Female Officers in Use-of-Force Encounters: An Examination of Potential Correlates

Abstract

With the changing landscape of women in policing, the representation of female police officers has increased. However, there is limited understanding of how these encounters vary with the presence of a female officer. The present study utilized data from three large, geographically diverse police agencies to evaluate situational, officer, and suspect characteristics of use-of-force incidents that are associated with the presence and involvement of a female officer. Analyses examining both multiple officer/suspect and single officer/suspect incidents indicate many situational similarities between incidents with at least one female officer present or involved and incidents with no female officers. However, the probability of female officer presence/involvement increases for incidents involving display of a taser, officer injuries, greater racial diversity among the officers, and female suspects. Additional findings and research implications are discussed.