Women in Law Enforcement

>> ONE WOMAN WHO KNOWS WHAT IT TAKES TO BREAK GENDER BARRIERS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, FORMER CHIEF OF POLICE IN AURORA, ILLINOIS. KRISTEN ZIMAN. WE CONTINUE OUR CONVERSATION FROM OUR LAST EPISODE LEARNING MORE ABOUT HER THOUGHTS ON WOMEN ENTERING THE MALE DOMINATED PROFESSION. WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILDREN TO GO INTO LAW ENFORCEMENT? >> I WOULD, IN FACT, MY DAUGHTER'S MILITARY AND I THOUGHT FOR SURE SHE WAS GOING TO BE A POLICE OFFICER BECAUSE SHE HAS SUCH A DRIVE TO SERVICE. BUT I WOULD IT WAS A PROFESSION THAT I I ABSOLUTELY LOVE AND IT'S BROUGHT OUT THE BEST AND THE WORST IN ME. AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE JUST LIKE WITH OUR MILITARY. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO DO THIS JOB AND IT'S DANGEROUS. AND AT TIMES IT IS THANKLESS AND ESPECIALLY ONCE AGAIN WHEN PEOPLE PAINT US ALL WITH A BROAD BRUSH. BUT I WOULD STILL ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO JOIN MY BELOVED PROFESSION. NOW, THE LATEST STUDIES SAY THAT ABOUT 20% OF RECRUITS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. >> ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE WOMEN JUST 20%? AND WHY DO YOU THINK WE'RE SO UNDERREPRESENTED? >> I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS. I THINK THAT THEY'RE PART OF IT HAS TO DO SOME OF OUR MARKETING IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND IF YOU PULL UP SOME RECRUITMENT VIDEOS, YOU MIGHT SEE THE LONGINES ATTACKED JUMPING OVER FENCES CHASING AFTER PEOPLE AND THAT'S GREAT. BUT THAT'S TRULY A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF WHAT WE DO. IF YOU JOIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, YOU'RE GOING TO BE VERY DISAPPOINTED IF THAT'S WHY YOU JOINED BECAUSE MOST OF IT IS PROBLEM SOLVING SHOWING UP AT A LABOR DISPUTE AND DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE. A LOT OF IT IS COMMUNITY. IT IS, YOU KNOW, SADLY ALL OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, HAVE SAID ABOUT POLICE IN TRYING TO TOUGHEN THEM IS WE ARE THE ONES THAT HANDLE, YOU KNOW, UNHOUSED. WE'RE THE ONES THAT HANDLE DRUG ADDICTION AND MENTAL ILLNESS. SO SO MUCH OF LAW ENFORCEMENT IS PROBLEM SOLVING AND AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND CRITICAL THINKING AND SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I DON'T THINK THAT YOU CERTAIN THAT THAT A CERTAIN WOMEN ARE DRAWN TO THIS PROFESSION THAT THEY SEE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE FACE PAINT. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO SMASH IN THE DOOR AND THAT'S, AGAIN, A SMALL PART OF IT. AND IT IT IS STILL A CRUCIAL PART. YOU KNOW, THERE IS THIS KIND OF PUSH AND PULL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT IS. DO YOU WANT THEM TO BE GUARDIANS OR DO YOU WANT THEM TO BE WARRIORS AND THE ANSWER IS WE NEED BOTH. WE CAUGHT A WE NEED BOTH. WE NEED THE PROBLEM SOLVERS AND WE NEED ALSO COMPASSIONATE AND AND AND PATHETIC PEOPLE TO TO TALK WITH PEOPLE ON THE STREET. BUT AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE WHEN THE DEFECATION HITS THE OSCILLATION, WE NEED PEOPLE TO PUT THEIR GAME FACE ON AND WHETHER YOU ARE A MAN OR A WOMAN, AS LONG AS YOU ARE ABLE TO DO THAT, WE NEED TO IN THIS PROFESSION. BUT I DON'T THINK THE MARKETING IS GEARED TOWARDS WOMEN IN WHAT IS BEING DONE TO CHANGE THAT. THERE ARE SOME INITIATIVES BEING PUT FORWARD AND YOU ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THOSE. ABSOLUTELY. THERE IS AN INITIATIVE CALLED THE 30 BY 30, WHICH IS RICK PROVING 30% OF WOMEN INTO LAW ENFORCEMENT BY THE YEAR 2030. AND I AM IN FULL SUPPORT OF THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, WOMEN BRING A DIFFERENT NUANCE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT ONCE AGAIN AS LONG AS THEY CAN CONVERT