Women in Australasian Policing 1994–98: The Movement for Change
| DOI | 10.1177/146135579800100308 |
| Date | 01 December 1998 |
| Published date | 01 December 1998 |
| Author | Melinda Tynan |
| Subject Matter | Applied Paper |
International Journal of Police
Science
&
Management
Volume 1
Number
3
Applied papers
Women in Australasian policing 1994-98:
The movement for change
Melinda Tynan
New South Wales Police Service; melinda_tynan@dpa.act.gov.au
Accepted: 10th June, 1998
Melinda Tynan was the
chief
instigator
of
The First Conference
of
Australasian Women
Police held in Sydney in 1996. She is aSenior
Constable in the
NSW
Police Service, cur-
rently on leave working
for
the Australian
Capital Territory Attorney General's Depart-
ment
to co-ordinate responses to domestic
violence.
ABSTRACT
This is an account
if
the development
if
the
First Conference
of
Australasian
TMJmen
Police
and some
of
the outcomes from that conference,
including the development
of
the Australasian
Council
if
TMJmen
and
Policing, the
TMJmen
in Policing
Advisory
Committee
and
The
Whip,
the Newsletter
of
Australasian
TMJmen
Police.
The
account specifically addresses the
period in which the conference concept was
developed as a collaborative tffort
of
women
policefrom each
if
the nine police organisations
throughout Australia
and
New
Zealand,
and
also considers the longer term tffects
if
the
conference
and
other activities. It is hoped that
this paper will provide some inspiration
and
ideas for women in police agencies in other
parts
if
the world.
BACKGROUND
In
1994,
after 12 years as a
police
of-
ficer
with
the
New
South
Wales
(NSW)
Police Service,
the
largest
police
serv-
ice
in Australia,
the
author
accepted
a
secondment
to
the
Australian
Bureau
of
Criminal
Intelligence
(ABCI)
, a
common
Australian
police
intelligence
service
based
in
Canberra.
The
ABCI
at
that
time
had
five
women
police
from
different
police
organisations
around
Australia.
After
some
time
comparing
notes,
it
became
clear
that
women
police
had
quite
different
conditions
of
service in
their
home
forces.
Some
had
no
maternity
leave
and
no
part-time
work.
Others
had
part-time
work
opportunities
only
in
administrative
positions.
In
other
jurisdictions,
there
was
no
formal
or
informal
women's
network
or
supports
and,
in
all
jurisdictions
around
the
nation,
there
were
markedly
few
women
at
the
senior
levels.
Also
in
1994,
the
author
attended
the
NSW
Police
Association
Biennial
Con-
ference
as a
delegate.
At
that
con-
ference
of
120
delegates,
seven
were
women
-
the
highest
representation
of
women
within
this
forum
in its history.
The
author
was
appalled
when
women
who
rose
to
speak
from
the
floor
of
the
conference
were
howled
down
and
abused.
Despite
the
odds,
two
women
were
ultimately
elected
to
the
executive
of
the
association.
This
felt
like
an
extraordinary
victory
at
the
time.
There
had
never
been
more
than
one
woman
on
the
executive
of
the
Association
in
its
history.
Nevertheless,
it was a
disturbing
and
formative
experience.
It
appeared
that
International Journal
of
Police
Science and Management,
Vol. 1
No.3,
1998, pp.301-.107.
©Herny Stewart Publications.
1461-.1557
Page 301
To continue reading
Request your trial