct justice .f.QJ;. women victims . Jalna Hanmer and associates explain: Research indicates that police attitudes towards crimes such as rape, sexual assault, and battering include assumptions about male rights and female blame . Police attitudes ... are likely .tQ dissuade women from complaining about men's violence19 [emphasis added] . Victims of rape and domestic violence often report feeling 19 Jalna Hanmer, pages 65 and 52, respectively. 11 humiliated, accused and alienated from the criminal justice system -- the very system that is supposed to help them. One study found that in several cases the police officer who first reported to the scene of a rape actually took advantage of the victim's vulnerable situati on to sexually assault her.~ In many instances, there is s i mply no response by the police to male violence against women . An internal investigation by the Oakland Police Department found that 90% of the sexual assault reports it ignored in 1989 and 1990 should have been investigated. According to The Los Angeles Times , "police administrators called for the investigation in January after The San Francisco Examiner revealed that nearly one in four women who reported a rape or an attempted rape were ignored. " 21 Again , differences between women and men police officers suggest that increasing .the. numbers .Q..f women police officers would dramatical ly enhance .the. LAPD ' s a b ility .tQ respond effectively .t.Q violence against women. A 1983 study by Daniel Kennedy and Robert Homant found "that policewomen were especially valued in domestic disputes ... most important was the policewoman ' s ability to show concern . " 22 A 1985 study by Homant and Kennedy found a strong correlation between police officer gender and the amount of "involvement" displayed by the officer reporting to a scene of domestic violence . Women police officers believed more strongly in the need to show sympathy and understanding in order to successfully ~ "Testimony Before the House Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families , " Dean Kilpatrick, Ph .D., 1990. 21 "Police Were Wrong in Rapes , Chief Says," Los Angeles Times, 2/ 4/1991. 22 Balkin, 32 . 12 handle the dispute. Additionally, women officers were more convinced .Q.:f. .t.h..e. importance .Q.f responding .t.Q. famil y fights as. a crucial police .duty and less apt to think "that a certain amount of physical fighting between couples was to be expected. " 23 Women officers expressed greater disagreement that marital rape should be legal . The Homant and Kennedy study concluded "that policewomen have a different set of values and goals for dealing with family fights . " Battered women "who had had contact with policewomen had a more favorable evaluation of police in general, and policewomen in particular, than did those women without policewomen contact."~ Clearly, police officer attitude plays a pivotal role in how that officer approaches incidents of violence against women. Daniel Saunders and Patricia Size , in a 1986 study, report that: traditional views of women were associated with holding rape victims accountable for their rapes ... attitudes determine the extent of officer action, Hi.th stronger sexist attitudes and greater general approval .Q.f marital violence associated ~ a lessened tendency .t.Q. arrest. counsel. Q..t:. refer in domestic violence cases. 25 [emphasis added] Sexist attitudes .and approval .Q.f. marital violence among police officers correlate l:l.i.t..h greater police violence: it should be noted that the same LAPD officers who beat Rodney King so severely, referred to an earlier domestic violence call as a scene out of "Gorillas in the Mist." ~ Robert J. Homant and Daniel B. Kennedy, "Police Perceptions of Spouse Abuse: A Comparison of Male and Female Officers," Journal of Criminal Justice 13 : 29-47. 2 ' Homant and Kennedy, 42. 25 Daniel Saunders and Patricia Size, "Attitudes About Woman Abuse Among Police Officers, Victims, and Victim Advocates," Journal of Interpersonal Violence 1, 19&6: 25-42 13 Increasing ~ number .o.t.. women in the police force ltl.J.i decrease ~ prevalence QL. anti-woman . victim-blame attitudes which preclude .tllil appropriate .and critical handling QL. domestic v i olence .and sexual assault cases. Women victims of violence will be less hesitant to report incidents of violence to police, as they will be more confident their pleas for help will be taken seriously. Increasing .the. nu!Dber .Q.f women officers . lii.t.h their stronger verbal mediation skills, .lii.l.l. reduce .tllil amount .Q.f force needed .t.Q resolve incidents .Q.f. domestic violence. As a result, the Department will increase its efficiency in responding to the profound problem of violence against women . Sex Discrimination in Police Department Solidifies Dangerous ~Pack Mentality" ~ ~ .Q.f women police officers .in ~ lJ1fQ reinforces fill.ct exaggerates .tilll authoritarian .and traditional personalities which t h r i ve .QD.. v i olence . Composed of people who have a common background and a common set of social attitudes and values, the police department reflects a "male fraternity" society where unacceptable behavior not only receives little peer scrutiny but is actually reinforced by other members of the group. Susan Martin describes this "police subculture" as being based, in part, .QD.. .a s h a r ed def init ion .o.f. t..h.e.. members' masculinity. She writes : This solidarity is in the service of ameliorating the men's sense of isolation from the public and the dangerousness of their work . Women in policing undermine this solidarity . They are not like them, and 14 are opposed . 2 ' Women and minority officers present a force which can challenge the white male-dominated structure and value system of the police institution. In his 1973 article, Lewis J. Sherman noted that: Introducing new kinds of people--women--to the patrol forces would diversify their attitudes arui breakdown what Chief John Nichols of Detroit calls "the. squadroom .s.et_ Q.f. values" or help in what Chief Bernard Garmire of Miami calls "the humanizing of policemen" 21 [emphasis added]. There must be enough women, however, so they can withstand what Jalna Hanmer and associates call : ... the power of masculinity within the organization of policing. Women who enter the force can be overshadowed by an institution that rigorously reinforces a gendered male view of policing and of men and women ... The presence of a small number of women in contemporary police forces cannot dent a male-dominated institution committed to securing the gendered status quo. The presence of a few women off ice rs cannot alter the fact that in most policing situations police officers intervene as male gendered subjects. 21 As tokens within the department, women (and their different policing styles) are "perceived as 'in' but not 'of' the organization . " 29 As a result, the few women in the department are highly visible and receive excessive scrutiny and little respect from their peers. As summarized in the Claremont Study: 2i Despite their adequate performance as police officers, as long as women from all ethnic groups remain few in Susan Martin, "The Police Subculture and Policewoman," paper delivered as summarized by Joseph Balkin, 35. 27 Lewis J . Sherman, "A Psychological View of Women in Policing," Journal of Police Science and Aciministration 1:4, 1973, 393. 28 Jalna Hanmer et al . , 191 ~ Eric D. Poole and Mark R. Pogrebin, "Factors Affecting the Decision to Remain in Policing: A Study of Women Officers," Journal of Police Science and Ac:lministration 16:1, 1988 , 49. 15 numbers within the law enforcement and traditionally male dominated service agencies , they will remain as "tokens" They will continue to be viewed as stereotypes by their male counterparts, and they will continue to be subjected to the closest scrutiny . 30 To overcome the problems of tokenism, the LAPD must have enough women police officers so they can make contributions and exert their ™ style .Q.f policing within the Department while withstanding the pressure of the Department's "gendered male view" of policing to overpower them. Enough women police officers and racial minorities would be able to interrupt .t.h.e. IIl.Q.J:.e. violent .a.rui authoritarian white ~ "pack mentality" and make for _g_ better police force overall. Costs of Gender Bias in the Police Department To create a full understanding of the "gendered' male view" of policing, the Commission must also examine and address male police officer attitudes toward policewomen. Studies indicate that the majority of male police officers still hold traditional, stereotyped views of women as of the "weaker" sex, and treat them accordingly. This treatment takes the form of exaggerated gender harassment .a.rui uneQual promotional opportunities. The harassment is pervasive: an overwhelming sixty-eight percent of women police officers in NYC surveyed by Samuel Janus in 1988 had experienced sexual harassment on the job . Similarly, William Timmins and associates, in their 1988 study of women in law enforcement , found that open ~ discrimination .a.mi sexual harassment .!tiLS.. .s..Q ~The Claremont Study, 37. 