Gender and Police Officers’ Perceptions of Their Job Performance: An Analysis of the Relationship between Gender and Perceptions of Job Performance

Using self-report survey methodology, this article examines the relationship between gender and police officers’perceptions of their job performance. Based on surveys of 217 male and female officers, results show that male and female officers perceive themselves equally qualified to carry out tasks required in law enforcement, including administration and supervision. This research suggests that male and female police officerswork equallywell on their jobs and there are no significant differences in their job performance, capabilities, and administration skills even when level of education and years of experience are controlled. Historically, law enforcement has been an organized occupation almost exclusively dominated by men (Horne, 1980; Golden, 1982; Lord, 1989; Martin, 1980; Palombo, 1992). However, over the past 28 years, women have increased their representation in sworn law enforcement positions to 13 % in 2000, from a low of 2 % in 1972 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2000). This 11 % increase has been spread over the intervening years, averaging an annual gain of less than one-half of 1 % per year. In 1978, women in the larg-est municipal agencies held 4.2 % of the sworn law enforcement positions. Ten years later, in 1988, that number had barely doubled to 8.8 % (Martin, 1989a), and it was not until 1993 that police agencies on average had reached a major benchmark, crossing into the double digits. Until recently, the role of women in policing, if any, was restricted pri-marily to assignments of a social welfare nature, including juvenile and family problems; matron; detection of purse snatchers, pickpockets, and shoplifters; sexual assault investigators; and clerks (Eisenberg, Kent, & Wall, 1973). However, since 1972, women have entered mainstrea