The EPD Joins the 30×30 Pledge

 Last week, the Evansville Police Department signed the 30×30 Pledge – a series of low- and no-cost actions that policing agencies can take to improve the representation and experiences of women in law enforcement. The activities help policing agencies assess the current state of a department with regard to gender equity, identify factors that may be driving any disparities and to 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 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 a representative of the jurisdiction the agency serves. While 30×30 is focused on advancing women in policing, these principles are applicable to all demographic diversity, not just gender. Nationally, women make up only 12% of sworn officers and only 3% of police leadership in the U.S. 

More than 230 agencies from major metro departments including the New York City Police Department, to mid-sized, rural, university and state policing agencies 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. At EPD, we are honored to be among the first in the nation to make this critical commitment, and we look forward to working with and learning from agencies across the country who share our priority. 

“We are grateful to the Evansville Police Department for being amongst 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 Evansville Police Department’s lead by signing the pledge and improving the representation and experiences of women in policing