16 peryasiye .t.ha.t. supervisors .and commanders llilt. ~ tolerated .5..llC.h practices .mt. others bY.t. ~ freguently perpetrators themselves. Such treatment is an expression of hostility and discrimination and works to deter women from entering and excelling in the field. The extensive research on policewomen reveals that the biggest problem they continue to face is the negative attitudes and treatment by policemen. A 1987 study by Cynthia Brewer on the role of women in police work "found that the main obstacle confronting women continues to be male attitudes towards them as well as the influence of stereotypical role models in law enforcement. " 31 According to a 1983 study reviewed by Balkin, " ... the single greatest source of stress for the [police) women was the negative attitudes of policemen . " 32 How do these negative attitudes manifest themselves? Balkin describes a 1983 study by Wexler and Logan which documented: ... anti-woman remarks (in their presence), comments about a woman's sexual orientation, and refusals to talk to the women at all. A policewoman reported that the men were very interested in whether policewomen were lesbians . If not, the men flirted or teased them ... Women described spending eight hours in a patrol car with policemen who did not say a word to them. Wong (1984) reported widespread sexual harassment, seeing it as an expression of hostility and degradation. Martin ( 197 8) said that policemen show their dominance by cursing, putdowns, and "affectionate" terms of address. Nonverbal means included touch and "chivalrous ceremonies . " 33 In a 1988 study, the majority of members of the International Association of Women Police surveyed felt they were underutilized 31 The Claremont Study, 27. 32 Balkin, 33. 33 Balkin, 33. 17 and had fewer opportunities than their male peers. Women police officers seem to be facing an entire structure geared against them . Poole and Pogrebin write of their study: After just three years on the force , only a small proportion of women officers still aspire to rise in the police organization. It is likely that these officers have recognized in a relatively short period of time that few women actually get promoted; consequently , policewomen lack a variety of female role models in higher ranks who they could realistically strive to emulate. " 34 One article in Law Enforcement News concludes that to recruit more women, police departments must overcome the serious problem of : " . . . traditional stereotypical views concerning the nature of police work in general, that is, it is still dominantly perceived as a male oriented profession with a major emphasis on physical strength . " 35 Examples of "traditional stereotypical views" of women in policing can be found at the highest levels of the LAPD. The Independent Commission must examine the extent to which Police Chief Daryl Gates' public comments on women on patrol reinforce "existing anti-female prejudices . " 36 Additionally, the extent to which Assistant Police Chief Robert Vernon's participation in a series of audiotapes entitled "The True Masculine Role" reverberates throughout the LAPD must be assessed. According to the Los Angeles Magazine May 1991 issue, in these tapes Vernon instructs that "the woman is to be submissive to the man" and encourages men to " recognize the ~ Poole and Pogrebin, 54 "The Claremont Study, 77. ~ Kenneth Hickman, 1983, as reviewed in The Claremont Study, 36. 18 concept of disciplining followers, whether it be your son, employees or anyone under your control--your wife." advocates administering "beatings" to rebellious children . Gender Balance Needed in the LAPD He also The LAPD is under a 1981 Consent Decree to increase the numbers of women hired onto the police force . But, over the past decade, the LAPD ~ failed miserably .in recruiting filld promoting women within it..s_ ranks . Women still hold only a token status in the Department . Even the Claremont Study, which concluded that the LAPD had "exhibited a good faith adherence to the Decree's mandates," admitted the Department fill significantly behind in recruiting .and promoting women . Analysis of the current police force by gender, ethnicity and rank speaks volumes to the failure of the Department in meeting even the minimal affirmative action requirements set forth in the 1981 Consent Decree. Women are only 13% of the police force , with virtually no or only token numbers of women at the higher ranks . The numbers and percentages for African-American, Latina, and Asian-American women are even worse (see attached chart) . In short, with only men serving in the higher ranks of the Department, .t.h.e. LAPD .i.a. a mostly white, authoritarian maledominated fraternity that il creating huge costs .Qil. ~ L..Q..s_ Angeles taxpayer, while increasing violence a.n.d jeopardizing women's lives . Of course, the LAPD is not alone in its failure to integrate women into the police force. In fact, the countless studies reveal that even until this day, women have made only limited 19 gains in law enforcement, and the majority of women still hold traditional female jobs . One 1986 study concluded "There is no reason to believe that time alone will rectify the underuse of women across police functions . n But the LAPD and this Independent Commission today have an opportunity to change the situation in Los Angeles once and for all. Up until now , increasing the numbers of women police officers was seen as problematic : more women would weaken the force, it was asserted, compromising the police department's ability to serve the community and damaging police morale. But, to the contrary, the data is overwhelming and conclusive: not only can women excel at the job of policing, but increasing women on the police force will reduce the police violence that is plaguing the LAPD . And, more women on the force will enhance the Department ' s ability to serve the entire Los Angeles community by increasing its responsiveness to violence against women. Thus , the full integration of women into the LAPD can only be seen as an opportunity, and policewomen themselves can only be seen as an asset to policing. Simply stated, the full integration of women into the LAPD is a solution to the costly problem of police violence . This Commission cannot. solve the problems of police violence within the Los Angeles Police Department without issuing ~ mandate .f.Qr. gen der balance .Qil. t.h.e. police force . The decades of foot-dragging and resistance to change must end. current gender illld racial makeup Qi. ~ force unfair , .i.t. .i..s. 37 Carole G. Garrison and associates, "Utilization of Policewomen," The Police Chief, 33 20 ineffective in handling .Q.D.e. .Q..f. .the. Ill.Q.S.t. peryasiye crimes in Q!.l.r. society - - violence against women -- .arui .i.s. costly in terms Qi_ b.Q.t.h human lives .a.nd safety .and taxpayer dollars. Formal Structures Needed for Gender Balance The goal must be a police force that reflects the community's entire population. But in order to increase the numbers of women in the Police Department across all police functions, .it. will ~ necessary .t..Q haY.e. formal plans .and administrative structures .f..Q.r.: mandated change .a.nil. gender balance. Experts emphasize the need to create a "formal administrative structure" established specifically to achieve social equity for women in policing . Susan Martin, in Women on the Moye, recommends police departments: • concentrate voluntary affirmative action efforts on enlarging the pool of women recruits •alter promotional standards to eliminate criteria that are irrelevant to supervisory ability or potential • adopt stringent policies for dealing with sexual harassment •alter work conditions to increasing the number of women in recruitment training and assignments •periodically monitor departments to ensure that women are not tracked into clerical (or "female") assignments. Michael Hennessey, the Sheriff of San Francisco, writes: "the only way we can · overcome the mistakes of the past is by implementing pro-active policies today ." He concludes: It is not enough to announce a commitment to equal opportunity: We must reach out and bring these opportunities directly to those who have been 21 traditionally underrepresented. 38 Conclusions The Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department IlU!..S.t. .c.aJ.J.. .f.Q..r. .the. L.AE.Q .t.o. IDQ.Y.e. rapidly .in achieving equal numbers .o..f. women fill.d ID.fill fill.d racial parity Qil. .t..h.e. police force -- fil. Q.U levels Qllil ranks if police violence is to be reduced and if Los Angeles is to ever deal effectively with the epidemic of male violence against women. Merely complying with the 1981 Consent Decree that mandates 20% women on the LAPD, lii.l.l IlQt. b..e. enough .t.o. achieve t.h.e. impacts .s..e..e.n in .the. social psychological fill.d empirical research Qil. women in policing . What's more, the Department ~ failed miserably in achieving .e..Y..e.n .the. minimal goals for women police officers set forth in the Decree . We must again call attention to the fact that a decade has passed since the Consent Decree went into effect. In these past ten years, the Department has progressed less than half way toward meeting its goals. At this rate, it will take another ten years to achieve the 20% women in the force mandated in the Decree. The deliberate footdragging and stonewalling within the Department mean that the chances of reaching 50% women police officers under the status quo are nonexistent. Clearly. .Yill.a.t. .i.s. being .dQnn for integration .is. inadequate and .is. costing .L.Q.S. Angeles citizens a high price -- in money, human suffering, and women's lives. If the LAPD is to attract substantially more women in an effort to reduce violence and enhance the Department's ability to ~Michael Hennessey, Law Enforcement News , 2/28/1989, 8-9. 