Day in the Life of a WIFLE Member
What is a day in the life of a WIFLE member like? Well, a typical day in the life of a WIFLE member is pretty much the same as any other female in a law enforcement agency. Members and non-members handle the same issues. They investigate, process information, make arrests, testify at trials, interview people, conduct patrols, and execute search and arrest warrants. They handle the same issues navigating a career in law enforcement.
The difference comes on the atypical day. The day somebody finds out they are pregnant, or the position they want finally comes open, or they get transferred, or decide it’s time to prepare for retirement or a second career. For some women being the only woman or one of the only women in an office is a source of pride, a testament to an individual’s fortitude and capabilities, and sometimes it is the most lonely and frightening time in your life.
The ability to speak to other women experiencing the same things they you are experiencing is key to surviving a career. WIFLE members have an opportunity to develop that network of other women and men that you can lean on when things just seem to be falling apart. Trust me, very few people make it through their careers without facing some sort of personal or family crisis or a career conflict. Having a network of people who can serve as a guide, or a mentor, or a friend to help each person navigate their career.
It’s on those atypical days, that women find out there is no typical way of navigating a life in law enforcement. Ask three women how they are navigating motherhood, or pregnancy and the answers will be entirely different, and none will match the way any of us were raised by our mothers. Each found a way that works for them, and aspects of their approach may work for someone else.
Or having the ability to just have somebody objectively review your resume or promotion package is critical to success. But you can’t achieve success at anything by yourself. With all that said, maybe WIFLE members typical days are just about helping each other succeed.
This column from WIFLE is part of the FEDforum, an initiative to unite voices across the federal community. The FEDforum is a space for federal employee and law enforcement groups to share their organizations’ initiatives and activities with the FEDagent audience.
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