With roughly 135 vacancies in the Durham Police Department, there’s a high demand for more officers.
Currently, the department has only 65 female officers out of a total of 389.
With a push for more female officers and a general staffing shortage, the department held an event on Saturday to educate women about the opportunities in the department and dispel any misconceptions about women in law enforcement.
“Women generally speaking think that they can’t do the job or they won’t fit in,” Durham Police Lt. Brie Butler told ABC11.
Lt. Butler added that women absolutely can do the job and do belong in the Durham Police Department, despite the field being male-dominated.
“We opened it up to ages 16 and up, specifically for anybody getting ready to finish up high school and trying to figure out what to do next,” Lt. Butler said.
Durham Police worked to address specific areas of concern to female officer candidates during Saturday’s event. Breakout sessions focused on fitness, firearms, and ride-alongs.