22 effectively respond to violence against women, this Commission and the Department must: •First, determine that the goal is equal numbers of women and men at all ranks and for all LAPD assignments not the token 20% women set out in the 1981 Consent Decree. • Secondly, the City must immediately contract experts to develop a plan to achieve gender balance and full racial integration on the LAPD. Without concrete and positive steps, the costs of police violence, sex and race discrimination, and sexual harassment will only escalate . We urge this Commission to move quickly and decisively. 23 LAPD Personnel by Rank, Gender and Ethnicity Total Black His~anic Asian Caucas i an Rank Chief Male 100% (1) 0 0 0 100% (1) Female 0 0 0 0 0 Deputy Chief II Male 100% (2) 0 0 0 100% (2) Female 0 0 0 0 0 Deputy Chief I Male 100% (6) 17% ( 1) 0 0 83% (5) Female 0 0 0 0 0 Commander Male 100% ( 19) 5% (1) 10% ( 2) 0 86% ( 16) Female 0 0 0 0 0 Captain III Mal e 86 . 4% (27) 11% (3) 7% (2) 0 79% (22) Female 3.6% (1) 0 0 0 4% ( 1) Captain II Male 100% ( 1 7) 0 0 0 100% (17) Female 0 0 0 0 0 Captain I Male 100% (21) 9.5% (2) 9 . 5% (2) 0 81% (17) Female 0 0 0 0 0 Lieutenant II Male 95.3% (122) 6% ( 8) 10% (13) 1% (1) 78% ( 100) Female 4.7% (6) 0 .73 % ( 1) 0 4% (5) ' Lieutenant I Male 98% ( 99) 6% (6) 8% (8) 1% (1) 83% (84) Female 2% (2) 0 0 0 2% (2) Total Black Hispanic Asian Caucasian Detecti ve III Male 96% (2 95) 6.5% (20) 10% (30) 1% ( 2) 79% (24 2) Female 4% (12) .33% ( 1) 0 0 3. 6% (11) Detecti ve II Male 94% (558) 4.7% (28) 13 . 5% ( 80) 1% (8) 74% ( 4 4 0) Female 6% (33) .7% ( 4) 0.7% (4) 0 4.2% (25) Detecti ve I Ma l e 88% ( 450) 7.3% (3 7) 15 . 5% ( 7 9) 3% ( 16) 62% (315) Female 12% (60) 2.2% ( 11) 2 . 6% (13) .2% (1) 6.8% (35) Sergeant II Male 98% (2 91) 10% (30) 12% (35) 1% (2) 7 5% (22 4) Femal e 2% (8) 0 0 0 2% ( 6°) Sergeant I Male 96% (551 ) 8.5% ( 4 9) 11% (54) 2% (12) 74% ( 4 23) Female 4% ( 2 4) 1% ( 6) .4% (2) 0 2. 8% ( 16) Police Officer III Male 87% ( 192 8) 12% (272) . 18% (392) 2% ( 4 7) 54% ( 1201) Female 13% (2 93) 2 . 3% (52) 3.2% (7 0) .2% (4) 7 . 3% ( 161) Police Officer II Male 83% (2068) 13% ( 322) 23% (580) 2 . 4% (61) 44% (1087) Female 17% ( 422) 3.5% ( 8 6) 4 . 3% ( 10 6) . 6% (15) 8 . 7% (217) Police Officer I Male 7 6% (781) 16% ( 1 62) 2.,6% (2 64) 3% (38) 30% (309) Female 24% (24 5) 4.6% ( 4 7) 5:7% (58) .9% ( 9) 12.5% (128) TOTAL 14% ( 1150) 22% (1805) 3% (21 7) 6 1% (5112) Black Hispanic Asian Caucasian 13% (110 9 ) Female Source: LAPD Per sonnel Department (March 24, 1991) Resources Attorney General's Task Force on Domestic Violence. 1984 . Final Report . Balkin , Joseph. 1988."Why Policemen Don't Like Policewomen . " Journal of Police Science and Administration 16:29- 38 . Belknap, Joanne. 1990 . "Police Training in Domestic Violence : Perceptions of Training and Knowledge of the Law . " ACJS 14: 248 - 267. "Perceptions of Woman Battering: A Review of the Literature and an Empirical Test of Law Enforcement Officers . " Forthcoming in Imogene Moyer (ed.), The Changing Ro l es of Men and Women in the Cr i mi nal Justice System : Offenders , Victims , and Professionals. (Prospect Rights, IL: Waveland Press) . "Women in Conflict." Forthcoming in Women and Cri minal Justice . Belknap , Joanne and Jill K. Shelley . 1990 . "The New Lone Ranger: Policewomen on Patrol . " A paper presented at the 1990 annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Baltimore, MD. Bell, D . J. "Policewomen--Myths and Reality," 1982. Journal of Police Science and Administration 10:112-120. Blumberg, A. and A. Niederhoffer , eds . 1985 . The Ambivalent Force. (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston). Bouza , Anthony V. 1990 . The Police Mystique : An Insider's Look at Cops, Crime, and the Criminal Justice System. (NY: Plenum Press) . Charl~, Suzanne. 1980 (March). "Sex Crimes Units are Raising Conviction Rates, Consciousness, Costs . . . and Questions." Police Magazine : 53-61. Crossman , Rita, Sandra Stith and Mary Bender. 1990. "Sex Role Egalitarianism and Marital Violence . " Sex Roles 22 : 5/6, 293- 304. Dreifus , Claudia. 1980 (March) . "Cristina Murphy . " Police Magazine :19-25 . Eagley, Alice and Valerie Steffen. 1986. "Gender and Aggressive Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Social Psychological Literature." Psychological Bulletin 100 : 309-330 . "Fanchon Blake v . City of Los Angeles . " 1990 (July). Project sponsored by the Claremont Graduate School. Garrison, Carole G., Nancy Grant and Kenneth McCormick . 1988 (September) . "Utilization of Police Women." The Police Chief: 32-35, 69-73. Greenwald, Judith Ellen . 1976 . "Aggression as a Component of Police-Citizen Transactions--Differences Between Male and Female Police Officers . " (Doctorate Dissertation presented to The City University of New York.) Grennan, Sean A. 1988 . "Findings on the Role of Officer Gender in Violent Encounters with Citizens." Journal of Police Science and Administration 15 : 78-85 . -----=-----. 1991. "Who Is More Violent: The Male or Female Police Officer?" Unpublished report (Brookville, NY) . Gross, Sally. 1984 (January). "Women Becoming Cops : Developmental Issues and Solutions." The Police Chief: 32- 34 . Hanmer, Jalna, Jill Radford and Elizabeth A. Stanko, eds. 1988. Women, Policing, and Male Violence: International Perspectives . (NY: Routledge). Hennessey, Michael. 1989 (February 28). "Why We Recruit Women and Minorities . " Law Enforcement News : 8-9. Homant, R.J. and D.B . Kennedy . 1985. "Police Perceptions of Spouse Abuse--A Comparison of Male and Female Officers." Journal of Criminal Justice 13:29-47 . Horne, Peter. Women in Law Enforcement. 1980 . (Springfield, IL : Charles C. Thomas) . Hunt, Jennifer. 1984. "The Development of Rapport through the Negotiation of Gender in Field Work Among Police." Human Organization 43 : 283-296 . --------. 1985. "Police Accounts of Normal Force." Urban Life 13 : 315-341 . --------. 1990. "The Logic of Sexism Among Police . " Women and Criminal Justice 1 : 3-30. Hunt, Jennifer and Peter Manning. 1991 . "The Social Context of Police Lying." Symbolic Interaction 14: 51-70. Janus, Samuel S. and others. 1988 . "Women in Police Work--Annie Oakley or Little Orphan Annie?" Police Studies 11:124-127 . Keefe, Mary L . 1981. "Overview of Equal Opportunity in Policing for Women . " Kennedy , D . B . and R.J. Homant. 1985. "Attitudes of Abused Women Towards Male and Female Officers." Criminal Justice and Behavior 10 : 391-405. . 1984. "Battered Women ' s Evaluation --------:---------~ of Police Response . " Victimology: An International Journal 9 : 174-179. Langan , P.A. and Innes, C . A. 1986 . "Preventing Domestic Violence Against Women," Bureau of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Lehtinen , M. W. 1976. "Sexism in Police Departments." Trial 12 : 52- 55 . Lerman, L . G. 1981. Prosecution of Spouse Abuse: Innovations in Criminal Justice Response. Washington, D. C: Center for Women Policy Studies. Loving , Nancy. "Responding to Spouse Abuse and Wife Beating: A Guide for Police . " Police Executive Research Forum . Lunnenborg , Patricia W. 1 989 . Women Police Officers-- Current Ca r eer Profiles. (Springfield, IL: Charles Thomas ) . Manning, Peter . 1980 . "Violence and the Police Role . " Annals 452 : 135-144 . Martin , Susan . · 1980. Breaking and Entering--policewomen on patrol. (Berkeley : University of California Press) . -------. 1982. "Dilemma of Equal Versus Equitable Treatment: Structural Barriers to the Incorporation of Policewomen into Police work." In Autonomy in Work and Society. P . Stuart and M. Carter , eds . (Beverly Hills : Sage) . -------. 1989 . "Women on the Move? A Report on the Status of Women in Policing . " Women & Criminal Justice 1 : 21-40. _______ . 1990. On the Move: The Status of Women in Policing. (Washington, DC: Police Foundation). Marash, Merry and Jack Greene. 1986. "Evaluating Women on Patrol: A Critique of Contemporary Wisdom . " Evaluation Review 10 : 230-255. Pogrebin , M. 1986 . "The Changing Role of Women: Female Police Officers' Occupational Problems." Police Journal 59 : 127 - 133 . "Police Departments Make Progress in Hiring Women; More Improvements Needed . " 1989 (June 12). Crime Control Digest : 7-8 . Poole , Eric D. and Mark R . Pogrebin . "Factors Affecting the Decision to Remain in Policing : A Study of Women Officers." Journal of Police Science and Administration 16 : 49-55. "Report of the New York Task Force on Women in the Courts." 1986- 1987 . Fordham Urban Law Journal. XV{l): 11-198 . Saunders , Daniel and Patricia Size. 1986 . "Attitudes About Woman Abuse Among Police Officers , Victims and Victim Advocates." Journal of Interpersonal Violence 1 : 25-42 . Schechter, S. 1982. Women and Male Violence : The Visions and Struggles of the Battered Women's Movement. {Boston: South End Press) . Schutz, Dorothy M. 1989 . "The Police Matron Movement: Paving the Way for Policewomen . " Police Studies 12 : 115-124. Sherman, Lewis J. 1973 . "A Psychological View of Women in Policing." Journal of Police Science and Administration 1:383-394 . . 