Most of the 389 police officers in Durham are men, but now the department, led by Chief Patrice Andrews, is participating in a nationwide effort to add more women to the 65 currently on duty in the Bull City.
Lieutenant Bree Butler’s a recruiter for the DPD’s Women LEED https://www.durhamnc.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=3679 (Law Enforcement Education Day) program. She told ABC11 women officers can make a difference when police respond to potentially sensitive situations involving civilian women.
“We use our words. We talk through the situation, or we maybe take more advantage of time and distance, which are all de-escalation techniques that are being taught,” she said. “You don’t have to just rush in and go hands on. I think overall women are naturally more inclined to do that because we’re not always the fastest or strongest person out there. I also don’t think, I think sometimes women also can get pigeonholed into just those roles. And I have seen a few times in my recruiting experience where women coming into the profession, they don’t want to just do the softer side of policing. But not all women want to serve in those roles.”