On average, women make up less than a quarter of officers in most of Ontario’s larger police services, according to a recent analysis by the Local News Data Hub.
The same goes for the Guelph Police Service.
Of its 230 sworn officers across all ranks, around 23 per cent are female; 26 per cent for police constables.
Comparatively, the data shows GPS had a total of 182 officers in 2008 with only 28 women, or just over 15 per cent.
Of the largest 100 police forces across the country, Guelph ranks 33 in percentage of female officers. Provincially, Guelph is among the top four, ranking just below London, Ottawa and Hamilton.
The number of women on the force is also higher than nearby Waterloo Regional Police, which has 773 sworn officers and 174, or 22.5 per cent, women.
The 30x30 initiative, an advocacy group made up of sworn officers across Canada and the U.S., believes at least 30 per cent of a police force should be made up of women to break up the boys club.
According to their website, research suggests women use less force, are named in fewer complaints and lawsuits, are perceived as being more compassionate and honest, make fewer discretionary arrests and see better outcomes for crime victims, especially in sexual assault cases.
Locally, Guelph Police Services spokesperson Scott Tracey says they’re working on it.
“We continue to try to make our service reflective of the wider diverse community,” he said in an email.
Active efforts include hosting Women in Policing recruitment symposiums, which Tracey said are quite popular. It gives women interested in policing the chance to meet with a female police officer and ask questions about the role and application process.
Tracey said over the last few years they have also offered a member-led Women’s Internal Support Network to “assist with the engagement, development and retention of female-identifying members within the organization.”
He noted practice sessions open to the public for the Leger 20-metre Shuttle Run, a fitness test used to determine the suitability for a police constable position, which is one of the first steps in the application process, are particularly popular among women, with around 70 per cent of participants being female.