Institutionalized masculinity in US police departments: how maternity leave policies (or lack thereof) affect women in policing

Abstract

At present, no research has specifically concentrated on the maternity leave policies of police departments. In addition to offering an overview of police departmental policies in the USA, this study will present the self‐reported experiences of women police officers dealing with pregnancy and police work. The results of a 2007–2008 survey of women police officers are presented. It was found that police departments have largely chosen to deal with pregnancies on an ad hoc basis. From the responses given, it is clear that women police officers do perceive the dearth in accommodations made and desire change that significantly departs from the status quo of police departments.