Women in Control? The Role of Women in Law Enforcement

by Frances Heidensohn; Oxford University Press, 1995

It would be conceited if feminist social scientists or activists were to take total credit for this situation. While initial ideas and action may stem from them, mass media appear to be very much responsible for disseminating many ideas about contemporary women. The US crime series Cagney and Lacey about two female detectives in the New York City Police Department served as an instantly recognizable image of modern female officers and their lives. I asked American police how realistic the series was. While most women responded by agreeing with a Boston officer who said, 'that precinct is too busy, nowhere's that exciting even in New York,' they recognized its validity in tackling issues such as sexual harassment and discrimination.