‘We can handle it out here’. Women officers in Britain and the USA and the policing of public order’

Growing concern about female police officers being in the front line of violent confrontations and public order situations are noted. Drawing on a survey of fifty female officers from Britain and the USA, an analysis is presented of how these women reported handling violence and danger. British and American officers described very similar approaches. That US officers were armed did not appear to make much difference to their actions, although it did so to their attitudes and sense of security. Female officers have very consciously to develop strategies to manage violence. They cannot readily use the same techniques to handle the harassment they experience from male colleagues. An earlier version of this paper was delivered at the British Criminology Conference, at Cardiff in July 1993.