Aurora Police Department joins "30x30" national movement to increase women in policing
Aurora police is making a public promise to add more women to its department. It recently signed the "30 by 30 Pledge," a national initiative to recruit and retain more women officers.
Currently, women make up only 12% of sworn officers nationwide, and just 3% of police leadership. APD falls short of that national average at 11%, but in signing the pledge, their goal is to increase that number to 30% by 2030.
"This is a great career for women," said Aurora Police Officer Judy Lutkin.
Lutkin has worked more than three decades in law enforcement; 27 of those years with Aurora police.
"I started off in patrol then I went to be a field training officer for a very short time," she told CBS News Colorado. "Then I went to narcotics, then a school resource officer for about 10 years, and then I've been a hostage negotiator for about 18 years now."
She's poured her heart into helping the community all while raising a family. Her passion inspired not one but two of her daughters to also become police officers.
"I am so proud of them that they've gone into this career," Lutkin said. "They've done amazing things in Denver."
Yet Lutkin is also surprised by how few women are in law enforcement, including at APD. Of the more than 700 sworn officers at APD, only 75 are women. Now the department is hoping to triple that number.
"Aurora Police is really trying right now to increase our diversity in all facets, and this is a very good way to do that," Aurora Police Sgt. Faith Goodrich said of the 30 by 30 initiative.
Goodrich also said this pledge is about more than numbers.
"When you see yourself reflected in that profession - whether it's being a female or different race or having a different faith-based system - representation matters," she said. "It helps you believe in yourself that you can do it, too."
Goodrich didn't always believe she could become a police officer. Growing up she says she never saw women in that profession.
"I grew up in a small town," she said. "There were no women in the police department. It was all men."
According to the 30 by 30 movement, the under-representation of women in policing undermines public safety.
It says research shows women officers use less force, including less excessive force; are perceived as being more honest and compassionate; and see better outcomes for crime victims, especially in sexual assault cases.
"I think women have a great role to play in dealing with people who are in crisis," said Lutkin. "Even though we have a uniform on, even though we carry the same equipment as our male counterparts, sometimes they see us as less threatening."
Lutkin is confident her department will achieve the 30 by 30 goal. While she's on the verge of retirement, she said she is also happy to inspire and mentor those women along the way.
"The more the merrier," she said.
Other law enforcement agencies around Colorado have also signed the 30 by 30 pledge, including Denver, Boulder, Durango, Castle Rock and Fort Morgan police departments as well as RTD. More than 150 agencies in the U.S. are part of the pledge, too.
Anyone interested in joining the Aurora Police Department can find more information by visiting www.joinaurorapd.com.