1975."An Evaluation of Policewomen in Patrol in ~~~~~~~~-a Suburban Police Department . " Journal of Police Science and Administration . 3 :43 4-438 . Sherman, L.W. and R.A. Berk. 1982. "The Specific Deterrent Effects of Arrest for Domestic Assault," American Sociological Review 49 : 261-272. Smith , Elizabeth Simpson . 1982 . Breakthrough : Women in Law Enforcement . {NY : Walker & Company) . Soler , E . "Domestic Violence is a Crime: A Case Study--San Francisco Family Violence Project ," In D . J. Sonkin {ed.) Domestic Viol ence on Trial, New York : Springer , 1987, pp. 21- 35 . Stith, Sandra. 1990 . "Police Response to Domestic Violence: The Influence of Individual and Familial Factors." Violence and Victims 5 : 37-49 . Timmins , William, and Brad Hainsworth. 1989. "Attracting and Retaining Females in Law Enforcement." International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 33 : 197-205. U.S . Commission on Civil Rights . 1982 . Under the Rule of Thumb: Battered Women and the Administration of Justice, Washington, D.C: Author. Van Wormer, K. 1981. "Are Males Suited to Police Patrol Work?" Police Studies 3 : 41 - 44 . Vastola, Anthony. 1977 (January). "Women in Policing: An Alternative Ideology." The Police Chief: 62-69 . Vega, M, and I.J. Silverman. 1982. "Female Police Officers as Viewed by Their Male Counterparts." Police Studies 5:31-39. Warner, Rebecca L . , Brent S. Steel and Nicholas Lovrich. 1989. "Conditions Associated with the Advent of Representative Bureaucracy: The Case of Women in Policing."Social Science Quarterly 70 : 562-578. Wexler , J. and D. Logan. 1983. "Sources of Stress Among Women Police Off ice rs." Journal of Police Science and Administration 11:46-53. Wyatt, Gail Elizabeth . 1985 . "The Sexual Abuse of Afro-American and White-American Women in Childhood." Child Abuse & Neglect 9: 507-519. Wyatt, Gail Elizabeth, Cindy M. Notgrass and Michael Newcomb . 1990 . "Internal and External Mediators of Women's Rape Experiences . " Psychology of Women Quarterly 14 : 153-176 . copies of articles available from: The Fund for the Feminist Majority 8105 West Third Street, Suite 1 Los Angeles, CA 90048 (213) 651-0495
Object Description
Title | Commission meetings, [after 1983] - 1991-05-13 |
Description | Commission meetings, [after 1983] - 1991 May 15. PART OF A SERIES: Materials in the series fall into one of several categories related to the Independent Commission's work product: (1) Commission meeting materials, which include meeting agendas, work plans, memoranda, and articles about police misconduct that were circulated and reviewed during the Commission's internal meetings; (2) public correspondence, which includes citizen complaints against the LAPD in the form of written testimony, articles, and an audio cassette tape, as well as letters drafted by citizens in support of the LAPD; (3) summaries of interviews held with LAPD officers regarding Departmental procedures and relations; (4) public meeting materials, which include transcripts, supplementary documents, and witness statements that were reviewed at the Commission's public meetings; (5) press releases related to the formation and work product of the Commission; and (6) miscellaneous materials reviewed by the Commission during its study, including LAPD personnel and training manuals, a memorandum of understanding, and messages from the LAPD's Mobile Digital Terminal (MDT) system. |
Coverage date | 1925/1988; 1988-09; 1989; 1990; 1990-01; 1990-01-02; 1990-01-09; 1990-02-02; 1990-02-22; 1990-05-04; 1990-05-15; 1990-07-27; 1990-08-14; 1990-09-19; 1990-10; 1990-10-18; 1990-10-22; 1990-10-25; 1990-11-05; 1990-11-07; 1990-11-10; 1990-11-15; 1990-12-07; 1991; 1991-05-13; 1991-05-15 |
Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California |
Date created | 1989; 1990; 1990-08-14; 1990-10-06; 1990-11-15; 1990-12-07; 1991; 1991-05-15 |
Date issued | [after 1983]; 1991-05-13 |
Type | texts |
Format | 146 p. |
Format (aat) |
charters covers (gathered matter components) employee's manuals organizational charts memorandums minutes (administrative records) reports tables of contents testimonies title pages vitas (biographies) |
Format (imt) | application/pdf |
Language | English |
Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
Part of collection | Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department, 1991 |
Series | Independent Commission file list |
File | Commission meetings |
Box and folder | box 22, folder 10 |
Provenance | The collection was given to the University of Southern California on July 31, 1991. |
Rights | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained. |
Physical access | Contact: Special Collections, Doheny Memorial Library, Libraries, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0189; specol@dots.usc.edu |
Repository name | USC Libraries Special Collections |
Repository address | Doheny Memorial Library, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0189 |
Repository email | specol@dots.usc.edu |
Filename | indep-box22-10 |
Description
Title | Testimony of Katherine Spillar, 1991-05-13 |
Description | Testimony of Katherine Spillar, National Coordinator, The Fund for the Feminist Majority, before the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department, 1991 May 13. |
Geographic subject (roadway) | 8105 West 3rd Street |
Geographic subject (city or populated place) | Los Angeles |
Geographic subject (county) | Los Angeles |
Geographic subject (state) | California |
Geographic subject (country) | USA |
Geographic coordinates | 34.072365,-118.366231 |
Coverage date | 1970/1991 |
Creator | Spillar, Katherine |
Contributor | Fund for the Feminist Majority |
Date issued | 1991-05-13 |
Type | texts |
Format | 31 p. |
Format (aat) | testimonies |
Format (imt) | application/pdf |
Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
Series | Independent Commission file list |
File | Commission meetings |
Box and folder | box 22, folder 10, item 1 |
Physical access | Contact: Special Collections, Doheny Memorial Library, Libraries, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0189; specol@dots.usc.edu |
Full text | .> THE FUND FO R THE FEMINIST MAJORITY 8105 West Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048 Telephone (213) 651-0495 Fax (213) 653-2689 Testimony of Katherine Spillar National Coordinator The Fund for the Feminist Majority Before the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department May 13, 1991 Introduction Testimony of Katherine Spillar National Coordinator The Fund for the Feminist Majority Before the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department May 13 , 1991 My name is Katherine Spillar . I testify today in my capacity as the National Coordinator of the Fund for the Feminist Majority . The Fund for the Feminist Majority is a national organization specializing in research on the impacts of , and public policy responses to, the under-representation of women in decision-making positions and positions of authority in all sectors of society. I am speaking on behalf of feminists everywhere who are concerned by the extreme police violence displayed in the brutal beating of Rodney King and the epidemic of violence against women. In preparing this testimony, we have conducted extensive research, including a review of the literature and interviews with specialists nationwide on women in policing and police violence. The research has profound implicat i ons for this Commission' s work in examining and proposing solutions t o the problem of excessive police violence within the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and for saving taxpayer money now paid out in costly settlements in police violence cases and sexual harassment and race and sex discrimination lawsuits . The eyes of the nation are upon this Commission and its work . 1 What you do will affect not only what happens here in Los Angeles, but has implications nationally and internationally as well. By focusing your inquiry around .the. impact Q.t. ~ gender make-up Q_f tile. police force nn policing operations -- especially nn police response .t.Q violence against women -- .filld rn .the. ™ Q_f violence in policing, this Commission has an unparalleled opportunity to recommend effective solutions to the problems of excessive use of violence within the LAPD. The research both in the United States and internationally shows that women police officers ~ .le.s..s.. authoritarian fillli .u.s..e. force ~ often than their ~ counterparts, are better at defusing potentially violent confrontations, possess better communication skills, and respond lllQ.I:.e. effectively .t..Q incidents Q.f. violence against women -- a crime that accounts for as much as half the incoming calls to police departments . ~ Independent Commission lll.U.s.t. examine police violence in .the. ~ in ~ context Qf .the. gender ~ .filld ~ discrimination .th.at. exist within ~ Police Department, in addition to racial discrimination factors . Further, the costs Q.f. sexual harassment .an.ct. ~ anQ. ~ discrimination cases against the LAPD must be added together with the costs Qf police violence itself in calculating the total unnecessary costs to the Los Angeles taxpayer of a white- and male-dominated police force . Until now, the integration of women into the Police Department has been seen in terms of creating potential problems and costs . Policemen