Gender and Policing

Policing has experienced something of a crisis worldwide. With allegations of excessive use of force in the USA, corruption scandals in Australia, racial tensions in Britain and sex crimes in Belgium, never has it been under greater public scrutiny. Examination of police organizations through a gender looking-glass reveals the inadequacies of analyses offered by research approaches that left women out of the frame. This ambitious and ground-breaking book builds on a growing corpus of work to extend issues relating to police occupational culture, showing how modern policing policies look when examined through a gendered lens. Jennifer Brown and Frances Heidensohn pool their established expertise on policing, crime and gender to look at women's experiences in law-enforcement agencies across the globe. Drawing on the findings of the first ever international comparative research on this subject, they show that policewomen share many experiences, wherever they come from, but that there are also key differences related to traditions, systems, styles and cultures of policing. The book raises vital issues about law, order and the achievement of change in criminal justice policies. It provides a thorough analysis of the current state of research on the topic, as well as new data on nations from every continent, and it proposes an innovative framework for analysis. Finally, it uncovers fascinating personal stories and lost texts that chart the victories won by forgotten or overlooked pioneers who developed women's contribution to, and changing practice in, policy worldwide. As such it will be essential reading for all those interested in policing, equality, gender and crime.