Racial Minority and Female Employment in Policing: The Implications of “Glacial” Change

This article reviews the issues surrounding the employment of racial minorities and women by American police departments. It places particular emphasis on the extent to which slow but uneventful change forces a reconsideration of our understanding of the police. The article reviews the available data on police employment and examines the issues surrounding the factors associated with progress toward equal employment opportunity, the impact of changing employment practices on police performance, public attitudes, and the dynamics of the police subculture.