feared more women would compromise the Department's toughness and competency, and thus lead to decreased Departmental morale. But after 20 years of exhaustive research, 2 the consensus of opinion is that women not only can do the job of policing equally as well as men , but in fact hold the key for substantially decreasing police violence and its cost to the Los Angeles taxpayer, while improving the ability of the Department to respond to violence in Los Angeles . Therefore, The Feminist Majority calls for gender balance .Q.U .t.ha .LAl:D. .a.t. .a.l..i r anks and in .a.l..i categories Q.f police functions. Gender balance -- that is , equal numbers of women and men in the police department in all decision-making and operational capacities -- would accomplish two vital goals: • police violence would be reduced while at the same time increasing the efficiency of the LAPD, and • the Department's ability to respond to the rising violence against women would be enhanced . The full integration of women into the LAPD .is. Qil opportunity .f.Q.r. a constructive solution to the costly problems of police violence and to the Department ' s inability to more effectively respond to the rising violence against women. We call on the Independent Commission to seek answers to the following questions in order to seriously address the issue of police violence: 1 . How do incidents of police abuse of force and police violence , citizen complaints , and complaints filed by domestic violence/sexual assault victims break-down by gender and race of the police officer involved? 2 . What is the break-down of the total monetary costs to the City of Los Angeles and the severity of police violence by gender and race of the officer involved? 3 . What is the incidence and cost to the City of Los Angeles of sexual harassment and sex and race discrimination lawsuits? 4 . What are the Department ' s policies on affirmative action? Why have the current sex and race affirmative action plans failed to meet their goal? 3 5 . Are there female citizen or policewomen complaints of sexual harassment, rape and sexual assault against male police officers? Is there a pattern of abuse? Are cases vigorously investigated? 6. Is there a pattern of Departmental failure to respond to sexual assault and domestic violence calls? 7. And, finally, does the Department screen recruits for personal views on the use of violence in gaining compliance and the use of violence within the family? The More Women in Policing Reduces Police Brutality Holding significant implications for the Independent Commission's investigation of police violence, the research over the past two decades indicates that women police officers have a less authoritarian and aggressive policing style and use force less often than their male counterparts . Lewis J . Sherman , in his research in the 1970s on women in policing, hypothesized on how the full integration of women into the police department would impact its policies and procedures. Observing that "America's police forces remain bastions of male supremacy and American-style machismo, " 1 he postulated that if more women were hired : • Policewomen would precipitate less violence than policemen . .. • By doing their jobs with less physical force, policewomen would do much to burnish the public's badlytarnished image of police officers. • The less violent behavior of policewomen would spill over on policemen, who would learn that a decrease in muscularity often leads to an increase in efficiency. • Policewomen would be considerably more effective than 1 Lewis J Sherman, "A Psychological View of Women in Policing," Journal of Police Science and Administration 1, 383. 4 policemen in settling problems reported by women, ... 2 Sherman stressed that a greater number of women would lead to fewer violent confrontations between police officers and citizens: "The experiences of women in other hazardous work, the performance of policewomen in America and abroad, plus the social psychological research evidence all suggests that women tend to defuse volatile situations and provoke less hostility than men.n3 In a 1973 study, trained observers evaluated men and women police officers of the Washington, D.C. Police Department on a range of performance variables. The observers rode with the officers, analyzed departmental performance statistics, and interviewed citizens. The study found men and women police officers : . .. responded to similar calls and encountered similar proportions of citizens who were dangerous, upset, drunk, and violent .. . There were no reported incidents that cast doubts on the women's abilities to perform patrol work satisfactorily ... They [the women] seemed more effective .t.fil!n ~ men in defusing potentially violent situations [emphasis added]. Their policing style was less aggressive.• An expansive 1974 study by Peter Bloch and Deborah Anderson sponsored by the Police Foundation concluded that introducing a substantial number of women officers would positively impact police operations : A department with a substantial number of policewomen may be less aggressive than one with only men . Women act less aggressively and they believe in less aggression. .'.I.he. presence .o..f... women m..a.y_ stimulate increased attention .t.Q ~ ~ .Q.f avoiding violence .and 2 Ibid. I 384. 3 Ibid. I 393. 4 Joseph Balkin, "Why Policemen Don't Like Policewomen," Journal of Police Science and Adininistration 16, 30. 5 cooling violent situations without resorting .t..Q .the. .:u.s..e. .Qf force [emphasis added] . 5 Studies in the 1980s and early 1990s, have shown women to be more effective in many facets of the policing discipline: women police officers rely less on violence and more on verbal skills in handling altercations, they are less likely to be involved in "serious unbecoming conduct, " 6 and they are more effective in handling female victims of violence. In his 1983 study of the performance of women in the Los Angeles Police Department, Kenneth Hickman made similar findings. Hickman noted that women had superior communication skills, field tactics , initiative and self-confidence, and were more adept at public relations. The 1990 Claremont Graduate School study on the selection, recruitment, training, appointment and performance of women and minorities found that "females on probation were the subject of significantly fewer citizen complaints than either male or minority officers . " 7 In perhaps the most significant empirical research on the differences in the use of force between women and men police officers , Sean Grennan studied the 3,515 complaints filed against the New York City Police Department in 1989. Women officers received fewer complaints, were less inclined to use deadly force and were involved in fewer shooting incidents, ~ though they were involved in just as many violent confrontations as their male s Peter D. Bloch and Deborah Anderson, "Police Women on Patrol: Final Report," (Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 1974), page 4, as quoted in The Claremont Graduate School Study, "The Impact of Fanchon Blake v. City of Los Angeles," July, 1990 . 6 Patricia W. Lunnenborg, Women Police Officers--Current Career Profiles, (Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas, 1989), 110. 7 The Claremont Study, 108. 6 counterparts. Grennan concluded : The reality of the information related to the [lower] proportion of shooting incidents involving female officers and the [lower] number of civilian complaints against female officers is that these figures have remained, consistently, at the same levels for the past seven years . This, of course, seems to indicate that female officers have not accepted the overly aggressive style of policing that has become the trademark of most male officers. 8 In an earlier article entitled "Findings on the Role of Officer Gender in Violent Encounters with Citizens," Grennan writes: Police officials and the public have speculated that because women lacked the physical stature and body strength of male officers a female officer may be more inclined to use a firearm than her male counterpart. This research indicates that this belief is incorrect. Women police officers .. . lack a need to project the "macho" image that seems to be inherent in the personality of most male officers . ~ female officer, Ni.th heI. ~ aggressive personality , ~ ~ likely .t.Q ~ a potentially violent situation .and avoid injury .t.Q all Q.f .the. participants [emphasis added] . 9 Patricia W. Lunnenborg, compiling the data from a variety of studies on gender and policing styles, summarizes that data shows women police officers : •are less aggressive and less confrontational •are more polite, gentle and compassionate •depend more on verbal skills •handle service and domestic calls better 8 Sean Grennan, "Who is More Violent: The Male or Female Police Officer," Article submitted to Glamour Maqazine for publication, April 1991, 4. 9 Sean Grennan, "Findings on the Role of Officer Gender in Violent Encounters with Citizens," Journal of Police Science and Administration 15 : 1, 1987, 84 . 7 •have the edge in public contacts and community relations . 