The Clay County Sheriff’s Office is the first sheriff’s office in Missouri to sign the 30x30 Pledge to increase the representation of women in law enforcement.

It is only the third law enforcement agency in the state (in addition to the Kansas City and Springfield police departments) that has committed to a series of low- and no-cost actions to bring more women into policing to improve public safety, community outcomes and trust in law enforcement.

“This pledge means the Clay County Sheriff’s Office is actively working toward improving the representation of women deputies in our agency,” Sheriff Will Akin said. “We are honored to be among the first in Missouri to make this critical commitment, and we look forward to working with and learning from agencies across the country who share our priority.”

The Pledge is based on social science research that greater representation of women in law enforcement leads to better policing outcomes for communities.

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. The Sheriff’s Office aims to have 30% of its deputies be women by 2030. Right now, 20% of its deputies are female, and women comprise 19% of sworn command staff.

Women currently make up only 12% of sworn officers and 3% of police leadership in the United States. This underrepresentation of women in policing has significant public safety implications. Research suggests that women officers: