But, although the initial results are promising, the Department is far from fulfilling the City Council's directive to gender balance incoming Police Academy classes. Recent incidents against women recruits at the Police Academy have signaled a backlash perpetrated by some male officers as the reforms to hire more women are implemented. And, ongoing problems of sexual harassment and sex discrimination within the LAPD have hampered the recruitment campaign. The opportunities to increase the participation of women in law enforcement have never been greater. The new federal Crime Bill signed by President Clinton last September directs that police agencies show how they intend to increase the representation of women and minorities on their departments to levels commensurate with their representation in the workforce in order to qualify for their portion of the 100,000 new police officers funded by the Bill.
Many police agencies are already under court-ordered consent decrees to hire and promote more women.
And there is increasing pressure to hire more women police as a result of mounting lawsuits nationwide against law enforcement agencies for sexual harassment. Further, as police agencies increasingly move toward community-oriented policing, and search for policies to reduce the spiraling costs of police brutality lawsuits and improve law enforcement's response to domestic violence, there will be significant new opportunities to secure increased hiring goals for women. The National Center for Women and Policing To take full advantage of the emerging opportunities to increase the numbers of women police, the Feminist Majority Foundation has just launched the National Center for Women and Policing. The Center is the first nationwide resource for women police, community leaders, public officials and law enforcement agencies seeking to increase the numbers of women police in their communities. The Center will provide training, research, and educational and action programs.