At the NAWLEE conference in Los Angeles, Maria Stanley speaks to a group of influential women leaders about what policing still owes the women who came before them — and what must change next. Featuring voices from the 30×30 Initiative, former police chiefs, leadership experts and senior law enforcement figures, the conversation reflects on the barriers earlier generations faced and the legacy they leave behind.
The discussion also looks ahead. From culture, leadership and representation to evidence-based policing, support, belonging and the role of men in advancing women, the speakers set out a clear challenge for the future. If policing is serious about progress, they argue, women and girls should no longer feel like exceptions in the profession — they should simply know they belong.
We hear from:
Maureen McGough — Co-founder of the 30×30 Initiative and faculty member at the Excellence in Policing and Public Safety Program, University of South Carolina School of Law
Ivonne Roman — Retired Newark Police Department Chief and Co-founder of the 30×30 Initiative
Janeé Harteau — Retired Minneapolis Police Chief, now CEO and founder of Pivot Point 360
Lynda Williams — Retired United States Secret Service Deputy Assistant Director and past National President of National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)
Key takeaways
- The speakers say today’s women in policing stand on the shoulders of those who fought to open the door.
- A major message is that policing must stop celebrating “firsts” and start building what comes next.
- The 30×30 Initiative aims to increase women’s representation across policing, especially in leadership.
- Several speakers say culture still too often asks women to adapt instead of changing the system itself.
- Men are identified as crucial to making gender equity a real leadership priority in policing.
- The conversation highlights the value women bring through communication, de-escalation and victim care.
- A big theme is that inclusion should benefit all underrepresented groups, not women alone.
- The long-term goal is a profession where women and girls simply know they belong.
Chapters
00:00 – Why Policing TV is at NAWLEE
00:40 – Meet the speakers
01:57 – What do we owe the women who came before us?
04:39 – What lesson from the past can’t be ignored?
07:18 – Where is the gap between words and reality?
10:34 – What should policing look like in 10 years?
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