Fresno Police Department pledges to increase women in its ranks. The goal is 30% by 2030

The Fresno Police Department pledged on Friday to increase the number of women in its ranks to 30% by the year 2030.

“Women have been significantly under-represented in policing,” Chief Paco Balderrama said in a news release announcing the department’s commitment to advancing women on the force.

“I support the success of qualified female officers at all ranks throughout their careers,” he said.

As part of that commitment, the department is signing on with the 30X30 Pledge, which lays out a series of low- and no-cost actions police departments can take to identify and eliminate disparities and in recruitment, assessment, hiring, retention, promotion and agency culture.

By signing the pledge, the department also agrees to report back on its efforts, which will be compiled and shared as part of the national 30X30 Initiative.

“We believe strongly that advancing women in policing is critical to improving public safety outcomes,” said Maureen McGough, founder of the 30X30 Initiative and Chief of Staff of the Policing Project at the New York University of Law.

According to research cited by the initiative’s website, women officers use less force and less excessive force; are named in fewer complaints and lawsuits; are perceived by communities as being more honest and compassionate; see better outcomes for crime victims, especially in sexual assault cases; and make fewer discretionary arrests.

A 30% representation is the threshold where a group can begin to influence an organization’s culture, according to the initiative. Currently, women make up 12% of sworn officers in the country, and 3% of police leadership.

The 30x30 Initiative started in 2018 as a coalition of police leaders, researchers and professional organizations. It held a national research summit and released an initial report on women in policing the following year. While 30X30 is focused on women in policing, the principles are applicable across demographics.

“We look forward to having more agencies follow the Fresno Police Department’s lead by signing the pledge and improving representation and experiences,” McGough said.

So far, more than 150 agencies have signed the pledge.

The announcement coincides with National Women’s Month, during which the Fresno Police Department has been highlighting profiles of its female officers on its Facebook page.

This story was originally published March 25, 2022 at 11:41 AM.