ARE FEMALES SUITABLE FOR POLICE DUTY?

Abstract

ABSTRACTPolice work is a masculine job that needs physical strength and force and thus it is male-dominated working environment in Taiwan as in other countries. Under gender mainstreaming, Taiwan's society has gradually adhere the basic female human rights for equitable employment, with one example being that the Special Examination for Police canceled limits on quotas for females in order to offer equal opportunity employment. However, police often have to face uncertain dangerous situations and so under real operation conditions, if policewomen are exposed to dangerous situations, does this meet the requirements of protection of maternity in R.O.C. Constitution? This study finds that females generally perform better in the examination and hence the number of Taiwan's policewomen is set to significantly increase in the future. If this situation continues, then the fact that policewomen request equal employment on the one hand and request being protected on the other hand may affect the operations of police authorities. This study aims to explore: Whether or not women are suitable to engage in police work?Keywords: Management Efficiency, Questionnaire Analysis, Gender Equality, Job analysis1. INTRODUCTIONPolice officers are called people's babysitters and their roles are not only to crack down on crime and show their masculine side, but also to protect and take care of innocent people, showing their soft and amicable side. Therefore, after the Nationalist government withdrew from mainland China and came to Taiwan in 1949, the Taiwan Police School began to recruit female graduates from junior high school. In order to enhance the quality of police, A-class Police Class opened up to graduates from senior high schools in 1969. Police College then allowed female students join in 1974, resulting in more and more females joining the force. With changes in Taiwan's society, female crimes increasing and the emergence of the sex industry and violence upon women and children, the police force is depending more and more on policewomen to handle police work.In reviewing the development of policewomen, we see after the introduction of them into the force that their main responsibility is in responding to the demands from society and dealing with female crimes or crimes on women and children mess. After opening up the police force in Taiwan to females and through the requirement of gender equality, the police force has had to recruit new members through fair examinations, but the fact that female students have generally performed better than male students on the examination has resulted in recruiting an excessive number of females to take on police duties. However, the innate weakness of females compared to males often causes difficulties in assigning field duties by the police station. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore if females are indeed suitable for joining the police force.This study begins by researching the problems that policewomen encounter in their daily work. It then proceeds by analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of policewomen. Finally, this study offers some recommendations.2. MATERIALS AND METHODSLiterature review is to discuss problems encountered by policewomen in police organizations.2.1. Unfairness of Promotions and AwardsLike male colleagues, policewomen have to pass the tough Special Examination for Police and receive stringent education and training before becoming a qualified police officer. In masculine police organizations, policewomen are recognized only as nominally being a police officer, because police organizations are full of patriarchal control and thought processes that believe policewomen can only do office work without incurring any heavy responsibilities. Yeh (2004) pointed out that most police organizations have lower expectations for policewomen and do not give them too much or too heavy of a workload, leading to fewer opportunities for promotion. …