Women in the police: factors influencing managerial advancement

Little is generally known about the factors affecting the managerial advancement of women in police forces in the UK. Surveys 142 male and female constables from a large police force. Reports the patterns of deployment and specialization, attitudes to the promotion process, types of informal discrimination and external factors inhibiting advancement. Suggestions are made to improve equality of opportunity. Of particular interest are the suggestions for a professionally run career development department, enhancement of the human resource management function, changes to supervisory roles, more female tutor constables and for changes in the pattern of appointments and attachments to specialist departments. Calls for accuracy in the study of differential career patterns in other occupational sectors to ensure valid comparisons are made.