More women are graduating into the Springfield Police force

Published: Mar. 17, 2023 at 10:28 PM CDT|Updated: Mar. 18, 2023 at 1:52 PM CDT

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - More women are graduating into the Springfield Police force after Friday night’s academy graduation.

Three out of the 18 graduates were women, and some say they hope it inspires more women to join the male-dominated profession.

“As a female, it’s very difficult coming into this field, but when you have those others who are going through it with you it’s very easy to form a good bond with them,” said Hayden Henry a Springfield Police Academy Graduate. “Over the past six months, we’ve gotten very close, and they became my sisters.”

The new batch of recruits will help with the shortage the department has navigated over the past year.

”They will go to a 16-week field training with a veteran officer, and then they will be released on their own,” said Lt. Dustin Martin. ”This is going to make a significant impact on our staffing levels.”

We looked into the demographics of the department, of the total sworn officers as of January 2023, 11% are women, and 88% are men.

As these 18 new graduates join the force Henry has one message for all women thinking about going into law enforcement.

”We need more strong, powerful women to make our mark in this community,” said Henry. “We will stand by your side and guide you along the way.”

If you’re interested in becoming an officer the next Academy starts June 5. You can get info on qualifications if you click HERE.

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