SAPD Ranks Worst in Females on Force

[Clandestino]

Exclusive:
LAST UPDATE: 4/28/2005 7:42:22 AM
Posted By: Jim Forsyth

The San Antonio Police Department has the worst record of any big city police department in the country in attracting and retaining female officers, 1200 WOAI news reported today.

Department of Justice Do ents show just 6.86% of the SAPD force of 2056 officers, or 141 total officers, is female. That is less than one third the average female population of the fourteen police forces in the country with more than 2,000 sworn officers.

The Detroit Police Department, for example, has 26% female officers, of 1001 of it's 3837 sworn officers. Philadelphia, Washington, and Chicago both have more than one fifth of their forces female.

"It could say that the recruiting effort may not have been strong enough to attract females" Teddy Stewart, President of the San Antonio Police Officers Association, told 1200 WOAI's Bud Little.

Police Chief Albert Ortiz says its a cultural hurdle to overcome.

"I realize that these numbers are low, but I think its more reflective of the number of people who want to come into law enforcement," Ortiz said.

Efforts to attract women to police forces are hampered by court rulings which forbid departments from adjusting physical or training standards to accommodate women. Stewart stressed that nobody in the department wants to lower standards for any reason.

"Those standards are tough, and that may be one reason," he said.

Women are lacking in leadership in both the SAOPA and the police department. The only woman in Ortiz' command staff is Deputy Chief Rose Mary Flammia, who heads the Support Services Division. Only two women are among the 32 members of the SAPOA board and executive officers.

"The ones who we really expend our recruitment dollars on are women and the African American population," Ortiz said.

Margaret Moore, director of the National Center for Women and Policing says recruitment tactics are flawed.

"They don't market to women," she said. "They promote kicking down doors and jumping out of helicopters, even though that is less than five percent of all police work."

Officials say they will continue to seek out qualified women to join the SAPD.

[The Ressurrected One]

You know what, as long as 100% of my police force is protecting and serving 100% of the citizens -- I don't care what the make up is.

It's this kind of thinking (affirmative action and quotas) that led to an older female sheriff's deputy escorting a young, healthy, strong, and violent rapist through the halls of the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta.

Personally, I hope the lack of females on the SAPD is due to them not lowering the physical standards so that more women could qualify.

Now, before you jump on me -- as if I could forestall that! -- I'm all for anyone being able to join the police force so long as they can pass the physical requirements for the job. I'm just as opposed to a weak white male as I am a weak black female being on the police force.

[Clandestino]

i agree and my first thought that little old lady cop escorting the 200+ former linebacker.

[MannyIsGod]

They definetly do not need to lower the standards to meet any type of female quota.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

i wouldn't want my woman working as a SAPD officer.