The last century has seen a significant emergence of women as police officers; their contributions and accomplishments have inspired many. Since the mid-nineteenth century women have worked to improve the criminal justice system. Women in policing have gone from being matrons attending to women prisoners and juveniles, to becoming chiefs of police of major metropolitan departments.

Policing today has professional standards and high expectations of those who enter law enforcement. The Cornelius Police Department prides itself on those standards and the women of the Cornelius Police Department are not exempt from them. The Cornelius Police Department currently has six female law enforcement officers on staff (4 full-time, 2 part-time).   This diverse group of women share roles in every aspect of the police department and all are valuable assets.

Lt. Jennifer Thompson was recently promoted to Lieutenant over the Criminal Investigations Division. She is the highest ranking female in the history of the Cornelius Police Department.  Lt. Thompson started in Patrol, and became the department’s first female investigator 5 years ago. Lt. Thompson has worked on many high-profile cases the department has handled over the years. “It’s a great achievement and it’s also very challenging,” Lt. Thompson stated.  She is well-respected in the department and amongst her peers.

Officer Gina Patterson currently works in the Support Services Division, is the DARE Officer at Cornelius Elementary and JV Washam Elementary Schools, and organizes many juvenile crime prevention events for the department.  While some women in policing may find obstacles in being a woman in policing, Officer Patterson has had the opposite experience. “I enjoy being a police officer, “Officer Patterson stated. “I’ve been with the Cornelius Police Department for 7 years and am treated no differently than the men I work with. I feel that I’m respected by my peers, but most importantly, respected by the members of the community.”  

Officer Vickie Williams also works in the Support Services Division; she works as a Community Resource Officer and Crime Prevention Specialist. Officer Williams likes the diversity that the women of the Cornelius Police Department represent.  “It’s not just one color that you see with these women, “ Officer Williams stated.  “The diversity in our department reflects the diversity of the community. Being the only Mexican female in the department shows other Latinos in the community, especially (Mexican) females, that we can make a difference.”

Recruiting women into law enforcement is always a challenge.  Nationally, women in policing make up roughly 13% of law enforcement officers in the United States. The Cornelius Police Department closely reflects that statistic. “I would love to hire more women,” Recruitment Sgt. Tony Sharpe stated. “With low numbers of women enrolled in BLET (Basic Law Enforcement Training) courses, women are easily and quickly recruited by departments when they graduate.”

Attracting women to law enforcement is key. Statistics have found that women make excellent police officers and often get more cooperation from the citizens they encounter.  “When I arrive on calls I find people are more willing to talk to me than the other (male) police officers on my squad,“ stated Officer Robin Howell. Officer Howell is the newest female member of the Cornelius Police and is currently the only woman assigned to the Patrol Division. “It’s odd sometimes when I find myself thinking about the fact that I’m the only female on my squad and now in Patrol. I have never been on a job where I was that much of a minority. People will always judge a female officer and will be skeptical of her performance.  It’s just the nature of the beast.”

In order to attract women to police work, the myths that women can’t handle the job have to be debunked.  Badges come in gold or silver, not pink or blue. There are hundreds of thousands of women in policing today all over the world.  Policing is a challenging and rewarding profession limited only by the abilities of the individual officer.

If you would like more information about becoming a police officer, contact the Cornelius Police Department at 704-892-1363 or visit the recruitment and employment tab on the website.