10 Studies show that because .Q.f_ their less authoritarian personalities. there il less likelihood .Q.f. escalation .Q..f. potentially violent situations liit.h women police officers .t.lliin Researcher Carol Ann Martin found that "Women have proven that they have excellent communication skills which can be extremely helpful in police-citizen encounters where there may be potential violence. Quite often if the male officer is of the John Wayne-type he will provoke a fight or violence, instead of calming down the situation."11 In an extensive review of the research on women in policing, Joseph Balkin reports that "policemen see police work as involving control through authority, while policewomen see it as a public service . The women's orientation is more likely to result in better relations with the public and a better image of police departments . " 12 Balkin went on to suggest that \\ .. in. some respects .QJ:. least , women ~ better suited .f.ru;: police ~ .t..hfill m.e.n. •• . not all women are able to handle all police jobs--but neither are men [emphasis added) . " 13 Katharine Van Wormer went even further, in an article entitled "Are Males Suited to Police Patrol Work?" Although written in a somewhat tongue-and-cheek manner, her theories are solid. She found that the policeman's proclivity fQ£ violence .filll! ~ resistance .t..Q. women officers tends .t.Q. make him counter- 10 Patricia w. Lunnenborg, Women Police Officers--Current Career Profiles, (Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas, 1989). 11 Carol Ann Martin, "Women Police and Stress : Remarks," The Police Chief, March 1983, 108. 12Balkin, 34 . 13Balkin, 35. 8 productiye. His attitudes jeopardize both community and inter-police relations and threaten his ability to effectively serve his community. Van Wormer concludes that policewomen meet the public better and are better at dealing with rape victims and domestic violence. To overcome the men's shortcomings, Van Wormer proposed police departments create "special" selection and training policies for male recruits. The apparent differences in female/male police officer use of violence reflects what we know generally about sex role socialization and aggressive behavior. A number of studies have shown males to be more aggressive and authoritarian than females: The male gender role includes norms encouraging many forms of aggression . . . Numerous public opinion surveys document that men are more approving of aggression than are women. Survey findings ... have shown repeatedly that men have more favorable attitudes than women toward aggressive and violent behavior in realms as diverse as international relations and war, social control and law enforcement, interpersonal relations, and the portrayal of violence on television. 14 Th.e. Feminist Majority calls ..fQJ;: adding equal numbers .Q..f women police officers !..Q .the. LA£ll .t.o. reduce police violence. Not only would this decrease the level of police violence but it would also bring police work. Times: LAPD personnel more in line with the real nature of As discussed in a recent article in The New York "Police work used to be like a laborer's job .. . The only requirement was that you had to be tough. Now, that's not what we' re looking for . " . .. [The job] is all about knowing how to talk to people. We screen for drug use, criminal background, but we don't do much screening for people who can get along with other people." .. . "a good cop knows how to defuse the situation by talking it 1•Alice H. Eagley and Valerie J. Steffen, "Gender and Aggressive Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Social Psychological Literature," Psychological Bulletin 100 : 3, 1986, 310. 9 out . 111s Although policemen continue to believe that "the women's relative lack of physical strength ... could be a problem in dangerous and violent situations, 1116 the reality is that 80 to 95 percent of policing involves non- violent or service-oriented activities . And in defense of policewomen, Balkin points out in his review of the research in this area: ... physical strength has. never b..e..en. shown t..Q. b..e.. related t..Q. police function i ng (Sherman 1973). No research has shown that strength is related to an individual's ability to manage successfully a dangerous situation (Bell 1982) . There are no reports in the literature of bad outcomes because a policewoman did not have enough strength or aggression (Charles 1981) ... Lehtinen (1976) observed that the ability .t.Q. defuse a potentially violent situation .is. preferable t..Q. .the.~ Q.f. strength. Rogers ( 1987) argued that coolness .and skill .ar..e. lllQ.J:.e.. important .than strength .in. conflict situations [emphasis added] . 1 ' The Claremont Study summarized : The consensus of informed opinion is that effective professional law enforcement requires a high level of intelligence and less emphasis on physical strength . .I.he. less-aggressive, interactive , progressive approach generally .is. preferred .t..Q .the. traditionally aggressive, confrontational , .aru:.l conf lict escalating approach criticized .in. several Q.f. .the. studies . 18 In sum, adding equal numbers .Q.f women police officers .t.Q. ~ .LA£.Q liill reduce incidents .Q.f police violence .an.d enhance .t..he. department's ability .t..Q. modify .it..s. policing style .in .l.in.e. lii.t.h societal needs QilQ. realities . 15 Timothy Egan, "Image of 'Man' Behind Badge Changing," The New York Times, April 25, 1991, Al4. 16 Balkin, 34 . 17 Ibid. 18 The Claremont Study, 77. 10 More Women Officers Improves Police Response to Violence Against Women The gross absence of women on the police force not only contributes to the problems of police violence, but results in violence against women being treated less seriously. Violence against women is now a nationwide epidemic : •Every six minutes a woman is raped in the United States . •Every fifteen seconds a woman is beaten by her husband or partner. •Domestic violence is believed to be the most common yet least reported crime in the United States. •Battery is the single major cause of injury to women--more significant than street rapes, muggings, or auto accidents. Yet the majority of violent crimes against women go unreported, uninvestigated, and unpunished . Police departments have shown a lack of serious attention given to domestic violence. As a result, women victims of domestic violence are reluctant to call the police because they believe the officers won't help or, worse yet, will side with the male perpetrator of violence . The views expressed .by and. reinforced within .t.h.e. male-dominated police department serve .t..Q. obstruct justice .f.QJ;. women victims . Jalna Hanmer and associates explain: Research indicates that police attitudes towards crimes such as rape, sexual assault, and battering include assumptions about male rights and female blame . Police attitudes ... are likely .tQ dissuade women from complaining about men's violence19 [emphasis added] . Victims of rape and domestic violence often report feeling 19 Jalna Hanmer, pages 65 and 52, respectively. 11 humiliated, accused and alienated from the criminal justice system -- the very system that is supposed to help them. One study found that in several cases the police officer who first reported to the scene of a rape actually took advantage of the victim's vulnerable situati on to sexually assault her.~ In many instances, there is s i mply no response by the police to male violence against women . An internal investigation by the Oakland Police Department found that 90% of the sexual assault reports it ignored in 1989 and 1990 should have been investigated. According to The Los Angeles Times , "police administrators called for the investigation in January after The San Francisco Examiner revealed that nearly one in four women who reported a rape or an attempted rape were ignored. " 21 Again , differences between women and men police officers suggest that increasing .the. numbers .Q..f women police officers would dramatical ly enhance .the. LAPD ' s a b ility .tQ respond effectively .t.Q violence against women. A 1983 study by Daniel Kennedy and Robert Homant found "that policewomen were especially valued in domestic disputes ... most important was the policewoman ' s ability to show concern . " 22 A 1985 study by Homant and Kennedy found a strong correlation between police officer gender and the amount of "involvement" displayed by the officer reporting to a scene of domestic violence . Women police officers believed more strongly in the need to show sympathy and understanding in order to successfully ~ "Testimony Before the House Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families , " Dean Kilpatrick, Ph .D., 1990. 21 "Police Were Wrong in Rapes , Chief Says," Los Angeles Times, 2/ 4/1991. 22 Balkin, 32 . 12 handle the dispute. Additionally, women officers were more convinced .Q.:f. .t.h..e. importance .Q.f responding .t.Q. famil y fights as. a crucial police .duty and less apt to think "that a certain amount of physical fighting between couples was to be expected. " 23 Women officers expressed greater disagreement that marital rape should be legal . The Homant and Kennedy study concluded "that policewomen have a different set of values and goals for dealing with family fights . " Battered women "who had had contact with policewomen had a more favorable evaluation of police in general, and policewomen in particular, than did those women without policewomen contact."