The Modesto Police Department is looking to add a little more diversity to its ranks. Specifically, they’re searching out women interested in joining the force, and they’ve just held their first Women in Law Enforcement Seminar as part of that effort.
“We want to reach out and give women the opportunity to hear what it’s like to go through the hiring process, to talk about what the interview is going to be like, what a background investigation may look like and the actual physical agility test,” said Modesto Police Recruitment Sergeant Chris Adams.
Right now, women make up about 7 percent of Modesto’s police force, but that’s not good enough for Adams. There’s been tremendous progress since the 1970s and 1980s when that number was a measly one percent, but he thinks the department can do even better. In the past three years, the makeup of new hires has been 13 percent female.
The seminar was held on Saturday, but Adams says there will be more in the future. Right now there are about 25 positions opening up with a starting annual salary of $66,000.
Read more about the Modesto Police Department’s female recruitment efforts here.