Research in Brief: Charting a Path toward Racial and Gender Diversity among Police Leaders

Research in Brief

Police Chief Magazine|Columns|Research in Brief|Research in Brief: Charting a Path toward Racial and Gender Diversity among Police Leaders

Research in Brief: Charting a Path toward Racial and Gender Diversity among Police Leaders

Robert E. Worden, Director, The John F. Finn Institute for Public Safety, Inc.; Steven A. Nigrelli, Acting Superintendent, New York State Police; Sarah J. McLean, Associate Director, The John F. Finn Institute for Public Safety, Inc.; R. Christopher West, Lieutenant Colonel, New York State Police; and Hannah Cochran, Senior Research Analyst, The John F. Finn Institute for Public Safety, Inc.

Calls for a police workforce that is diverse with respect to race, ethnicity, and gender date back many years, and the benefits of diversity are now well supported by empirical research.¹

Yet, achieving such diversity continues to be a challenge for many police agencies. Historically underrepresented groups remain underrepresented in policing, and they are even less likely to be represented in supervisory, managerial, and leadership positions.