CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — Starting in 2023, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office bagan participating in the30x30 Initiative, a nationwide program aiming to make 30% of law enforcement officers female by 2030.
According to Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, CCSO law enforcement officers are approximately 12% female, which is 3% higher than the national average.
Prummell said he has seen the benefits female LEOs bring to his agency first hand.
“Your uses of force are less, your complaints are less with women, they also seem to have more compassion so your outcomes for victims in more sensitive cases are better,” said Prummell.
To accomplish the 30x30 goal, CCSO has been using a range of recruiting events to encourage people to make a career in law enforcement.
“We have been out there on social media, attending events around the county, we’ve been going into the high schools and middle schools trying to encourage them at a young age that they can have a profession here when they graduate.”
Detective Consuelo Parra-Hermida has worked at CCSO for about four years, and now works in the investigations unit.
She said she didn’t let a traditionally male career deter her from doing what she’s always wanted to: helping people.
“I have a lot of pride in it,” said Det. Parra-Hermida. “There is nothing more rewarding to me than being able to help somebody else.”
Though she admits her smaller stature can make some aspects of the job more difficult, she overcomes that challenge with grit and determination.
“It can definitely be difficult but that's why you have to train hard and you have to have a strong mind,” said Parra-Hermida.
She told Fox 4 that she believes the 30x30 Initiative should help address misconceptions about women in law enforcement.
“This initiative will be great to fight the negative stigmas with females in law enforcement and hopefully we will be welcoming a lot more qualified females in the next few years.”
