Alarm bells ring as the number of women applying for PSNI drops

Posted By: October 27, 2015

By Deborah McAleese. Belfast Telegraph. November 20, 2015

           
  Seriousas many men as women now applying to join the force, it can be revealed.

Calls have been made for the force to reverse the trend after a policing expert described it as a “male dominated” organization.

New police statistics show that just three in 10 people applying to join the organization are women.

In theapplicants were female.

Similarly last year, during phase two of recruitment, just 35% of 5,856 applicants were women.

Phase threeindications of the gender breakdown are understood to be disappointing.

Policing Board member Dolores Kelly said that urgent action was needed to address the gender imbalance.

“It ishave a problem here, so we need to focus and address this quickly.

Policingsociety in which they policed”.

“Therefore,PSNI,” he said.

Dr Byrnetherefore, they perceive it as a male dominated institution.”

Concern had also been raised recently about the low level of new female recruits making it through to graduation.

The PSNIexam for potential recruits, the organization changed its one-strike policy.

Candidates, both male and female, who fail the grueling test are now given a second chance.

And last month a controversial section of the test, which stimulates a struggle, was scrapped after complaints it was unfair to women.

RecentlyPSNI.

However, inthat many experienced policewomen were making their way up the ranks of the force.

Followingteam. Females also only fill two of the Chief Superintendent posts.

Despite12% of the force was female. Today women make up almost 30% of the organization.