Women change the culture.
That’s the concept with which the Grand Junction Police department is leading our newest recruiting campaign to attract exceptional law enforcement applicants to serve this great city.
The Grand Junction Police Department is constantly seeking new, innovative ways to stand out in the highly competitive police recruiting climate. So, when we pledged to support the 30x30 campaign, which is a national initiative to attract, hire, and retain qualified female police officers by creating a welcoming and supportive place to work and thrive, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to showcase the incredible women who already work here and serve this community.
Although women make up slightly more than half of the population in the United States, only roughly 12% of police officers in our country are women. Some research has shown that female officers use less physical force than men and that they are more effective at de-escalating violent situations. Women are also less likely to be the subject of citizen complaints.
“At the Grand Junction Police Department, we already employ a group of dedicated, exceptional professionals who serve our supportive community,” says Grand Junction Police Chief Doug Shoemaker. “But we believe we can continue to grow and improve, and creating a more diverse police force is part of that effort. Diverse work groups are more effective, more creative, more resilient, and better at problem solving. We want more for our agency and our community, and we know that women make the culture of law enforcement better.”
In the coming weeks, you will see us roll out this campaign, which consists of photos and videos of current female GJPD officers, via social media and other platforms. Not only do we want to attract strong, compassionate, intelligent females who are looking for a career in a supportive community where they can truly make a difference, but we want to attract a diverse pool of applicants who believe that our progressive and innovative style of policing might be a good fit for them.
If you want to be part of the path forward for policing in Grand Junction, we invite you to share these materials as you see them in the near future. You never know; you might help us connect with the future of law enforcement in your community.