The Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) is joining forces with policing agencies across the nation in the effort to increase the representation of women in law enforcement. Called the 30×30 initiative, the national effort will address recruitment, assessment, hiring, retention, promotion and the overall agency culture for women. The ultimate goal is to have women represent 30 percent of the recruit classes by 2030, and to ensure policing agencies are representative of the jurisdictions they serve. “We are committed to encouraging women to seek a career where they can truly protect and serve their communities and to provide an environment that will ensure they flourish personally and professionally,” says DPS Commissioner, Stephanie Bayens. Today, women make up 6.4 percent of the DPS sworn workforce. The 45th DPS Basic Academy class, currently in training, started with 15 percent female recruit enrollment. Women also made up 16 percent of the recent qualified application pool for the department’s upcoming Certified Academy. Maureen McGough, co-founder of the 30×30 initiative, says they are grateful to the Iowa DPS for being one of the first in the nation to commit to the growing movement. “We believe strongly that advancing women in policing is critical to improving public safety outcomes,” she says. “We look forward to having more agencies follow the DPS lead by signing the pledge and improving the representation and experiences of women in policing.”
