National 30×30 Pledge aims to improve public safety, community outcomes and trust in law enforcement
The Aurora Police Department (APD) has signed The 30×30 Pledge, a commitment 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 30×30 is focused on advancing women in policing, these principles are applicable to all demographic diversity, not just gender.
“This pledge means that the Aurora Police Department is actively working toward improving the representation and experiences of women officers in our agency,” APD Police Chief Art Acevedo said. “Currently, about 11 percent of our sworn officers are female, which is right around the national average. We are proud to be among the many agencies in the nation to make this critical commitment to growing that number over the next seven years, which will greatly benefit our department and the community we serve.”
Nationwide, 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 honest and compassionate.
• See better outcomes for crime victims, especially in sexual assault cases.
The Aurora Police Department is taking several steps to reach its goal through informational academies for women to encourage greater recruitment, target recruitment towards organizations, activities and events that are supportive of women, create a realistic preview of the job, greater support through the recruitment and application process, providing resources and strategies for success in physical testing and academy process, increased appearances of women in internal and external marketing and recruiting campaigns so women can see themselves in the profession, highlighting achievements of women currently within APD, and promoting work/life balance.
The Pledge is the foundational effort of the 30×30 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.
More than 250 agencies – from major metro departments including the New York City Police Department, to mid-sized, rural, university and state policing agencies – have signed the 30×30 Pledge. The Pledge is based on social science research that greater representation of women on police forces leads to better policing outcomes for communities.
The 30×30 Initiative is affiliated with the Policing Project at NYU School of Law and the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE).
“We are grateful to Aurora for committing to being a part of this growing movement” said Maureen McGough, co-founder of the 30×30 Initiative, Chief of Staff of the Policing Project at the New York University School of Law, and former policing expert at the U.S. Department of Justice.
“We believe strongly that advancing women in policing is critical to improving public safety outcomes. We look forward to having more agencies follow APD’s lead by signing the pledge and improving the representation and experiences of women in policing.”
Posts on the Aurora Police Department’s social media accounts promoting this initiative is expected to begin this week.
For more information, visit 30x30initiative.org.
