• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Subscribe to the Magazine
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Editor’s Picks
    • The power of teamwork
      Stay awake and alert on the job
      The worst rank in law enforcement
      Firearms maintenance
      Why fries need salt
  • Topics
    • On the Job
      • Detroit law enforcement agencies continue fight against freeway...
        Law enforcement agencies prepare for civil unrest following leaked...
        Arizona troopers find nearly 40 pounds of fentanyl pills and cocaine...
        Equipment and training considerations for pistol-mounted optics
        Think of de-escalation as conflict resolution
    • Labor
      • NYPD overtime expected to surpass budget by over $142 million to...
        Portland police shut down cold case unit to reinforce homicide...
        Living in the ashes
        Atlanta mayor wants to hire 450 more police officers to expand...
        Florida sheriff’s office cites recruitment and retention crisis...
    • Tech
      • High-tech policing
        Open-source investigations
        Virginia lawmakers lift ban on the use of facial recognition...
        Iowa State University simulation training module offers de-escalation...
        Law enforcement warns about the dangers of Apple AirTags and unwanted...
    • Training
      • “The hidden danger is the water”
        Weapon retention
        Developing trauma-informed training and drills for K–12 schools
        Crime prevention training
        So you want to be a civilian firearms trainer?
    • Policy
      • Court says man arrested for making fake P.D. Facebook page did not...
        Orange County D.A. unveils new PSA against street racing with actors...
        New Jersey revises policy to allow police to engage in car chases...
        DOJ announces online resource center for law enforcement agencies to...
        Florida bill creating election fraud police force becomes law
    • Health/Wellness
      • What anxiety is — and what not to do about it
        Supporting a partner in crisis
        Spiritual resilience
        Overcoming relationship communication challenges
        How visual simulation training can activate your trauma
    • Community
      • LGBTQ police officers allowed to participate in Denver PrideFest...
        California police department helps pay for families’ groceries as a...
        “I thought he was going to die”: 6-year-old calls police to save...
        Treated like royalty
        Dispatchers: The unsung heroes
    • Offbeat
      • Maine police arrest man hiding under a blanket in ghost disguise
        Texas burglar mows the lawn before fleeing police
        Drone flying bag of handguns across the U.S.-Canada border gets stuck...
        Receding water levels in Lake Mead uncover barrel containing a dead...
        Pet duck helps North Carolina police solve murder mystery
    • We Remember
      • A living legacy
        Not in vain
        Honoring Fallen Heroes
        Florida law enforcement, legislators weigh whether to classify...
        National Law Enforcement Museum offers free Saturday admission for...
  • On the Job
    • Detroit law enforcement agencies continue fight against freeway...
      Law enforcement agencies prepare for civil unrest following leaked...
      Arizona troopers find nearly 40 pounds of fentanyl pills and cocaine...
      Equipment and training considerations for pistol-mounted optics
      Think of de-escalation as conflict resolution
  • Labor
    • NYPD overtime expected to surpass budget by over $142 million to...
      Portland police shut down cold case unit to reinforce homicide...
      Living in the ashes
      Atlanta mayor wants to hire 450 more police officers to expand...
      Florida sheriff’s office cites recruitment and retention crisis...
  • Tech
    • High-tech policing
      Open-source investigations
      Virginia lawmakers lift ban on the use of facial recognition...
      Iowa State University simulation training module offers de-escalation...
      Law enforcement warns about the dangers of Apple AirTags and unwanted...
  • Training
    • “The hidden danger is the water”
      Weapon retention
      Developing trauma-informed training and drills for K–12 schools
      Crime prevention training
      So you want to be a civilian firearms trainer?
  • Policy
    • Court says man arrested for making fake P.D. Facebook page did not...
      Orange County D.A. unveils new PSA against street racing with actors...
      New Jersey revises policy to allow police to engage in car chases...
      DOJ announces online resource center for law enforcement agencies to...
      Florida bill creating election fraud police force becomes law
  • Health/Wellness
    • What anxiety is — and what not to do about it
      Supporting a partner in crisis
      Spiritual resilience
      Overcoming relationship communication challenges
      How visual simulation training can activate your trauma
  • Community
    • LGBTQ police officers allowed to participate in Denver PrideFest...
      California police department helps pay for families’ groceries as a...
      “I thought he was going to die”: 6-year-old calls police to save...
      Treated like royalty
      Dispatchers: The unsung heroes
  • Offbeat
    • Maine police arrest man hiding under a blanket in ghost disguise
      Texas burglar mows the lawn before fleeing police
      Drone flying bag of handguns across the U.S.-Canada border gets stuck...
      Receding water levels in Lake Mead uncover barrel containing a dead...
      Pet duck helps North Carolina police solve murder mystery
  • We Remember
    • A living legacy
      Not in vain
      Honoring Fallen Heroes
      Florida law enforcement, legislators weigh whether to classify...
      National Law Enforcement Museum offers free Saturday admission for...
  • Between the Lines
    • Persecution of the LEO is Classic Schadenfreude
      The Rule of Law is Worthless Without Order
      School policing: a paradox of the defund movement
      Defending the honor of the LE profession – finally!
      The dichotomy of the defund movement: reality setting in
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Search

