SPD offering first female policing event geared toward education and recruitment
Ashlynd Huffman, Stillwater NewsPress, Okla.
5 min read
Jun. 2—Law enforcement is primarily a male-dominated career path, something female officers at the Stillwater Police Department hope to change. On June 11, SPD is offering a Women in Policing Day event to educate and potentially recruit women into a law enforcement career.
More Information
Anyone interested contact Lt. TJ Low at terry.low@stillwater.org or Rachel Bruce at rachel.bruce@stillwater .org
Applications can also be picked up at the Stillwater Police Department and must be submitted by June 6.
Rachel Bruce, one of the officers involved in the event, previously told the News Press female recruiting is something she thinks is important and is one of her passions.
She told the News Press in March 2021, she and other women at SPD came up with the women in policing day because they wanted to recruit more female officers for the department.
After two long years, with delays from COVID, Bruce and the other women have started the first women in police day in Stillwater. The event is free and will offer insight into what she and other women face.
Bruce told the News Press most people assume when they call 911, a male officer will respond.
"I've been asked for a male officer, or any officer even. I was on night duty when I was pregnant, and I would take calls in the lobby," she said. "So I would come to the window, and they would ask for an officer ... they just don't expect women."
As a woman, Bruce said she has physical limitations on what she can do, which initially was a fear she had, but she knew this was the career she wanted.
Bruce said they are well trained, and the way the shift work is set up, backup is usually close by if needed, which she said is something she will elaborate on in the class.
What to expect The class will be from 9 a.m. — 5p.m. at the Stillwater Police Department and lunch is provided.
Watts will give a video introduction — since he can't be there in person — and all the female officers will give the class their backgrounds and talk about how they became police.
Bruce said they would demonstrate self-defense tactics, firearm simulator training, a tour of SPD, a PT test demonstration, and a Q&A.
"We're gonna give them prompt questions that they can use, but they don't have to ask those questions. We're just prepared to answer those," she said.
Bruce said they would also let people see the equipment used for work. She said the duty belt they wear, will also be something the women can try on but guns and tasers won't be on the belt.
"And then we're also going to have a bunch of equipment set out that they can try on and see what that feels like," she said. "Because it's different for men than it is for women."
Not only will applicants hear from patrol officers and detectives, but they will also get a chance to talk with dispatchers and jailers.
"You can't apply to be a police officer until you're 21. But you could apply to be a dispatcher or jailer at 18," she said. "So, a lot of times, that's a good way to get your foot in the door."
They will also talk in-depth about becoming an officer and the process since it's a long and tedious one.
"We're gonna go over the hiring process, what the requirements are step by step," Bruce said. "You have to do an interview. You're gonna do a polygraph, all of that (and) that'll answer any questions."
Bruce said she's excited for the women who have already applied, but she would like more applicants. There are stipulations on who can apply. Applicants have to be at least 18-years-old and must be able to pass a background check.
Why is this important?
Besides the educational standpoint of the event, Bruce said having women represented in law enforcement is essential because women aren't represented enough.
"The statistics out there and the numbers just tell us that having a woman in policing is a benefit to the department. Women are involved in less use of forces (and) are more trusted by the community in general. When you have female victims or children, they're more comfortable talking to a female than a male (and) we can be less intimidating."
Bruce said the national average of women in law enforcement is 12% and Stillwater is below the average with only six female officers.
"So Chief Watts and the rest of his administration are really supportive of having this event and trying to recruit more women. Because the statistics out there and the numbers just tell us that having women in policing is a benefit to the department," she said.
Another reason Bruce said this is important is that, to her knowledge, this will be the first recruiting event in the history of SPD. The department will be hiring again shortly after this event which Bruce said is timely and may encourage women to apply for the open positions.
Being a woman in law enforcement is doable and breaking down the barriers and stigma around women in policing is critical, Bruce said. She said some women may not have thought about this career path for several reasons, but as an officer, mother, and wife of a cop, she said it's possible.
"We have made it real hard on ourselves. But even having two people that work shift work. We make it work," she said. "So it's definitely doable if we want to do it. and we have super great insurance (and) that is awesome."
Bruce said she and the other women involved in coordinating this event hope to inspire women and potentially get more women involved in law enforcement.
"I know, we need more representation from females. I think, getting the word out that we're looking for that. and it's an occupation that a lot of people can do, but they might not realize that they can," she said. "So it's a good conversation for the community to have, and hopefully, it will open some people's eyes, and we will get more female applicants."
