Women were also more likely to be assigned to light duty as a result of injuries. But these injuries did not cause them to be absent from work more often than men. Citizens involved in incidents with police officers had the same level of respect for and favorable attitudes toward patrol officers of both sexes. Female and male officers did not differ in terms of their respect for and attitudes toward citizens with whom they came into contact. In fact, it may be that a department with a substantial number of policewomen would be less aggressive than one with only men.
Women act less aggressively and believe less in aggression.
But departments assigning women to patrol can expect that male attitudes will create personnel problems. Some men, for example, may not believe that women can perform as well as men. Male officers also tend to be protective toward women. They may insist that female officers remain in the police car during traffic stops or arrests. Unfortunately, some women accept this less active role.