In collaboration with York College of Pennsylvania, FRA has launched a survey to assess areas of success and potential improvement for women in law enforcement across the country. The results will be presented and discussed by industry experts at FRA’s upcoming Women in Law Enforcement Summit in Nashville March 20-22.
FRA, in partnership with PJ Verrecchia, Ph.D., professor of criminology and criminal justice, York College of Pennsylvania, is conducting survey research for positive change among women in law enforcement.
The goal of the survey is to provide insight and distribute knowledge regarding the thoughts of female law enforcement professionals to improve departments across the country and empower female professionals.
The anonymous survey focuses on the experiences, challenges, and aspirations of female professionals in law enforcement. It will also evaluate the demographics behind the responses to identify regions where responses come from, the number of years in the profession, and the ranks of the respondents. The survey results will be discussed at length by Verrecchia and a panel of industry experts at FRA’s Women in Law Enforcement Summit in Nashville, Tenn. on March 20-22.
Verrecchia said he is excited to see what the research shows about women in policing and to discuss the results with law enforcement professionals at the summit. “Any time you ask the question not knowing the answer, I think it takes a certain amount of courage,” he said. “There’s going to be this wonderful connection of research and practice.”
Tim Hart, senior conference producer, FRA, said the survey data will be especially valuable for conference attendees to hear firsthand the changes that could make a positive impact in their departments. “The concept of the survey came through multiple conversations with high-ranking female officers with the ultimate focus to improve the work environment for female officers across the country,” he said. “The data collected will allow professionals to implement positive changes within departments to improve retention of female officers and empower them to achieve their occupational goals.”
Click here to take the survey. The survey case study session will be held at 10:10 am on Monday, March 21, 2022, at The Omni Nashville Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. Click here for more information about The Women in Law Enforcement Summit, including a full agenda and list of speakers.
About PJ Verrecchia
PJ Verrecchia, Ph.D. is a professor of criminology and criminal justice at York College of Pennsylvania. A former juvenile probation officer, he has been teaching at the college and university level since 1996. He has published over 25 articles in scholarly, peer reviewed journals, two textbooks, and a novel under the nom de plume Christine Shaner.