U.S. Marshals Take 30x30 Pledge to Advance Women in Policing as First Federal Agency and 200th Agency

September 8, 2022             

NEW YORK – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) became the first federal law enforcement agency and the 200th law enforcement organization overall to sign the 30x30 Pledge, a nationwide initiative to advance women in policing.

 “Our pledge reflects the U.S. Marshals Service’s commitment to recruiting and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce,” said Ronald L. Davis, Director of the U.S. Marshals Service. “We know diversity brings value and more women in law enforcement will strengthen law enforcement and make us responsive to the diverse needs of our communities. We look forward to this collaboration that will help us improve our organization and better equip us to respond to the challenges of the future.”

“This signifies a huge step for the 30x30 Initiative. In addition to being the 200th agency, the U.S. Marshals Service is the first federal agency to formally commit to advancing women in law enforcement,” said Maureen McGough, co-founder of the 30x30 Initiative, Chief of Strategic Initiatives of the Policing Project at the New York University School of Law, and a 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 anticipate additional federal agencies will follow the Marshals’ lead by signing the pledge and look forward to working with and learning from them.”

Currently, women make up only 12 percent of sworn officers and 3 percent of police leadership in the U.S. As of 2018, women represented 16 percent of the criminal investigators in the Department of Justice’s law enforcement agencies. This underrepresentation of women in policing has significant public safety implications. Research suggests that women officers:

●       Use less force and less excessive force

●       Are named in fewer complaints and lawsuits

●       Are perceived by communities as being more honest and compassionate

●       See better outcomes for crime victims, especially in sexual assault cases

Founded by McGough and Ivonne Roman, Former Chief of Police of the Newark Police Department, the 30x30 Initiative is 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 and Canada.

The 30x30 Pledge is 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 policing agencies assess the current state of a department 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 based on social science research that greater representation of women on police forces leads to better policing outcomes for communities.

More than 200 agencies that have taken the pledge since 30x30 launched last March range from major metro departments including the New York City Police Department, to mid-sized, rural, university and state policing agencies, as well as several agencies in Canada.