Girl power! Phoenix Police seeks to recruit more female officers on the force

Attention all ladies: the Phoenix Police Department is recruiting women to join their ranks with an event in downtown Phoenix on Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m.

BY MIKE SACKLEY

Apr 7, 2016, 6:00 AM

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PHOENIX — Attention all ladies: the Phoenix Police Department is recruiting women to join their ranks.

Phoenix Police is holding a recruitment event at Desoto Central Market in downtown Phoenix on Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. in order to bring more women onboard.

Currently, there are about 350 female officers in the department, making up just 13 percent of the force.

Phoenix Police officer Andrea Alexander said that’s just above the national average for female police officers.

“But we’re looking obviously to meet and continue to exceed that national average,” she said.

Being a police officer is a rewarding career with many great opportunities, Alexander said, and starting pay is $22.98 per hour for recruits.

Once recruits graduate the police academy, Alexander said the pay goes up to $24.75 an hour. But graduating is easier said than done: it takes about four to five months to finish the police academy.

She said officers start out on the street, but can eventually join the air unit or work on investigations.

“I think that appeals to a lot of women out there,” Alexander said. “Especially in the current state, you can make what you want of your career.”

For women who cannot attend the session but still want to apply for the position, they can do so online.