Newport Police Sign Pledge To Improve Representation For Women Officers

NEWPORT, RI — The Newport Police Department has made a pledge to improve the representation and experiences of women in the department.

On Monday, Newport police signed the 30x30 Initiative, which includes a pledge with a series of low and no-cost actions police departments are taking to improve the representation and experiences of sworn women in all ranks. As a participating agency, Newport police said they are committed to ensuring policies are free of bias, promote equitable hiring, retention, and promotion of women officers, and ensuring a comprehensive culture.

The goal of the 30x30 Initiative is to ensure department policies and culture are not biased against women and meet their unique needs in the workplace. By continuing to improve equity in this way, the initiative's goal is to see qualified women make up 30 percent of a recruit class by 2030 in the state. While 30x30 is focused on advancing women in policing, these principles apply to all demographic characteristics, not just gender, police said.

"This pledge means that Newport Police Department is actively working toward improving the representation and experiences of women officers in our agency," Police Chief Ryan Duffy said. "I am happy to announce our agency is the first in Rhode Island to take the pledge. We look forward to working and learning from agencies across the country who share our priority in improving our police culture."

More than 400 law enforcement agencies across the United States have signed the initiative. According to the initiative, women comprise just 13 percent of sworn officers and 3 percent of police leadership in the U.S. This underrepresentation of women in policing has significant public safety implications.

"We are grateful to the Newport, Rhode Island Police Department for committing to being a part of this growing movement," said Maureen McGough, co-founder of the 30x30 Initiative and former policing expert at the U.S. Department of Justice. "We believe strongly that advancing women in policing is critical to improving public safety outcomes. We look forward to continuing to grow this Initiative and having more agencies follow Newport Police Department’s lead by committing to improving the representation and experiences of women in policing."

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