In an entity that is often referred to as \u201cthe boys in blue,\u201d it can be challenging for a woman to navigate a career in law enforcement.<\/p>\n
Junior criminal justice major Emily Slack is pursuing a career in law enforcement. Slack said that working in law enforcement has always been a career that made sense for her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going into law enforcement to help and protect people, with the added bonus of putting criminals away so they can\u2019t continue breaking the law and harming society,\u201d Slack said. \u201cIt is what I feel like I\u2019ve been called to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Slack said she wants to protect communities by helping put away criminals and doing her part to make the world a better place.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s pretty fascination to learn about all the different facets of criminal justice,\u201d Slack said. \u201cIt has always been interesting to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Samuel Jeffrey, associate professor of criminal justice, said that diversity of perspective is healthy in most endeavors, and law enforcement is no exception.<\/p>\n
\u201cWomen in any profession come into contact with both bias and harassment and harassment,\u201d Jeffrey said. \u201cLaw enforcement is no exception to this. There is also the physical aspect of the job, which can be quite demanding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Deena Reynolds has been serving as a staff officer for Public Safety at Harding for seven years. According to Reynolds, being a woman in public safety has its difficulties, but there are also opportunities.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing that I experience almost daily is that many people feel more comfortable talking with me than they do with the men,\u201d Reynolds said.<\/p>\n
Regardless of gender, members of the police force face different challenges in their careers, depending upon what sector they are in. Reynolds said that some of the challenges that she faces are stress, the time consumption of the job and maintaining a positive attitude.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake care of yourself,\u201d Reynolds said. \u201cIt is a stressful job, and sometimes all you can find to eat is junk food, or high sugary foods. So, make sure that you take time to eat right, work out and relax.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reynolds said added developing a thick skin is crucial in the public safety field. There is a lot of negativity and being called names on the job that one can not take personal.<\/p>\n
Slack and Reynolds agreed that the pursuit of law enforcement has been worthwhile for them, despite the challenges they have and will face.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think women will bring a strong sense of compassion to the field that men are sometimes lacking, but still maintain a strong sense of right and wrong,\u201d Slack said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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