Growing number of women leading US police departments
LOS ANGELES — When Anne Kirkpatrick took the helm at the scandal-ridden Oakland Police Department, she inherited an agency that the city’s mayor likened to a frat house.
The veteran police officer knew she inevitably would be asked what it’s like to combat the culture as one of a growing number of women heading police departments, many struggling to repair their public image.
“What I will tell you is that I am a leader,” she said at a news conference announcing her appointment, listing qualities Oakland wanted in its police chief.
“Those character traits are not gender-based. Those are leadership-based,” Kirkpatrick said.