SALT LAKE CITY — The University of Utah Police Department has pledged to hire 30% more women by 2030.
According to a release, the department is the first law enforcement agency in Utah to join the 30x30 initiative [30x30initiative.org], which aims to increase the representation of women in police departments to 30% by 2030.
According to its website, the 30x30 initiative is a coalition of police leaders, researchers, and professional organizations who have joined together to advance the representation and experiences of women in policing agencies across the United States.
“Having a diverse agency is essential to us and is an important part of reforming policing,” said Jason Hinojosa, acting chief of University Police. “We want to promote all kinds of diversity, including gender representation among our staff and leadership to continue building better outcomes and interactions with our community. We will use this program and best practices shared by partners to develop further initiatives that address barriers to women’s advancement in our field.”
The 30x30 Initiative supporting research [30x30initiative.org] says women officers use less force, are named in fewer complaints and lawsuits, see better outcomes for crime victims, make fewer discretionary arrests and have other positive outcomes.
Currently, 10% of the U's Police Department are women, and women comprise 33% of the command staff. Nationally, women make up 12% of sworn officers and only 3% of police leadership, according to the 30x30 Initiative.
For more information about the 30x30 program go here. [30x30initiative.org]
