Women in law enforcement

Growing up in the small town of Clint, Texas, Eydie Prado always knew her role in life. With most of the men in her family, including her father, uncles and cousins in law enforcement, Prado was sure of the direction life would take her.

Prado serves as an officer for community and special events at the El Paso Police Department (EPPD). She has worked for 15 years with the department, working her way up from a patrol officer. Prado says she has enjoyed her stay with the department because of its variety.

"It's been good," Prado said. "There's something different to do everyday, no day is the same."

Even with a nearly one to 10 ratio of females to males, Prado said her experience with EPPD has been positive. She has never heard of any discrimination or harassment between men and women in the department and said that women are encouraged to apply for promotions. According to Prado, the EPPD has a total of 1,224 police officers on the force and only 127 of them are women.

Although Prado may have had a good experience in her career, Sgt. Allison Valles of the UTEP Police Department (UTEP PD) has had to overcome many obstacles.

The highest-ranking officer on the campus police force, she said that she has had to fight discrimination and prejudice throughout her 22-year career.

"You feel like it's always a test to prove that you belong," Valles said. "I still feel that way."

There are 22 officers on the UTEP PD roster and another 19 patrol guards that work at either entrance to the campus. Out of the 41 agents, only three are female. Valles attributed her feelings of not being accepted to the discrepancy between male and female numbers.

She said there is not sufficient training on subjects such as sexual harassment, gender identity and sexual orientation sensitivity.

Things have gotten so bad for Valles and other female coworkers that they have filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the university.

Valles cites various instances where she and other females have not been treated fairly. One such instance occurred recently when a male sergeant was promoted without following the proper protocol.

When Valles brought it to the attention of Cliff Walsh, chief of police for UTEP PD, the sergeant was immediately stripped of his new rank and had to re-apply for the promotion.

Walsh said women play a significant role in the police department and he wishes he had more women on his team.

"They bring a cultural background of community that men don't always have," Walsh said. He declined to comment on the pending lawsuit.

EPPD Assistant Chief of Staff Diana Kirk also recognizes the need for more female officers. Although she said that the police department better accommodates women now, it wasn't always like that.

"When I first started, it was less accepted to be a police officer," Kirk said. "Thirty to 40 years ago, there were no women supervisors."

Kirk ranks second-in-command behind EPPD Chief Richard Wiles. She is aware of her place and status within the department and tries to use it to other women's advantage.

"It's important to be a role model," Kirk said. "We definitely need more women on the force."

Kirk said there have been claims of sexual harassment and discrimination, but said that all reports are immediately investigated and taken seriously.

While officers may differ in their perspectives of the police force, they all seem to agree that there is a need for more women on the force. Valles said being a woman provides certain advantages.

"We are more patient as women," Valles said. "We can usually use talking to bring down a situation rather than having to use physical force."

On Saturday, Sept. 22 at the El Paso County Coliseum, law enforcement agencies came together to recruit women at the first annual Women in Law Enforcement Career Expo. Kirk estimates between 300 and 400 women attended the event that was co-sponsored by the EPPD.

Representatives from U.S. Immigration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the El Paso County Sheriffs Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the El Paso Fire Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety were all in attendance. Other booths included a child registry, a climbing wall and safety demonstrations.

Cassandra Noriega, a student at El Paso Community College (EPCC), attended the expo. Noriega wants to become a customs agent in the future. She said working for the department interests her because of the opportunity to work with different cultures. She also recognizes that being a woman will play a role in her success with the department.

Rachel Spier, art teacher at Ross Middle School, was also at the expo. She focused her attention on FBI opportunities. Spier has a background in law enforcement. Before working at Ross, she worked for 10 years with the El Paso Fire Department (EPFD) as a firefighter. She describes her work with the fire department as a "meatier form of public service."

While she said she is too old to be an agent with the FBI, she would still like to work for them in a professional setting, either as a manager or with intelligence.

Spier said her interest in the FBI is more about helping the public at large.

"I just feel more proactive in my support," Spier said. "You feel like you are really making a difference."

While it is clear that the role of women in law enforcement has changed dramatically over the past 50 years, there are still issues that women must overcome.

Spier said if women feel the desire to come into the field of public safety, they should know that the career is demanding.

"I would never say for a woman to not join," Spier said. "All I would say is that she should be well aware of everything that goes into becoming an officer."

Victor Santana-Melgoza may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.