Labor

Austin police join 30×30 Initiative to increase representation of women in law enforcement

APB Team Published March 25, 2022 @ 3:00 pm PDT

iStock.con/kali9

The Austin Police Department is the latest law enforcement agency in Texas to join the 30×30 Initiative, a national effort that pledges to increase sworn female law enforcement by 30% by 2030.

The department follows in the footsteps of the Waco, Dallas and Houston police departments in their goal to increase female representation in the profession. To achieve this goal, the Austin P.D. has vowed to enact policies to support the recruitment and hiring of more women to the force.

“Our ultimate goal is to increase the representation of women in police recruit classes to 30% by 2030, and to ensure police policies and culture intentionally support the success of qualified women officers throughout their careers,” the department said in a statement.

Women currently make up 11% of sworn police officers in the department, which lags behind the national average of 12%, according to data obtained by the 30×30 Initiative. The data also shows that women only hold 3% of police leadership positions in the country, a number department leaders hope to change.

Austin P.D. Assistant Police Chief Catherine Johnson first heard of the initiative while overseeing the department’s Training Academy and recruiting unit. She hopes the initiative will ultimately lead to more women in leadership positions.

“I want to see more women putting themselves out there and being in leadership positions,” said Johnson, who balances her work as a police officer and a mother. “Representation should mirror what our community is, and 50% of the community is women.”

Johnson adds that women can also bring invaluable skills to the police force.

“Women bring so much to police departments, and we need to be dragging our own chairs to the table for representation,” she said.

Under the pledge, the Austin P.D. will first collect data on rank and demographics of their officers, and will then survey their female police officers.

The pledge also encourages agencies to make gender equality and inclusivity a priority in their mission statement.

“We’re absolutely thrilled. We’ve seen a lot of traction in the state of Texas, so it was great to see APD step up,” said Maureen McGough, co-founder of the 30×30 Initiative.

McGough said the initiative is not just about equality, but that research shows women can uniquely benefit public safety by using less force and showing greater sensitivity to sexual assault victims.

McGough is hopeful that the program will be a success.

“We absolutely anticipate that agencies that implement the 30×30 pledge will see an improvement in the representation of women across all ranks and an improvement in public safety outcomes,” she said.

Austin Police Chief Joe Chacon was also in full support of the idea.

“We are creating a culture that is inclusive, supportive and respectful of not just females but all of the different diverse folks we have in our department — whether it’s a racial or ethnic basis, sexual orientation and gender,” he stated.

Earlier this month, the D.C. Metro Police Department also joined the pledge to boost female representation in law enforcement.

Categories: Labor Tags: Austin Police Department, Joe Chacon, Texas, research, recruitment, 30x30 initiative, gender equality, female police officers, inclusivity, Catherine Johnson

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • Detroit law enforcement agencies continue fight against freeway shootings
  • Court says man arrested for making fake P.D. Facebook page did not have rights violated
  • Law enforcement agencies prepare for civil unrest following leaked Supreme Court opinion on Roe v. Wade
  • Maine police arrest man hiding under a blanket in ghost disguise
  • Texas burglar mows the lawn before fleeing police
  • Drone flying bag of handguns across the U.S.-Canada border gets stuck in tree
  • Arizona troopers find nearly 40 pounds of fentanyl pills and cocaine hidden in unicorn backpack
  • “The hidden danger is the water”
  • NYPD overtime expected to surpass budget by over $142 million to combat crime
  • Equipment and training considerations for pistol-mounted optics

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

The power of teamwork

The power of teamwork

July 23, 2021

Stay awake and alert on the job

Stay awake and alert on the job

July 20, 2021

The worst rank in law enforcement

The worst rank in law enforcement

July 19, 2021

Firearms maintenance

Firearms maintenance

July 04, 2021

Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2022 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close
Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.