INTO WARRIORS LIKE SO MANY OF US CAN AND AND DO THE THINGS THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. AND CAN YOU KNOW THE PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS YOU CAN HANDLE ALL OF THAT. AND I WOULD SAY THE SAME OF MEN. THERE ARE A LOT OF MEN. THEY CAN'T HANDLE THE VISITOR REQUIREMENT. AND SO IN. AND SO FOR THAT REASON, IT WOMEN BRING TO SUCH AND A NEW WANTS TO ROLL TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. AND SO IN TRYING TO TO BRING MORE WOMEN IN. NOW, THERE ARE SOME CRITICS WHO SAY WHILE YOU'RE TRYING TO CHECK A BOX SO THAT ALMOST HAD THAT AS IF IT'S AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. WE'RE NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE BRING IN MORE WOMEN WHO ARE NOT QUALIFIED. WE ARE SUGGESTING THAT WE GET MORE WOMEN WHO ARE QUALIFIED, INTERESTED IN THE PROFESSION. NOW HERE'S ANOTHER ROB WITH WOMEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT LIKE IT OR NOT, FACTUALLY MOST WOMEN ARE THE THE CHILD'S CARRYING PART. THEY DO MORE OF THE CHILD CARE, ONTARIO. NOW THAT IS CHANGING AND THERE ARE A LOT OF MEN WHO HAVE TAKEN ON THAT BALANCE. BUT WHEN YOU GO INTO LAW ENFORCEMENT, YOU'RE GOING TO GET TUESDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS OFF AND YOU'RE GOING TO WORK 3 TO 11 SHIFT. THAT IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO A LOT OF OF PEOPLE, ANY PEOPLE WHO ARE WANTING TO BE HOME WHEN THEIR KIDS GET OFF THE BUS AT 3 O'CLOCK. SO IT'S A PROFESSION WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE THEM YIELD FAMILIAL SACRIFICES AND WHETHER YOU'RE A MAN OR A WOMAN THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT YOUR DECISION TO THE LITTLE GIRL THAT'S OUT THERE. THAT WANTS TO BE A COP WHEN SHE GROWS UP. WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE? I WOULD SAY, I MEAN, AS I SAID, AS I'VE ENCOURAGED MY CHILDREN IS IT IS THE MOST NOBLE PROFESSION. I THINK. AND YOU'RE OUT. THEY'RE PROTECTING PEOPLE FROM BULLIES PROTECTING THE VULNERABLE FROM HARM AND NO DAY IS THE SAME. THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW WHEN YOU GET IN THAT SQUAD CAR, ALL THE 9-1-1 CALLS ARE DIFFERENT. BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PERFECTLY CAPABLE AND TO LOOK AT THE WOMEN WHO HAVE SUCCEEDED IN THE PROFESSION AND USE THEM AS VISIBILITY AND ROLE MODEL. AND THAT IS WHERE YOU COME IN AND YOU ARE. >> THEY'RE RETIRED RECENTLY. YOU NOW LIVE IN NAPLES AND YOU'VE AUTHORED A BOOK AND TELL US ABOUT YOUR BOOK WHAT THE MISSION IS AND THE FOCUS OF YOUR OF YOUR NEW BOOK. SO WHEN I LEFT THE PROFESSION, IT WAS. >> AFTER THE MASS SHOOTING AFTER THE PANDEMIC AFTER GEORGE FLOYD AND THE CIVIL UNREST, A GOOD LEADER NEVER LEAVES IN THE MIDDLE OF A CRISIS. BUT ONCE THE DUST SETTLED, I GOT THE OUT OF THERE. AND THE WAY THAT I SAT DOWN TO MAKE SENSE OF A 30 YEAR CAREER IN LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS TO JUST WRITE. I'VE BEEN A WRITER MY WHOLE LIFE AND IT WAS CATHARTIC FOR ME. AND SO THIS BOOK IS A CULMINATION OF MY EXPERIENCE IS IT'S A MEMOIR, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT GRIT. IT'S ABOUT RESILIENCE. AND IT'S ABOUT LEADERSHIP AND CULTURE IN ORGANIZATIONS. AND IT'S KIND OF ALL WRAPPED INTO WHAT ONE PIECE AND YOU'RE GOING AROUND THE COUNTRY SPEAKING AS WELL, CORRECT? I AM. YES, I AM A KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR CONFERENCES NOT JUST IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT A MASS VIOLENCE EXPERT. I ALSO WORKED WITH THE DOJ ON THE YOU'VE ALL DAY A MASSACRE AND INTEREST. AND SO I GO AROUND TALKING ABOUT THE RECKONING ZAHN, OUR ORGANIZATIONS AND PREVENTION AND PREPARATION AND CULTURE AND LEADERSHIP. SO I SPEAK AT CONFERENCES. I TRAVEL ALL THE TIME. WELL, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY IN STUDIO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE.