MPD signs pledge to advance woman in law enforcement

MORGANTOWN, W.Va (WDTV) - The Morgantown Police Department has signed a pledge to advance women in law enforcement.

The 30x30 Pledge is a series of actions policing agencies can take to improve the representation and experiences of women working in law enforcement.

According to the MPD, these activities help policing agencies assess the current state of a department with regard to gender equity, identify factors that may be driving any disparities and develop and implement strategies and solutions to eliminate barriers and advance women in policing.

These actions address recruitment, assessment, hiring, retention, promotion, and agency culture, the department said.

The Pledge is the foundational effort of the 30x30 Initiative – a coalition of police leaders, researchers, and professional organizations who have joined together to advance the representation and experiences of women in all ranks of policing across the United States.

The ultimate goal of the 30x30 Initiative is to reach 30 percent of women in police recruit classes by 2030 and to ensure policing agencies are truly representative of the jurisdiction the agency serves.

While 30x30 is focused on advancing women in policing, the department said these principles are applicable to all demographic diversity, not just gender.

More than 260 agencies have signed the 30x30 Pledge. The Pledge is based on social science research that greater representation of women on police forces leads to better policing outcomes for communities.

“We are grateful to the Morgantown Police Department for being one of the first in the nation to commit to being a part of this growing movement,” said Maureen McGough, co-founder of the 30x30 Initiative. “We look forward to having more agencies follow MPD’s lead by signing the pledge and improving the representation and experiences of women in policing.”

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