| Description |
xv, 241 p. ; 24 cm. |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (p. [225]-229)and index. |
| Contents |
How it all began : what is a nice girl like you doing in a place like this? -- Women in nontraditional professions : law enforcement is big business -- The road to the chief's chair : early trailblazers and the long climb to the top -- Twists and turns on the road to the top : decisions and detours along the way -- One-agency chiefs : local girls break brass at home -- Family power brings political power : from sheriff's wife to sheriff -- Modern women sheriffs : getting elected on their own -- Big-city pioneers : the women who broke the bulletproof barriers -- Twenty-first century big-city women : is the playing field finally level? -- Women police chiefs and sheriffs : a collective portrait. |
| Summary |
Constituting fewer than 15% of the nation's police officers, women have found it especially difficult to rise through the ranks and achieve higher posts. Here, those few women who have made it to the top -- about 1% of the chiefs and sheriffs in American policing -- share their stories and describe the challenges they faced as they rose to their positions. Each of the chiefs competed for their offices with other candidates, almost always male. The sheriffs -- virtually all elected officials--faced other challenges and came under even closer scrutiny. While few in number, these "top cops" illustrate the emergence of women as more than token leaders of American sheriff and police departments. They are unique groundbreakers who have managed to breach the brass ceiling. |
| Subject |
Women police chiefs.
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Policewomen.
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Sex discrimination against women.
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Discrimination in law enforcement.
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| ISBN |
0275981800 (alk. paper) |
|
9780275981808 (alk. paper) |
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