Kingston Police Officers Leanna VanWassenhove and Courtney Wiley proudly represented the city of Kingston last week at the 11th Annual New York Women in Law Enforcement (NYWLE) conference in Fairport, NY. The even brings together women from across the state to discuss important topics in policing. This year, those topics included violence reduction, de-escalation, domestic violence, legislative police reform, body language, and mass shooting response.
In a Facebook post, Kingston police officials explained, “Our officers were able to network with law enforcement personnel from across the state.”
They also expanded on the value of the conference, saying it “provided opportunity for discussions on the challenges that female officers may incur as well as overcoming them.”
Across the nation, women comprise just 12 percent of sworn law enforcement officers, with New York State police comprised of 11.6 percent women. State Governor Kathy Hochul pledged in March to lead the state to a 30% female presence in state law enforcement by 2030. She cited the need for a more diverse police workforce that is more representative of the community they serve. The 19th annual NYWLE conference may be looking for a larger venue if her plans come to fruition.
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