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Women behind the badge

By NINA CRISCUOLO

Seventeen percent of law enforcement officers in uniform are female, women face many challenges on their path to becoming an officer.  Once they are hired officers say it does not get any easier.

"It sounded like action and change everyday and it wasn't a desk job and I thought 'that sounds like fun, I think I could do that,'" says Pittsburg Police Sgt. Diana Fries.

"I'm married and I have four children, all boys," says Webb City Officer Jeannie Cornelius.

"My teenage years women were not in law enforcement, it was just not heard of," says Detective Wanda Williams of the Newton County Sheriff's Office.

Women are both wanted and needed in departments for searching female suspects and investigating certain crimes, like sexual assaults and domestic voilence.

"I think we have a better way with people than men," says Detective Williams.  "And that's kind of a sexist remark, but sometimes I think we can calm a situation where a man can't before."

Still, these women say many challenges remain.

"There still is stigma attached to being female and being a police officer when you first start," says Officer Cornelius.  "'Is she going to be able to do it?  Can she handle it if someone says 'no, I'm not going to jail', or if someone attacks her that's still around.'"

For some women, the belief that they can not succeed as a police officer starts at home.

"I came from an abusive relationship where I was extremely beat down was told I could never do anything - 'you can't make it on your own,'" says Detective Williams, who was working at a factory when she divorced in 1997.

From there it was six years before Williams built up the confidence to make an attempt at her dream job.

"It took me a while, got my own place, figured out that I could do it and just kept going from there," Williams says.

Others say their family and friends lend support while getting in the door is the toughest obstacle for new women in law enforcement.

Officer Cornelius says it is tough to find qualified women to fill the needed positions in police departments.

"I've been involved in the hiring process and some of the females, their competition was just performing better than they did, it had absolutely nothing to do with their gender, they were just being out-performed," says Cornelius.

The hiring process included numerous testing portions but the physical agility test proves the more challenging for women.

"I don't know if it's because of my size or because I'm a female, but you're always going to have those individuals that you encounter and you know you have to be able to overcome that situation," says Sgt. Diana Fries.

And when qualifed women do receive the open spot the concern that made it so hard to get through the hiring process remains.

"I have noticed that every female I see come in faces those challenges because you do have to prove that you can and will take care of things when they need to be taken care of," says Officer Cornelius, "so that is a challenge that still faces every new female."

Challenges that can mean everything from fending off a flirt to fighting felons.

The first female police officer hit the streets on patrol in 1968.  Over 40 years later, the road is where police woman prejudice remains.

"I've been asked out on traffic stops before," says Detective Williams.  "You're kind of in shock.  You're like 'ah, sorry, I'm not interested - I'm here to do a job,' and move forward with your normal routine."

Williams is a newly promoted detective for the Newton County Sheriff.

Over the border in kansas diana fries is also adjusting to a new position as sergeant and says a dinner offer during a traffic stop is just the beginning.

"Sometimes it goes both ways, they either hit on you or say derogatory comments," says Sgt. Fries.

"I think men on traffic stops tend to be more aggressive with me verbally anyway, if not physically but verbally," says Officer Cornelius, "and they're the ones to shout horrible things about being a female officer and you just learn to kind of smile through it and get through the stop and go on with your normal day."

Officer Cornelius has 12 years of experience in the field and says women must quickly grow a thick skin to survive in law enforcement.

That can protect from the offensive comments, but the women agree only a sharp mind can keep you on top if a situation turns violent.

"You know there are certain things that you key up on you usually know pretty quickly if something's not right or if something's going to go south on you," explains Sgt. Fries.  "You usually know or you have that feeling or there are indications there if you just read into them."

With families at home and continuing education, each woman says keeping up to physical standards can be a challenge.

"Very very tough," says Detective Williams.  "This semester has been very tough for me because I'm taking ten hours of college, plus working full-time and I used to work out three times a week.  I have kind of slid - I'm doing good if I get it once a week."

"I do study some defense tactics and try to stay current on training," says Officer Cornelius.

"It is difficult, but it's something you have to do - I mean this is your life," Sgt. Fries says.  "You could be fighting for your life so you have to stay in shape."

While these women fight to stay on top in their careers, they hope their presence in the community will lead to more women finding the courage to enter the law enforcement field.

"I think women do just as good a job as men and they are just now starting to bloom and come out," Detective Williams says.  "A lot of women were kind of afraid to get involved and since the increase they're not quite as afraid to."

"I think it would benefit departments as long as there's a decent pool to draw from and the right women want to get into law enforcement that can not only handle the work but handle the emotional side of the job and keep that at bay in your personal life is tough," says Officer Cornelius.

Proving it takes a special woman to work behind the badge.