WASHINGTON — The National Park Service (NPS) announced Wednesday that it will launch a multiyear initiative to hire more women in law enforcement positions across the country.
The NPS is one of many law enforcement agencies in the U.S. to sign onto the 30×30 pledge, a goal of reaching 30% women agents in the agency by the year 2030.
The announcement comes a week after the Department of the Interior’s Law Enforcement Task Force report recommended agencies expand diversity in the workforce.
“Protecting the nation’s most precious resources, history and communities is a large undertaking that requires a skilled and diverse workforce,” NPS Director Chuck Sams said in a statement. “The most skilled workforce is one that has people from all walks of life, with different skills and different ideas. It is essential that we continue to grow a team that reflects the nation and communities we serve.”
Sams’ sentiments were echoed by a key figure in the NPS law enforcement division.
“In my 32-year career with the National Park Service, I have worked with, hired and support many dedicated, skilled and professional female officers,” NPS Associate Director of Visitor and Resource Protection Jennifer Flynn said. “However, we have not effectively increased female representation in this work force. This commitment to actively create a culture to support the success of diverse officers coupled with the organizational changes we are implementing to reduce barriers to employment will provide the framework to change that.”
According to NPS, women represent 16% of the NPS law enforcement workforce currently. In its press release, the park service noted that it’s been making an effort to increase diversity in its law enforcement services, starting with a hiring program piloted in 2021 and made permanent this year. Since focusing on reducing barriers to entry, increasing applicant diversity and addressing key staffing concerns at the parks, NPS said, demographics are already changing.
“Of the 100 new law enforcement rangers hired in fiscal year 2023, approximately 20% were female and 25% were non-white,” the agency said. “While there is still significant work to do, this represents a positive trend toward meeting NPS objectives.”
