The Role of Women in the Police Service — The Effects of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 — A Comparison of Respective Positions 1975
| Published date | 01 October 1979 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X7905200402 |
| Date | 01 October 1979 |
| Author | P.K. Sullivan |
| Subject Matter | Article |
P.K.
SULLIVAN
Woman Inspector
Kent County Constbulary
THE ROLE OF
WOMEN
IN THE
POLICE SERVICE - THE
EFFECTS OF THE SEX
DISCRIMINATION
ACT
1975
A
COMPARISON
OF
RESPECTIVE POSITIONS
"How
soon might it be before I can think of being an Assistant
Chief Constable?" "Never".
"But
why not?" "Because you're a
woman". "But suppose I'm the best police officer in the force?"
"It
doesn't matter if you' the best in the world - you're awoman, so
there's no way you can become an Assistant Chief Constable".
"There's no other reason? -
just
that
I'm a woman?". A first sudden
shock on encountering facts of life, police-style, before the coming of
the Sex Discrimination Act in December 1975; I had hardly even
begun, and already it had been made quite clear
that
there was to be
no Chief Constable's baton in my pack - and for a very good reason
- I was a woman!
In general terms, recruit training was identical for both men and
women officers pre-1975. as indeed was probationer training. but
what male and female did on their return to their forces was
somewhat different, treading, as they did, almost totally divergent
paths. Men were allocated to a section or relief and were subjected
immediately to the rigours of the three-shift system. to patrolling the
beat, to dealing with road traffic accidents, to serving summonses. to
arresting and! or reporting people for a hundred and one major or
minor offences. and. from time to time. to cold. cold rain trickling
down the back of the neck at 3 o'clock in the morning.
Women on the other hand, were dispatched to the comforts
(!)
of
the Policewomen's Department, albeit sometimes having spent their
first six weeks
'on
the beat' with a male
tutor
constable. Once in the
Policewomen's Department, they usually stayed there for the
remainder of their service, even when promoted, except for the very
rare ones who joined C.l.D. or Traffic Department. No nights were
worked by policewomen - unless. of course, one takes into account
336 October /979
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