U.S. Postal Inspection Service Pledges to Advance Women in Policing

Washington – The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has signed the 30×30 Pledge – a series of low- and no-cost actions policing agencies can take to improve the representation and experiences of women in law enforcement. The activities help law enforcement agencies assess the current state of a department or agency with regard to gender equity, identify factors that may be driving any disparities and develop and implement strategies and solutions to eliminate barriers and advance women in policing. These actions address recruitment, assessment, hiring, retention, promotion, and agency culture.

The Pledge is the foundational effort of the 30×30 Initiative – a coalition of police leaders, researchers, and professional organizations who have joined together to advance the representation and experiences of women in all ranks of policing across the United States. The 30×30 Initiative is affiliated with the Policing Project at New York University (NYU) School of Law and the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE).

The ultimate goal of the 30×30 Initiative is to reach 30 percent of women in police recruit classes by 2030, and to ensure policing agencies are truly representative of the jurisdiction the agency serves. Currently, women make up only 12 percent of sworn officers and 3 percent of police leadership in the U.S. While 30×30 is focused on advancing women in policing, these principles are applicable to all demographic diversity, not just gender.

“The Postal Inspection Service has a history of inclusion, as one of the first federal law enforcement agencies to allow female agents,” said Gary Barksdale, Chief Postal Inspector, “This pledge continues in that spirit, and affirms the Postal Inspection Service is actively working toward improving the representation and experiences of women in our agency. I firmly believe that our organization’s greatest strength is in the collective diversity of our employees.”

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service joins more than 300 agencies to include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and others who have signed the 30×30 Pledge. The Pledge is based on social science research that greater representation of women on police forces leads to better policing outcomes for communities.

“We are grateful to the Postal Inspection Service for being one of the first in the nation to commit to being a part of this growing movement,” said Maureen McGough, co-founder of the 30×30 Initiative, Chief of Staff of the Policing Project at the New York University School of Law, and former policing expert at the U.S. Department of Justice. “We believe strongly that advancing women in policing is critical to improving public safety outcomes. We look forward to having more agencies follow the Postal Inspection Service’s lead by signing the pledge and improving the representation and experiences of women in policing.”

For more information, visit www.30x30initiative.org.