Week 4: Women and policing
Introduction
It is not uncommon for singular events to trigger a broader wave of public protest and scrutiny of the police. One such event was the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard in March 2021, by a serving Metropolitan Police officer. In the years since this shocking murder, and the subsequent mishandling of a peaceful vigil, a spotlight has been placed on the persistence of sexism and misogyny within policing, and on the impact of this on declining levels of trust in the police.
Figure 1: A protest against police brutality and for women's rights, prompted by the murder of Sarah Everard in 2021 [Description: A police officer in high visibility jacket stands with his back to the camera facing a group of protestors holding a placard reading ‘Shame on you.’ The protest is taking place in a city with tall buildings in the background] Source: https://criminalinjurieshelpline.co.uk/blog/met-police-domestic-abuse-allegations-unveiling-the-facts/
In this week you will learn about the historical role of women in the police and the policing of women. You will explore how female police officers were a relatively late addition to forces and were initially unlikely to be appointed to senior rank. This lack of female officers, coupled with the persistence of an historic, sexist working culture, affected confidence in the police among women and contributed to perceptions that some offences involving women tended not to be fully or effectively investigated.
By the end of this week, you should be able to:
- understand why it took police forces so long to recruit and integrate female officers
- discuss the connection between police working culture and the way in which certain crimes involving women have historically been dealt with
- consider whether or not the perceived breakdown in trust between women and the police is a new phenomenon.
You’ll start, however, with an introductory video which outlines the issues the British police are grappling with and provides a brief overview of the history relevant to these complex present-day problems.
Video