P.I. Jane: Predictors of women's representation in private investigations

Abstract

Women's equitable inclusion in police work is a pre-requisite to a functioning democracy and while scholars have identified a number of variables associated with women's employment in policing, private policing has received comparatively little attention. Herein, correlates of women's representation in private investigations agencies are identified and empirically assessed. Women's service in private investigations is predicated based on two factors: external (including regional demographics and women's presence in local law enforcement agencies) and internal (that is, women as agency owners). Preliminary analyses suggest that internal factors had a stronger association with women's representation. Specifically, the gender of the agency's owner and the owner's previous law enforcement experience are predictors of the proportion of women working as private investigators.