In 1845 women entered the career of policing, and ever since it’s been an evolving history for them. There are countless stories of women shaping this career, adding particular gifts and abilities to the profession. There are, also, countless stories of their struggles to fit in and survive in this “all-boys club.” Thriving in an All Boys Club: Female Police and Their Fight for Equality examines one of the most debated issues surrounding female police officers – their ability to find acceptance in the male subculture. Through the stories of women who joined policing in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, readers learn that women’s acceptance in policing is complex and officer’s experiences are wide-ranging. Stories of resistance and harassment by colleagues, the glass ceiling in promotion, and gender specific obstacles related to pregnancy and childcare are common. Their stories show a strong sense of determination and perseverance to perform the duties of police officer. The potential for enduring change in the field of policing is growing as women continue to make strides in achieving high ranks, breaking down assignments barriers, and ensuring just opportunities for future generations of female police officers. Despite the struggles that women face to survive in the “all-boys club” of policing, women not only survive, most thrive in this almost exclusively male occupation.

"Rabe-Hemp (Illinois State University) uses women’s firsthand accounts, media stories, and academic research to present the experiences of women in the US police force in the 1980s, 1990s, and present day. She weaves together the structural forms of inequality that women face in a nontraditional occupation—harassment, gatekeeping for sex segregation, barriers to advancement, etc. along with the cultural stereotypes of gender and motherhood that serve as barriers for women in police work. Rabe-Hemp explores how the field of police work has changed over the decades and how gendered conceptions impacted and were impacted by those changes. Importantly, the author contributes to academic discussions of the social construction of gender at work and how those conceptions trace back to some of the earliest examples of women in police work. Written in an accessible format, Roth-Hemp’s book blends an academic analysis of a highly gendered occupation with concrete advice and recommendations for women and men in police work. Summing Up: Recommended. General collections, lower-division undergraduates, and professionals." - CHOICE

"Rabe-Hemp, a professor of criminal justice at Illinois State University, takes a historical foray into the chronicles of women in policing. This fascinating read from the author of Does Gender Matter? The Effect of Gender in Police-Citizen Interactions (2009), vividly illustrates women’s struggles to participate in the male-dominated field of law enforcement. Since the early twentieth century, women have fought to overcome gender stereotypes, prove their physicality, and not be pigeonholed in their quest to be taken seriously as peace officers. However, after decades of legal battles and public-relations challenges, for many in the field the issue can still be boiled down to one basic question: In a dire moment, where brute strength is needed, is the average woman equal to the task? And the pervasive view that assumes the collective “she” is not has proven difficult for even the most dedicated female advocates to overcome. Filled with personal stories and thorough research, and gifted with the author’s insightful eye into this nuanced world, Rabe-Hemp’s tome helps unravel the frustrating puzzle women police officers face." — Glendy X. Mattalia (1/12) - Booklist