Paying a marriage tax: An examination of the barriers to the promotion of female police officers

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine some of the factors associated with the decision to participate in the promotion process for female police officers in a Midwestern police agency.

Design/methodology/approach

Face‐to‐face, structured interviews were conducted in the spring of 2006 with most (74 percent) of the female police officers employed by a Midwestern, municipal police agency.

Findings

The authors identified several organizational and personal factors that impact on female police officers' decision to participate in the promotion process. This study also uncovers a factor that has not been addressed in previous research: how being married to fellow police officers (or part of a “cop couple”) can restrict the upward mobility of female police officers.

Research limitations/implications

Data for this study were collected from one municipal police agency in the Midwest; therefore, the research findings may not be generalizable to small or very large police agencies. In addition, the female officers in this police agency comprise a relatively high percentage of sworn positions (15 percent) compared to the national average of 12.6 percent; therefore, the experiences of the women in this department may not be representative of other female police officers working in agencies where women comprise either more or less than 15 percent of all sworn positions. Another limitation of this study is that the sample size is small. This is a limitation that most researchers will encounter when they choose to study female police officers, as there are so few women who work in American police agencies.

Practical implications

By identifying the barriers that female officers face when deciding to go through the promotion process, the authors were able to provide several administrative changes that could be made to encourage more female officers to participate in the promotion process.

Originality/value

There is very limited published research on the promotion of female police officers. This study uncovers a factor that has not been addressed in previous research: how being married to fellow police officers can restrict the upward mobility of female police officers, thus resulting in a “marriage tax” for female police officers.

Citation

Archbold, C.A. and Hassell, K.D. (2009), "Paying a marriage tax: An examination of the barriers to the promotion of female police officers", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 32 No. 1, pp. 56-74. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639510910937111