~ Clearly, police officer attitude plays a pivotal role in how that officer approaches incidents of violence against women. Daniel Saunders and Patricia Size , in a 1986 study, report that: traditional views of women were associated with holding rape victims accountable for their rapes ... attitudes determine the extent of officer action, Hi.th stronger sexist attitudes and greater general approval .Q.f marital violence associated ~ a lessened tendency .t.Q. arrest. counsel. Q..t:. refer in domestic violence cases. 25 [emphasis added] Sexist attitudes .and approval .Q.f. marital violence among police officers correlate l:l.i.t..h greater police violence: it should be noted that the same LAPD officers who beat Rodney King so severely, referred to an earlier domestic violence call as a scene out of "Gorillas in the Mist." ~ Robert J. Homant and Daniel B. Kennedy, "Police Perceptions of Spouse Abuse: A Comparison of Male and Female Officers," Journal of Criminal Justice 13 : 29-47. 2 ' Homant and Kennedy, 42. 25 Daniel Saunders and Patricia Size, "Attitudes About Woman Abuse Among Police Officers, Victims, and Victim Advocates," Journal of Interpersonal Violence 1, 19&6: 25-42 13 Increasing ~ number .o.t.. women in the police force ltl.J.i decrease ~ prevalence QL. anti-woman . victim-blame attitudes which preclude .tllil appropriate .and critical handling QL. domestic v i olence .and sexual assault cases. Women victims of violence will be less hesitant to report incidents of violence to police, as they will be more confident their pleas for help will be taken seriously. Increasing .the. nu!Dber .Q.f women officers . lii.t.h their stronger verbal mediation skills, .lii.l.l. reduce .tllil amount .Q.f force needed .t.Q resolve incidents .Q.f. domestic violence. As a result, the Department will increase its efficiency in responding to the profound problem of violence against women . Sex Discrimination in Police Department Solidifies Dangerous ~Pack Mentality" ~ ~ .Q.f women police officers .in ~ lJ1fQ reinforces fill.ct exaggerates .tilll authoritarian .and traditional personalities which t h r i ve .QD.. v i olence . Composed of people who have a common background and a common set of social attitudes and values, the police department reflects a "male fraternity" society where unacceptable behavior not only receives little peer scrutiny but is actually reinforced by other members of the group. Susan Martin describes this "police subculture" as being based, in part, .QD.. .a s h a r ed def init ion .o.f. t..h.e.. members' masculinity. She writes : This solidarity is in the service of ameliorating the men's sense of isolation from the public and the dangerousness of their work . Women in policing undermine this solidarity . They are not like them, and 14 are opposed . 2 ' Women and minority officers present a force which can challenge the white male-dominated structure and value system of the police institution. In his 1973 article, Lewis J. Sherman noted that: Introducing new kinds of people--women--to the patrol forces would diversify their attitudes arui breakdown what Chief John Nichols of Detroit calls "the. squadroom .s.et_ Q.f. values" or help in what Chief Bernard Garmire of Miami calls "the humanizing of policemen" 21 [emphasis added]. There must be enough women, however, so they can withstand what Jalna Hanmer and associates call : ... the power of masculinity within the organization of policing. Women who enter the force can be overshadowed by an institution that rigorously reinforces a gendered male view of policing and of men and women ... The presence of a small number of women in contemporary police forces cannot dent a male-dominated institution committed to securing the gendered status quo. The presence of a few women off ice rs cannot alter the fact that in most policing situations police officers intervene as male gendered subjects. 21 As tokens within the department, women (and their different policing styles) are "perceived as 'in' but not 'of' the organization . " 29 As a result, the few women in the department are highly visible and receive excessive scrutiny and little respect from their peers. As summarized in the Claremont Study: 2i Despite their adequate performance as police officers, as long as women from all ethnic groups remain few in Susan Martin, "The Police Subculture and Policewoman," paper delivered as summarized by Joseph Balkin, 35. 27 Lewis J . Sherman, "A Psychological View of Women in Policing," Journal of Police Science and Aciministration 1:4, 1973, 393. 28 Jalna Hanmer et al . , 191 ~ Eric D. Poole and Mark R. Pogrebin, "Factors Affecting the Decision to Remain in Policing: A Study of Women Officers," Journal of Police Science and Ac:lministration 16:1, 1988 , 49. 15 numbers within the law enforcement and traditionally male dominated service agencies , they will remain as "tokens" They will continue to be viewed as stereotypes by their male counterparts, and they will continue to be subjected to the closest scrutiny . 30 To overcome the problems of tokenism, the LAPD must have enough women police officers so they can make contributions and exert their ™ style .Q.f policing within the Department while withstanding the pressure of the Department's "gendered male view" of policing to overpower them. Enough women police officers and racial minorities would be able to interrupt .t.h.e. IIl.Q.J:.e. violent .a.rui authoritarian white ~ "pack mentality" and make for _g_ better police force overall. Costs of Gender Bias in the Police Department To create a full understanding of the "gendered' male view" of policing, the Commission must also examine and address male police officer attitudes toward policewomen. Studies indicate that the majority of male police officers still hold traditional, stereotyped views of women as of the "weaker" sex, and treat them accordingly. This treatment takes the form of exaggerated gender harassment .a.rui uneQual promotional opportunities. The harassment is pervasive: an overwhelming sixty-eight percent of women police officers in NYC surveyed by Samuel Janus in 1988 had experienced sexual harassment on the job . Similarly, William Timmins and associates, in their 1988 study of women in law enforcement , found that open ~ discrimination .a.mi sexual harassment .!tiLS.. .s..Q ~The Claremont Study, 37. 16 peryasiye .t.ha.t. supervisors .and commanders llilt. ~ tolerated .5..llC.h practices .mt. others bY.t. ~ freguently perpetrators themselves. Such treatment is an expression of hostility and discrimination and works to deter women from entering and excelling in the field. The extensive research on policewomen reveals that the biggest problem they continue to face is the negative attitudes and treatment by policemen. A 1987 study by Cynthia Brewer on the role of women in police work "found that the main obstacle confronting women continues to be male attitudes towards them as well as the influence of stereotypical role models in law enforcement. " 31 According to a 1983 study reviewed by Balkin, " ... the single greatest source of stress for the [police) women was the negative attitudes of policemen . " 32 How do these negative attitudes manifest themselves? Balkin describes a 1983 study by Wexler and Logan which documented: ... anti-woman remarks (in their presence), comments about a woman's sexual orientation, and refusals to talk to the women at all. A policewoman reported that the men were very interested in whether policewomen were lesbians . If not, the men flirted or teased them ... Women described spending eight hours in a patrol car with policemen who did not say a word to them. Wong (1984) reported widespread sexual harassment, seeing it as an expression of hostility and degradation. Martin ( 197 8) said that policemen show their dominance by cursing, putdowns, and "affectionate" terms of address. Nonverbal means included touch and "chivalrous ceremonies . " 33 In a 1988 study, the majority of members of the International Association of Women Police surveyed felt they were underutilized 31 The Claremont Study, 27. 32 Balkin, 33. 33 Balkin, 33. 17 and had fewer opportunities than their male peers. Women police officers seem to be facing an entire structure geared against them . Poole and Pogrebin write of their study: After just three years on the force , only a small proportion of women officers still aspire to rise in the police organization. It is likely that these officers have recognized in a relatively short period of time that few women actually get promoted; consequently , policewomen lack a variety of female role models in higher ranks who they could realistically strive to emulate. " 34 One article in Law Enforcement News concludes that to recruit more women, police departments must overcome the serious problem of : " . . . traditional stereotypical views concerning the nature of police work in general, that is, it is still dominantly perceived as a male oriented profession with a major emphasis on physical strength . " 35 Examples of "traditional stereotypical views" of women in policing can be found at the highest levels of the LAPD. The Independent Commission must examine the extent to which Police Chief Daryl Gates' public comments on women on patrol reinforce "existing anti-female prejudices . " 36 Additionally, the extent to which Assistant Police Chief Robert Vernon's participation in a series of audiotapes entitled "The True Masculine Role" reverberates throughout the LAPD must be assessed. According to the Los Angeles Magazine May 1991 issue, in these tapes Vernon instructs that "the woman is to be submissive to the man" and encourages men to " recognize the ~ Poole and Pogrebin, 54 "The Claremont Study, 77. ~ Kenneth Hickman, 1983, as reviewed in The Claremont Study, 36. 