Abstract
Although police work was traditionally defined as “men’s” work, the custom of classifying jobs as “male” or “female” was ruled as discriminatory in the 1960s. The Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Act of 1972 ruled that law enforcement agencies, among others, could be held liable for discriminating against women and minorities in hiring and promotion. Over the next 20 years, more than 30 city, county, and state police agencies in the United States were sued for discriminating against women. As a result, they came under consent decrees (court order) that established affirmative action programs for hiring and promotion in their agencies.
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