Law Enforcement Agency Leaders Discuss Building a Culture of Inclusion
The Women in Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE) Annual Leadership Training in Tampa, Florida featured a panel discussion with law enforcement leaders who are leading efforts on inclusive leadership through participation in the 30x30 initiative. The panel included a discussion with U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Director Ronald Davis, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Director Steven Dettelbach, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Acting Commissioner Troy Miller, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Deputy Director Paul Abbate, and Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) Associate Director for Training Operations Ariana M. Rodini.
To kick off the discussion, Maureen McGough, Co-Founder of the 30x30 Initiative introduced the initiative, which seeks to address the under-representation of women in policing by achieving 30 percent women law enforcement recruits by 2030.
McGough made clear this is more than a diversity issue, but a public safety issue. Research from New York University outlines various benefits to having more women in policing, including:
- Women use less force and less excessive force,
- Women are named in fewer complaints and lawsuits, resulting in cost savings for municipalities,
- Women are perceived by communities as being more honest and compassionate,
- Women see better outcomes for crime victims, in especially in sexual assault cases, and
- Women make fewer discretionary arrests, especially of non-white residents.
However, McGough explained that it is “not just about getting women in the door, about making sure they are set up for success and there is equitable treatment.” The 30x30 Initiative has traditionally been framed as a recruitment initiative, but McGough urged for a broader view that focuses on retention as well.
To achieve these goals, the 30x30 Initiative helps agencies that sign on identify implicit biases, identify and meet the unique needs of women officers, and receive a list of evidence informed actions that can improve diversity. Agencies have six-month check-ins with the Initiative to monitor progress.
McGough explained that most law enforcement agencies are not trying to keep women out, but it is a male dominated profession built historically by men, and as a result, is slow to change. The 30x30 Initiative is designed to support that change.
Acting Commissioner Miller explained the “simple steps” CBP is taking to improve women recruitment. “[We] pulse the workforce: where do women law enforcement officers view where we are today with equity and opportunities. Let’s hear the feedback and make hiring, recruitment, and retention a strategic priority. Some of the easy things are equipment and uniforms… getting back to the basic with harassment and discrimination policies… and finally putting these issues into supervisor performance plans to ensure there is buy in.”
ATF Director Dettelbach shared that women currently make up 16 percent of the criminal law enforcement division “which is progress, but slow progress,” Dettelbach said.
To make improved, Director Dettelbach said ATF has elevated chief diversity officer to an SES position and is rolling out an option for women to have curved body armor.
“People are policy,” Director Dettelbach said, noting that ATF was hiring for a specific position to oversee 30x30 execution. “We do it because it is the right thing to do but more importantly it is the effective thing to do.”
Associate Director for Training Operations Rodini emphasized FLETC’s important role in setting a positive tone for a law enforcement officer’s entire career. Associate Director Rodini explained that, until recently, FLETC did not offer their standard training shirts in women’s sizes.
Associate Director Rodini continued to note that FLETC is “the first touchpoint for the federal law enforcement officer into the federal community” and “when there are no women in the room, it turns people off from careers in law enforcement.”
Next, Director Davis explained that, as the oldest law enforcement agency, the USMS faces institutional and systemic challenges that persist despite leadership investment in diversity. Therefore, the Marshals Service established a committee of women from across the agency to conduct an end-to-end review of agency policies for implicit biases. United States Marshal for the District of New Mexico Sonya K. Chavez is leading the effort. Chavez is the first woman to serve in this role and received the WIFLE President’s Award at the 2022 WIFLE Leadership Training.
“This needs to be part of the DNA of the agency. Law enforcement today is different than it was even ten years ago, if we want to meet the need we need to adapt. We need to create an environment where women can be women, not become men,” Director Davis said to an applauding audience.
Finally, FBI Deputy Director Abbate highlighted that the Bureau did not all women to serve as special agents or in most leadership positions until 1972, explaining that “we need to acknowledge that unfortunate history. We can never forget it. We must reflect on it and learn more it.”
Deputy Director Abbate paid tribute to Special Agent Susan Roley Malone and Special Agent Joanne Pierce Misko, the first two women to become FBI special agents.
The panelists emphasized that the 30x30 Initiative is not a women’s issue, but a law enforcement issue that leads to increased public safety and trust. WIFLE President Catrina Bonus applauded the federal law enforcement agencies that have signed onto the Initiative noting these agencies are “walking the talk on inclusive leadership.”