18 concept of disciplining followers, whether it be your son, employees or anyone under your control--your wife." advocates administering "beatings" to rebellious children . Gender Balance Needed in the LAPD He also The LAPD is under a 1981 Consent Decree to increase the numbers of women hired onto the police force . But, over the past decade, the LAPD ~ failed miserably .in recruiting filld promoting women within it..s_ ranks . Women still hold only a token status in the Department . Even the Claremont Study, which concluded that the LAPD had "exhibited a good faith adherence to the Decree's mandates," admitted the Department fill significantly behind in recruiting .and promoting women . Analysis of the current police force by gender, ethnicity and rank speaks volumes to the failure of the Department in meeting even the minimal affirmative action requirements set forth in the 1981 Consent Decree. Women are only 13% of the police force , with virtually no or only token numbers of women at the higher ranks . The numbers and percentages for African-American, Latina, and Asian-American women are even worse (see attached chart) . In short, with only men serving in the higher ranks of the Department, .t.h.e. LAPD .i.a. a mostly white, authoritarian maledominated fraternity that il creating huge costs .Qil. ~ L..Q..s_ Angeles taxpayer, while increasing violence a.n.d jeopardizing women's lives . Of course, the LAPD is not alone in its failure to integrate women into the police force. In fact, the countless studies reveal that even until this day, women have made only limited 19 gains in law enforcement, and the majority of women still hold traditional female jobs . One 1986 study concluded "There is no reason to believe that time alone will rectify the underuse of women across police functions . n But the LAPD and this Independent Commission today have an opportunity to change the situation in Los Angeles once and for all. Up until now , increasing the numbers of women police officers was seen as problematic : more women would weaken the force, it was asserted, compromising the police department's ability to serve the community and damaging police morale. But, to the contrary, the data is overwhelming and conclusive: not only can women excel at the job of policing, but increasing women on the police force will reduce the police violence that is plaguing the LAPD . And, more women on the force will enhance the Department ' s ability to serve the entire Los Angeles community by increasing its responsiveness to violence against women. Thus , the full integration of women into the LAPD can only be seen as an opportunity, and policewomen themselves can only be seen as an asset to policing. Simply stated, the full integration of women into the LAPD is a solution to the costly problem of police violence . This Commission cannot. solve the problems of police violence within the Los Angeles Police Department without issuing ~ mandate .f.Qr. gen der balance .Qil. t.h.e. police force . The decades of foot-dragging and resistance to change must end. current gender illld racial makeup Qi. ~ force unfair , .i.t. .i..s. 37 Carole G. Garrison and associates, "Utilization of Policewomen," The Police Chief, 33 20 ineffective in handling .Q.D.e. .Q..f. .the. Ill.Q.S.t. peryasiye crimes in Q!.l.r. society - - violence against women -- .arui .i.s. costly in terms Qi_ b.Q.t.h human lives .a.nd safety .and taxpayer dollars. Formal Structures Needed for Gender Balance The goal must be a police force that reflects the community's entire population. But in order to increase the numbers of women in the Police Department across all police functions, .it. will ~ necessary .t..Q haY.e. formal plans .and administrative structures .f..Q.r.: mandated change .a.nil. gender balance. Experts emphasize the need to create a "formal administrative structure" established specifically to achieve social equity for women in policing . Susan Martin, in Women on the Moye, recommends police departments: • concentrate voluntary affirmative action efforts on enlarging the pool of women recruits •alter promotional standards to eliminate criteria that are irrelevant to supervisory ability or potential • adopt stringent policies for dealing with sexual harassment •alter work conditions to increasing the number of women in recruitment training and assignments •periodically monitor departments to ensure that women are not tracked into clerical (or "female") assignments. Michael Hennessey, the Sheriff of San Francisco, writes: "the only way we can · overcome the mistakes of the past is by implementing pro-active policies today ." He concludes: It is not enough to announce a commitment to equal opportunity: We must reach out and bring these opportunities directly to those who have been 21 traditionally underrepresented. 38 Conclusions The Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department IlU!..S.t. .c.aJ.J.. .f.Q..r. .the. L.AE.Q .t.o. IDQ.Y.e. rapidly .in achieving equal numbers .o..f. women fill.d ID.fill fill.d racial parity Qil. .t..h.e. police force -- fil. Q.U levels Qllil ranks if police violence is to be reduced and if Los Angeles is to ever deal effectively with the epidemic of male violence against women. Merely complying with the 1981 Consent Decree that mandates 20% women on the LAPD, lii.l.l IlQt. b..e. enough .t.o. achieve t.h.e. impacts .s..e..e.n in .the. social psychological fill.d empirical research Qil. women in policing . What's more, the Department ~ failed miserably in achieving .e..Y..e.n .the. minimal goals for women police officers set forth in the Decree . We must again call attention to the fact that a decade has passed since the Consent Decree went into effect. In these past ten years, the Department has progressed less than half way toward meeting its goals. At this rate, it will take another ten years to achieve the 20% women in the force mandated in the Decree. The deliberate footdragging and stonewalling within the Department mean that the chances of reaching 50% women police officers under the status quo are nonexistent. Clearly. .Yill.a.t. .i.s. being .dQnn for integration .is. inadequate and .is. costing .L.Q.S. Angeles citizens a high price -- in money, human suffering, and women's lives. If the LAPD is to attract substantially more women in an effort to reduce violence and enhance the Department's ability to ~Michael Hennessey, Law Enforcement News , 2/28/1989, 8-9. 22 effectively respond to violence against women, this Commission and the Department must: •First, determine that the goal is equal numbers of women and men at all ranks and for all LAPD assignments not the token 20% women set out in the 1981 Consent Decree. • Secondly, the City must immediately contract experts to develop a plan to achieve gender balance and full racial integration on the LAPD. Without concrete and positive steps, the costs of police violence, sex and race discrimination, and sexual harassment will only escalate . We urge this Commission to move quickly and decisively. 23 LAPD Personnel by Rank, Gender and Ethnicity Total Black His~anic Asian Caucas i an Rank Chief Male 100% (1) 0 0 0 100% (1) Female 0 0 0 0 0 Deputy Chief II Male 100% (2) 0 0 0 100% (2) Female 0 0 0 0 0 Deputy Chief I Male 100% (6) 17% ( 1) 0 0 83% (5) Female 0 0 0 0 0 Commander Male 100% ( 19) 5% (1) 10% ( 2) 0 86% ( 16) Female 0 0 0 0 0 Captain III Mal e 86 . 4% (27) 11% (3) 7% (2) 0 79% (22) Female 3.6% (1) 0 0 0 4% ( 1) Captain II Male 100% ( 1 7) 0 0 0 100% (17) Female 0 0 0 0 0 Captain I Male 100% (21) 9.5% (2) 9 . 5% (2) 0 81% (17) Female 0 0 0 0 0 Lieutenant II Male 95.3% (122) 6% ( 8) 10% (13) 1% (1) 78% ( 100) Female 4.7% (6) 0 .73 % ( 1) 0 4% (5) ' Lieutenant I Male 98% ( 99) 6% (6) 8% (8) 1% (1) 83% (84) Female 2% (2) 0 0 0 2% (2) Total Black Hispanic Asian Caucasian Detecti ve III Male 96% (2 95) 6.5% (20) 10% (30) 1% ( 2) 79% (24 2) Female 4% (12) .33% ( 1) 0 0 3. 6% (11) Detecti ve II Male 94% (558) 4.7% (28) 13 . 5% ( 80) 1% (8) 74% ( 4 4 0) Female 6% (33) .7% ( 4) 0.7% (4) 0 4.2% (25) Detecti ve I Ma l e 88% ( 450) 7.3% (3 7) 15 . 5% ( 7 9) 3% ( 16) 62% (315) Female 12% (60) 2.2% ( 11) 2 . 6% (13) .2% (1) 6.8% (35) Sergeant II Male 98% (2 91) 10% (30) 12% (35) 1% (2) 7 5% (22 4) Femal e 2% (8) 0 0 0 2% ( 6°) Sergeant I Male 96% (551 ) 8.5% ( 4 9) 11% (54) 2% (12) 74% ( 4 23) Female 4% ( 2 4) 1% ( 6) .4% (2) 0 2. 8% ( 16) Police Officer III Male 87% ( 192 8) 12% (272) . 18% (392) 2% ( 4 7) 54% ( 1201) Female 13% (2 93) 2 . 3% (52) 3.2% (7 0) .2% (4) 7 . 3% ( 161) Police Officer II Male 83% (2068) 13% ( 322) 23% (580) 2 . 4% (61) 44% (1087) Female 17% ( 422) 3.5% ( 8 6) 4 . 3% ( 10 6) . 6% (15) 8 . 7% (217) Police Officer I Male 7 6% (781) 16% ( 1 62) 2.,6% (2 64) 3% (38) 30% (309) Female 24% (24 5) 4.6% ( 4 7) 5:7% (58) .9% ( 9) 12.5% (128) TOTAL 14% ( 1150) 22% (1805) 3% (21 7) 6 1% (5112) Black Hispanic Asian Caucasian 13% (110 9 ) Female Source: LAPD Per sonnel Department (March 24, 1991) Resources Attorney General's Task Force on Domestic Violence. 1984 . 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