Lecturer writes chapter on equity in UK policing

Dr Emma Cunningham commented:

Levels of public concern about the legitimacy of the police arose in England and Wales after the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Metropolitan Police Service officer.  Other deeply disturbing examples followed Couzens, such as David Carrick and the review by Baroness Casey confirmed institutionalized racism, misogyny and homophobia. Women's faith in policing has been rocked and this chapter provides insight about the recruitment and treatment of women officers, police staff and police service volunteers which remains crucial to police legitimacy, service delivery and the criminal justice response to victims of crime."

The authors explored data and noted recent numerical gains in female and ethnic minority police officers, alongside limited progress in relation to female representation across the rank and role structure in British policing. While advances have been made towards gender equity in British policing, the authors argue that this is no time for complacency, strongly suggesting that further commitment and action are vital to address the current culture of misogyny, racism and homophobia within the British police service, and to retain, promote and deploy female and minority ethnic police officers across specialist functions, tasks and departments.

The edited collection focuses on current challenges, innovations, and positive achievements in gender integration in policing in different subject domains and locations. Comprised of essays from expert contributors from across the globe, the book covers a variety of topics, including jurisdictional achievements (South Africa, British Isles, Scandinavian countries, Australia) and women in leadership (achievements and methods, merit and affirmation).