Women in Public and Private Law Enforcement

Women in Public and Private Law Enforcement is hands-down the most comprehensive examination of women in law enforcement to date. Most importantly, it fills the current void that exists for texts on this important and growing area of law enforcement. Both public and private sector law enforcement are covered including policing and private security. For policing this includes not only municipal policing, but also state and federal law enforcement. For the security industry, coverage includes not only private security guards but also various other occupations that may be included under private security such as protection specialists.

Women in Public and Private Law Enforcement is intended for academicians and students of sociology, criminal justice, psychology, business, management and loss prevention as a resource on women in non-traditional occupations, specifically law enforcement. It is also intended for professionals in the field today, to apprize them of contemporary issues for women in law enforcement and serve as a reference to guide policy and procedure development.

Authors Pamela Collins and Kathryn Scarborough not only define distinctions in law enforcement and private security but also provide an understanding of the importance of specificity, with regard to this occupational analysis. The authors' diverse background allows them to offer uniquely complementary approach, emphasizing both the importance of understanding the professions from a practical standpoint, while at the same time giving credence to academic analysis.


The book's primary focus is on gender with limited attention paid to race and ethnicity. Some comparisons are made when appropriate, but the ultimate goal is to provide the reader the most comprehensive analysis with respect to gender. Finally, the authors provide women in law enforcement today with detailed analysis and description of how far they have come, the struggles they have faced, the challenges they have overcome, and the achievements they have made.

"...an excellent primer—and then some. It's a must-read for law enforcement managers and supervisors, especially those tasked with recruitment, retention, human resources, or direct supervision."
—SECURITY MANAGEMENT