The scarcity of research on female police officers is a consequence of the low
representation of women in the profession. Almost no research has focused on the
perceptions, expectations, and beliefs of prospective female police officers. Participants
in the current study included four female Criminal Justice students who reported plans to
apply to police departments after graduation. In a focus group setting, participants
responded to six research questions designed to elicit responses on their perceptions and
expectations of police work. They were additionally questioned on perceptions regarding
the realities of police work for female officers in particular. The findings are twofold: 1)
Prospective female officers possess extensive knowledge about police work and the
challenges encountered by policewomen, and 2) They have devised strategies that they
believe will help them overcome these challenges in the future. Participants most
commonly suggested that female police officers ought to utilize adaptive police
behaviors, such as communication skills, on the street. As the focus group consisted of
college-educated individuals who were each familiar with the law enforcement field, the
findings suggest the importance of motivation and experience with respect to a
prospective officer’s perceptions of police work. The findings further imply that
prospective policewomen perceive that policewomen have unique responsibilities and
provide specialized skills to the police force.