Austin Police: Female recruitment increasing “faster than anticipated” under Chief Henderson

Brianna Hollis
·2 min read
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AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department made a pledge in 2022 to work toward having women make up 30% of the police force by 2030. It’s called the “30×30” initiative.

“With a consistent effort passionately supported by Chief Robin Henderson, we have increased the numbers faster than anticipated,” APD said in an email response to our questions about the progress of the initiative. “The Austin Police Department will remain steadfast in advancing the representation of women in policing for the foreseeable future.”

Chief’s Run features 25 APD cadets graduating next week

Below is a breakdown of the female recruitment numbers spanning from the class that graduated in Nov. 2022 to the current cadet class still going through the academy.

Chart with APD recruitment numbers
APD provided female recruitment data broken down by cadet class applicants and hires. (Credit: APD)

“The most recent class, which started in September, started at 29% female,” APD said. “The four classes prior showed a combined average of 16% female.”

Lexington, Texas police department has all-woman patrol squad

Lexington, Texas police officers.
The four members of the Lexington Police Department patrol squad.

Law enforcement agencies across the country are finding trouble hiring qualified applicants.

For rural communities, like Lexington, Texas, about 60 miles east of Austin, staffing a department takes a special type of recruitment effort.

“We don’t pay great because we’re a smaller agency, so they’re not doing it for the money,” Chief Farah Garza said. “So they’ve got to want to do it, and they have to have a reason to stick around here.”

When she became chief last year, she said she knew recruitment needed to be one of her top priorities. She said she didn’t premeditate it – but she ended up with a full squad of female officers.

“It’s not that we only had female applicants, it’s just the female applicants that we hired, they were just the best – they were the best candidates,” she said.

Diversity in recruitment

Hutto Police Chief Jeffrey Yarbrough said he credits the city council’s recent rate-hike approval for part of his department’s staffing success.

The primary factor, though, he said – is the culture.

“Police officers are more inclined to work in communities where they truly feel valued and respected,” he said.

When it comes to recruiting, Yarbrough said the department prioritizes reaching a wide applicant pool.

“We run recruitment ads and deliver flyers strategically through a variety of platforms, sources and locations that target diverse demographics,” he said. “Which helps to highlight the uniqueness of Hutto and increase its candidate interest.”

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