Durango policewoman Rita Warfield wears a bullet-proof vest and men’s clothing to work everyday.
The bullet-proof vest keeps her safe; the men’s attire is a reminder she works in a male-dominated profession.
“We do struggle with uniforms,” she said. “A lot of us are wearing men’s clothes because it’s harder to get female uniforms.”
Law enforcement agencies across the country are trying to diversify their workforces to more closely resemble the communities they serve. Yet, one area that receives little attention is the disparity between men and women serving on police forces, even though most communities have a 50-50 split.
According to FBI data, women make up about 12 percent of police officers across the country, and far fewer hold leadership roles, including sergeant or higher.
The trend is similar at the Durango Police Department, which has five female officers out of 55 sworn positions.
Warfield, who is the highest-ranking female officer on the force, was promoted last week from sergeant to lieutenant. It is an interim promotion that will allow the new chief, who is expected to be hired this spring, to decide whether to keep her in the leadership role.
“Of course, I hope it works out that it becomes a permanent position for me, but we just have to see what happens,” she said. “I was very proud that I was selected out of five applicants, and I hope to do a really good job.”
Female officers must pass the same tests and physical requirements as men, yet many feel pressure to prove themselves to their male counterparts because they are smaller in stature, Warfield said. But fighting crime is less about brute force and more about knowing when to escalate force and how much force to use. Women are just as effective as men when it comes to using tools provided to law enforcement, including batons, Tasers and guns, she said.
Some say women are more effective communicators and have better success at de-escalating volatile situations. Warfield isn’t sure about that, saying she has worked with many men who do a good job of calming people down. But the mix of having men and women respond to a scene often yields positive results, especially on domestic violence calls, she said.
Some men feel more comfortable talking to a female police officer, or vice versa. Male and female officers can switch off talking to domestic violence parties “to where we get the most information about what happened,” she said.
Female officers also must deal with stereotypes as they relate to women in general, Warfield said. For example, some men assume women don’t know anything about cars or the science of radar, she said. She has had numerous arguments with male drivers who say the reason they appeared to be speeding was because they have larger tires on their trucks, which makes it look like they’re going faster than they are.
“We know how to work radar, we know how to gauge speed just like anybody, yet, sometimes, being a woman, that is the tactic that might be used – to say, ‘You don’t realize that my tires are the super-big ones and they’re always going to make radars look like we’re going faster than we are,’” Warfield said. “Sometimes people might try to pull something like that on you because you are a woman, thinking you don’t know those things. And we may not know everything about cars. ... But the one thing on our side is we can always research it and give knowledgeable answers.”
Other people simply think women should stay at home or limit themselves to nursing or secretarial work, she said. But women can run into that in any profession.
Warfield, who has been with the police department for 21 years, didn’t always know she wanted to be in law enforcement. It was more of an organic progression: She worked as an administrative assistant with Durango Parks and Recreation Department. A position opened for a community service officer, which allowed her to respond to traffic crashes and other calls without becoming a certified police officer.
“That’s when I got my first taste of law enforcement experience, and I loved it, and I wanted to do more,” she said.
She went through the police academy and was certified. She has since worked in traffic patrol, served as a field-training officer, worked as a detective and was eventually promoted to sergeant, overseeing detectives and patrol.
Women who attain leadership roles in male-dominated work environments sometimes face resistance, second-guessing and straight-up hostility from male counterparts who don’t want to be told what to do by a woman. Warfield said she has been fortunate in this regard, finding mostly a mutual respect among colleagues.
“Sometimes, you have to sit down and talk to someone in an adversary situation or a tough situation, but most of the time it’s been well-received and we’ve kept the communication open,” she said. “I would like to think that’s the situation. If it’s not, it’s news to me.”
Police officers often work odd hours, especially if they’re new hires, and schedules tend to fluctuate. That can be tough on families, especially for female officers who are raising children.
Warfield said her career may have contributed to her divorce. Fortunately, her two daughters were nearing their teenage years when she entered law enforcement, which made it easier to work the odd hours.
The same was true for Terry Brookins, whose teenage daughter was of driving age by the time she joined the Durango Police Department 11 years ago.
“It wasn’t as hard for me as maybe someone who has little ones at home,” Brookins said.
Brookins said she often receives second glances from people when they see a female officer behind the wheel of a patrol car. Some people expect leniency simply because she is a woman, she said.
“I feel like people say, ‘Oh, it’s a girl cop, she’s going to be nice,’ and try to take advantage of the situation,” Brookins said. “But being a woman, you can’t take any crap from anybody.”
Brookins said she became a police officer because the job looked exciting and it felt like a way to help the community. But with the recent turmoil in the profession – including high-profile shootings involving police officers and minorities – it’s a hard profession to recommend.
“It’s a bad time right now for cops,” she said. “It’s kind of hard to tell people they should do this job and put their life on the line every day.”
Women considering a career in law enforcement may receive less support from family members, who worry about their safety, Warfield said.
“Given what’s going on nationwide with law enforcement, there’s a lot of families questioning whether they want their moms to go into this profession, as well as their dads,” Warfield said. “It’s not like it used to be. You’ve got to know about terrorism and things that 20 years ago were rarely talked about.”
Kathleen O’Toole worked as a police officer in Boulder for 11 years before joining the Durango Police Department three years ago. When she tells people she has been in more scuffles during her first year in Durango than her 11 years in Boulder, they immediately ask how she handles herself as a 5-feet, 3-inch woman who weighs 125 pounds.
“I say 125 pounds of pure fury,” she said, joking.
Of course, the real answer is she relies on her training, law enforcement tools and backup from other officers. As for Durango’s penchant for fighting: O’Toole said people tend to get more intoxicated in Durango.
“The blood-alcohol levels here are so high – regularly, regularly high,” she said. “Drugs and alcohol just keep people from making good decisions.”
Warfield said women who are considering a career in law enforcement should do a ride-along to learn more about the profession.
“We make good officers,” Warfield said. “Being female is just a bonus. We can do a lot of things that are beneficial in this profession.
“The female officers are a good fit with our department and in our community, and I hope we get some more.
“It’s a great and exciting career,” she said. “I only wish I would have gotten involved in it sooner than I did. But I waited until my children were a little older so I could work the kind of shifts that I needed to work without having babies at home.”
shane@durangoherald.com
