Newport Police joins national initiative to advance women in policing

NEWPORT, R.I. (WLNE) — The Newport Police Department joined a national initiative Monday that supports and encourages women in policing.

The National 30 x 30 Initiative was signed by Newport Police to improve the representation and involvement of sworn in women of all ranks at the department.

According to Newport police, the initiative was based off research that showed greater representation of women in police agencies has better policing outcomes for towns and communities.

Currently, women make up 13% of sworn officers and 3% of police leadership in the United States, but the initiative aims to have 30% of a recruit class be women by 2030.

Over 400 agencies have signed the pledge and joined the initiative across the country, with the Newport Police Department being the first in Rhode Island.

“This pledge means that Newport Police Department is actively working toward improving the representation and experiences of women officers in our agency,” Newport Police Chief Ryan Duffy said. “We look forward to working and learning from agencies across the country who share our priority in improving our police culture.”

Newport police said it is dedicated to ensuring policies are free of bias, promoting equitable hiring and retention, and increasing promotion of women police officers.