SEATTLE — Concerns and challenges women face working in the Seattle Police Department are being revealed. It's part of SPD's "30 By 30 Initiative,” focused on promoting women in law enforcement.
"We have a lot of things that we can work on and we can get better. And that's what we're doing," said Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz.
Chief Diaz ordered this report to determine how women feel working for SPD and what the department can do to retain and recruit women into the ranks. Women who work for SPD participated in focus groups and feedback sessions. Sounding off about several issues.
"I think it should be a shock to everybody … But it isn't," said Diaz.
SPD has been a part of the initiative for three years. Its goal is to have women make up 30% of "sworn personnel" by the year 2030.
There are five key takeaways from this new report. One is the challenges women face working in a masculine culture. They also mentioned issues with what they describe as "the good old boys club."
Also, the challenges around pregnancy and childcare and difficulties receiving promotions.
Finally, women being excluded from various groups or activities and getting pigeonholed into categories.
“It's so important to use these focus groups to get this information out and being able to understand what truly people are feeling," said Diaz.
This all comes as the department faces lawsuits from two prominent women within SPD. Detective Denise “Cookie” Bouldin alleges race and gender discrimination. Deanna Nollette was once the assistant chief over criminal investigations, she claims Diaz has a history of misogyny.
"The whole claim of having a history of misogyny is factually untrue and there's no investigation that's ever been out there and I've done everything I can to better serve," said Chief Diaz.
The department plans to address the issues in three ways: Increasing awareness of sexism within the department, offering more childcare options and improved mentorship programs.
Mayor Bruce Harrell's office sent KING 5 the following statement in regard to the report:
"Our office is currently reviewing this report. We are grateful to the officers and employees who provided their experiences, perspectives, and feedback, which are critical for identifying and addressing concerning issues raised.
Mayor Harrell believes Seattle must have a police service that reflects our city and the communities who call it home – including officers and leadership who bring a diversity of backgrounds, ideas, and experiences. Ensuring women at SPD attain positions of leadership, feel welcome and supported, and can serve free of bias or harassment is paramount for creating a representative department and building a culture at SPD that fully reflects the values of our city.
Building on previous roll call meetings with rank-and-file officers, Mayor Harrell plans to sit down with women in SPD to hear directly from them. As we further examine the details of the report and its recommendations, we will continue to seek input from women at SPD to address these issues, make lasting improvements, and build a representative police service by recruiting and retaining female officers.
Our administration remains focused on identifying patterns of institutional issues like racism and gender discrimination throughout Seattle, including in our own institutions, recognizing that changing systemic practices requires commitment and a high level of intentionality."