RICHMOND, Va. — Katrina Fleetwood, Nadeen Hassan, and Elena Winchester are three of the five women joining the ranks of VCU's Police Force after going through about 18 weeks of training.
All of them say they joined for similar reasons.
"You can bring more comfort to the community," Fleetwood, who previously worked in healthcare, said. "Especially women in the community, as far as approaches and being able to connect with a law enforcement officer."
"There's not a lot of women in law enforcement," Hassan, who graduated from VCU in 2023, said. "There's not a lot of women that look like me in law enforcement. So, I feel like, if we want to see a change in policing and positive feedback, then I should be part of that change."
"You don't see a lot of females, so when you're talking to a male [officer]," Winchester, who has a background in corrections, said. "They don't have the same experience as you. They don't understand."
Industry research suggests that female officers are often seen as more honest and compassionate by their community, which is one reason why VCU Police is set on recruiting and retaining more of them.
Hassan said that, as a recent graduate, she can make that a reality for VCU students.
“Their outlook on not just VCU police but policing, in general, isn’t always the best, but I think within this community and being able to help the people that live here, it could show a different side of that, or give them a positive mindset on policing," Hassan said.
VCU isn't the only law enforcement agency trying to hire more women. It's part of a nationwide initiative called 30x30, which aims for 30% of police department recruitment classes to be made up of women by 2030.
"It comes down to a couple of different things," said VCU Police Chief John Venuti. "One is attracting and hiring more females, drawing them to law enforcement. I think the second big thing about it is really transforming the culture within police departments, which is historically male dominant, to be welcoming and accommodating of female employees."
With the five total new female recruits, VCU will sit at 24%. Women make up 35% of those in leadership within VCU Police.
“We’re already trucking along to 30%, and for me, that’s hopeful, because, gosh, daughters, moms, anybody, they can see that women in law enforcement are here and we just want to help," Fleetwood said.
According to VCU Police, six consecutive Academy classes at VCU have been at least 60% female and minority officers.
"They are the future," Venuti said.
Some of these recruits say their daughters may be part of the change.
"I have two daughters," Winchester said. "My little one, she has the idea that she wants to be in law enforcement too when she grows up."
"My daughter actually wants to be a police officer, now that she sees mom doing it," Fleetwood said.
The 2023-2024 Academy class, which Fleetwood, Winchester, and Hassan are a part of, will be sworn in on Friday.
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