All-women Saanich police shift sends ‘inspiring message,’ says chief

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When Saanich officers noticed Sunday evening that the entire shift was staffed by women, they snapped a photo to commemorate the moment.

Nine women in uniform posed for a shot that was shared by the police department on X, formerly Twitter, with the message: “SPD is proud to deploy all female constables.”

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Saanich police Chief Dean Duthie called it an organic moment and said officers thought it was “a powerful, inspiring message” to share.

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The Saanich Police Department was one of the first in Canada to commit to the 30×30 pledge, a U.S.-based initiative aimed at increasing the representation of women in police recruit classes to 30 per cent by 2030.

In the U.S., women make up only 12 per cent of officers and just three per cent of leadership positions, according to the 30×30 initiative, which is made up of a coalition of police leaders, researchers and professional organizations.

The under-representation of women in policing is problematic, the initiative says, because research shows women officers use less excessive force, are named in fewer complaints and lawsuits, and are seen as more honest and compassionate.

Women officers also see better outcomes for crime victims, particularly in sexual-assault cases, according to the initiative, and make fewer discretionary arrests.

Duthie said police departments in Canada tend to have higher representation of women officers than their U.S. counterparts.

When Saanich police signed on to the initiative, women already accounted for just over 30 per cent of officers, he said. In the year and a half since, that figure has dropped to about 28 per cent, mainly due to retirements, Duthie said.

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But the chief said the department is aiming not just to get back to the 30 per cent target but to go “way beyond” it.

“We’re not being held by the 30 per cent for the year 2030.”

While the department doesn’t have a specific target in mind, Duthie said he wants it to reflect the community, so a roughly 50/50 split of women and men on the force would be ideal.

How to remove barriers to women entering policing and rising to supervisory roles is a question the department’s 30×30 committee is examining.

Two of six officers at the inspector rank — just below the deputy chief — in Saanich are women, Duthie said.

Insp. Stephanie Edwards and Insp. Trina Stevens said Friday via email that recruiting women to the Saanich police and increasing the number of women in supervisory roles are two distinct areas that they are examining as part of the 30×30 initiative.

The two said it’s important to be strategic in recruitment of women, including understanding potential barriers for female recruits and how the department can make policing an attractive career choice for women.

“For some women, these barriers are internal, such as lack of confidence or undervaluing their skills and abilities, while some may experience role conflict over being mothers [or] caregivers and wanting careers,” they said.

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“These factors, combined with societal stereotypes of the skills and physicality required to be a police officer, may result in women feeling that becoming a police officer is unattainable.”

Edwards and Stevens said the department can help to break down some of these perceived barriers “by discussing our own experiences and showing, through different initiatives, that women can do this job and have very successful careers.”

Last year, the department created a recruiting video entitled “Women in Policing” that features women officers in a range of positions talking about why they love policing and what they did prior to training to become officers.

One was in the military while others were in finance, cosmetics, teaching and the arts.

At one point in the video, Edwards, who calls the job exciting, says: “When I started in policing, women tended to dial down their feminine qualities in order to fit in. Today I’m able to be my authentic self and I feel valued and respected for the qualities and diverse perspective I bring to the table.”

To better support women, the department has also made changes to how pregnant officers are assigned duties. Generally, they’ve been moved off patrol duties for their safety based on medical advice, Duthie said.

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But some expectant mothers have found that their duties felt mundane and lacked meaning and purpose, he said. After the issue was raised, the department started assigning pregnant officers to investigative work so they continue to do work that feels fulfilling.

There’s also maternity and parental leave benefits for new parents and the department offers programs such as reduced hours for police officers who become parents and want an improved work-life balance while they are raising young children.

One female officer with two children under five talks in the video about her job share, working at half-time in patrol, as a “dream come true,” because it allows her to spend “lots of time with my family and still be deeply involved with policing, the job that I love.”

The 30×30 committee makes suggestions on how to improve inclusivity, as well as a committee focused on equity, diversity and inclusion that strives to build relationships with communities that are underrepresented in policing, including across the spectrum of gender identity, Duthie said.

“So having a diverse force as possible is what we strive to do. And again, we’re definitely not there yet,” he said.

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In the Victoria Police Department, about 25 per cent of officers are women, and 38 per cent of new hires in 2023 were women, said Const. Terri Healy.

Healy was in Courtenay this week holding recruiting sessions, including some that were open only to people who identify as women.

The department offers coaching and mentoring for the physical test prospective officers must undergo, because it can be a daunting part of the process to some women, as the standards are the same for everyone, Healy said.

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