The Salina Police Department Pledges to Advance Women in Policing
National 30x30 Pledge Aims to Bring More Women into Policing to Improve Public
Safety, Community Outcomes, and Trust in Law Enforcement
Today, the Salina Police Department has signed on to the 30x30 Pledge – a series of low and nocost actions policing agencies can take to improve the representation and experiences of women
in law enforcement. The activities help policing agencies assess the current state of a department
with regard to gender equity, equality and identify factors that may be driving any disparities and
develop and implement strategies and solutions to eliminate barriers and advance women in
policing. These actions address recruitment, assessment, hiring, retention, promotion, and agency
culture.
The Pledge is the foundational effort of the 30x30 Initiative – a coalition of police leaders,
researchers, and professional organizations who have joined together to advance the
representation and experiences of women in all ranks of policing across the United States. The
30x30 Initiative is affiliated with the Policing Project at NYU School of Law and the National
Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE).
The ultimate goal of the 30x30 Initiative is to reach 30 percent of women in police recruit classes
by 2030, and to ensure policing agencies are truly representative of the jurisdiction the agency
serves. While 30x30 is focused on advancing women in policing, these principles are applicable to
all demographic diversity, not just gender.
More than 165 agencies – from major metro departments including the New York City Police
Department, to mid-sized, rural, university, and state policing agencies – have signed the 30x30
Pledge. The Pledge is based on social science research that greater representation of women on
police forces leads to better-policing outcomes for communities.
Currently, women make up only 12 percent of sworn officers and 3 percent of police leadership in
the U.S. This underrepresentation of women in policing has significant public safety implications.
Research suggests that women officers:
? Use less force and less excessive force
? Are named in fewer complaints and lawsuits
? Are perceived by communities as being more compassionate
The Salina Police Department presently has 10 female officers which represent 14% of our
commissioned officers. Female officers represent 12.5% of our police leadership. We pledge to
improve in both our recruitment and retention of qualified female officers.
The Salina Police Department pledges to:
? Take measures to increase the representation of women in all ranks of law enforcement;
? Ensure that policies and procedures are free of all bias;
? Promote equitable hiring, retention and promotion of women officers; and
? Ensure their culture is inclusive, respectful, and supportive of women in all ranks and roles
of law enforcement.
“We are honored to be only the third police department in Kansas to make this critical commitment,
and we look forward to working with and learning from agencies across the country who share our
priority.” Chief Brad L. Nelson
For more information, visit www.30x30initiative.org