COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Division of Police is pledging to increase the ranks of women in law enforcement to 30% by 2030.
The pledge is part of the 30x30 initiative to increase the representation of women in the law enforcement field, which more than 100 other departments are a part of.
By 2030, CPD pledges to make strides in achieving its goal to increase the number of women in the field and make progress in areas of diversity, equity and inclusion.
“We have made some progress in recruiting women to join CPD, but there is an incredible amount of work still to be done,” said Columbus Police Chief Elaine R. Bryant. “Our pledge to join 30x30 is part of a larger framework for our Division to improve the recruitment, retention, representation and experiences of women officers.”
Currently, the division has 201 sworn female employees, which is just 11.2% of its total sworn officers. In 2022 and the first quarter of 2023, the CPD brought on 22 female officers.
These statistics are not unique to Columbus. Throughout the country, women make up just 12% of sworn officers and 3% of police leadership.
CPD said in a release that this underrepresentation of women in policing has significant public safety implications including better outcomes for crime victims.
“We are grateful to the Columbus Division of Police for being one of the first in the nation to commit to being a part of this growing movement,” said Maureen McGough, co-founder of the 30x30 Initiative, Chief of Staff of the Policing Project at the New York University School of Law and former policing expert at the U.S. Department of Justice.