Gender Differences and Policing: Are Female Officers More Procedurally Just?

Abstract

From 1990 through 2000, the proportion of female police officers increased from 12 to 16 percent; this coincided with women taking on more duties and responsibilities. Today, the United States has more than 84,000 female police officers working in different departments at the local, state, and federal level. As women take an ever-increasing role in policing, researchers have begun to question how gender differences affect officer interaction with citizens. Research has demonstrated that male and female officers have different techniques for interacting with and obtaining information from citizens, and these techniques can affect how citizens perceive police officers. Thus, this study analyzes whether officer gender affects citizen perception of officers. Using citizen survey data from Anaheim, CA, officer gender does not appear to impact citizen perception of officers.