What do college students think of policewomen? An attitudinal assessment of future law enforcement personnel

Police departments across the United States now commonly require new recruits to possess either a two— or four-year college degree before admittance to the academy. As such, the pool of applicants for law enforcement positions is now centered in our nation's colleges and universities. At the same time, many departments are making conscious efforts to increase both the number of female officers on patrol duty and in administrative/management positions. Given these organizational changes in a traditionally male-dominated profession, the present research assesses the attitudes of 835 undergraduate students at a midsize, state-supported university in the Northeast toward women in the field of policing. Results are compared with similar research from the 1970's and 1980's, and conclusions are drawn regarding the present attitudes of future law enforcement personnel.