Starting a second career intimidated 45-year-old Gwen Phillips.

After 15 years in Hawaii owning and operating a floor insulation and handyman business, she was ready for something new. She wanted to pursue her dream of becoming a police officer, but she wasn’t sure she was ready for such a big change.

Then, amid a trying divorce and the COVID-19 pandemic, her mother died. It was among the most difficult periods in her life, but Phillip said she pushed through and came out on the other side a stronger woman. That strength gave her the confidence to apply for the Akron police academy.

Now, Phillips is one of 15 women recruits at the academy. It’s the most women in a single class in the academy’s history. Of the 47 trainees, she is also the oldest in her class and joins a slew of recruits between the ages of 40 and 45.

“It’s exciting and empowering,” she said this week, seated next to two of her colleagues, both women. “This has always been a dream of mine. It’s something I wasn’t sure I could do.”

Are women increasingly joining law enforcement?

Law enforcement is a male-dominated field, but Phillips and her colleagues in the academy hope that could be changing.

Women make up roughly 9% of Akron Police Department officers, according to the APD website. The current class of recruits is about 32% women.

Across the nation, women make up 12% of officers in law enforcement agencies while 3% are in leadership roles, reported the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2023.

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Multiple nonprofits hope to increase those numbers, including the 30×30 Initiative, which aims to increase the number of female recruits to 30% by 2030.

The 30×30 Initiative works with departments across the nation on how they can best identify and address obstacles that women officers face while increasing opportunities for women in law enforcement, according to the 30×30 Initiative website.

For 33-year-old Megan Mahoney, who jumped from car detailing to becoming a recruit, the increased number of women in her class is part of a broader trend.

“Women are being raised to be more independent,” Mahoney said Thursday. “We are being taught that we can go out and kick butt on our own.”

Current class reflects ongoing recruitment efforts

For Sgt. Michael Murphy, the current class of recruits reflects the police department’s efforts to overhaul how it attracts new officers.

During his two years involved in the recruiting process, he said APD has focused on new messaging that shows people of all backgrounds can become police officers.

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“It’s important that people see themselves in the department,” Murphy said. That includes people of all races, genders and religions.

Once accepted into the academy, he said retention is also important, so the department aims to build ongoing relationships with each recruit. This includes providing supplemental education, training and an open line of communication with the department they hope to serve.

Why more women and older officers is important

Roughly 10 years ago, the Akron Police Department increased the age limit of applicants to 35. Since the pandemic, that limit was raised to 45 to attract more candidates.

With an older class and more women, Murphy said this diversity is bringing a variety of life experiences and levels of maturity to the department. These demographic changes also play into recruitment efforts, allowing Akron community members to see themselves reflected in the department.

A year of retirements, proposed budget increase

APD will likely lose about 30 officers to retirement in 2024. This influx of 47 recruits will more than make up for that loss in staffing, Murphy said. By the end of 2024, he estimated the department should have about 450 officers.

If large recruitment classes continue, the department could meet its full 460 staffing limit, which Murphy said could increase to 488 in the city’s proposed budget.

Training to be a police officer at 43 years old

For Jeremiah Virden, 43, of Akron, becoming a police officer in his hometown has been a lifelong dream. He recalled how in his 20s he applied twice to join the academy but didn’t make the cut.

Eventually, his age prevented him from applying, so he moved on to other jobs, including his most recent at an aircraft manufacturer, he said. Then, one day last year, he saw an opportunity to still pursue his dream.

“A friend of mine came up to me with a brochure and said, ‘You should apply to be a police officer,'” Virden said. “I didn’t even know they increased the age; I thought I was too old.”

At the age of 43, Virden is on track to become a police officer — something he never thought would happen.

“I love it,” he said. “I’m a people person, and we’re learning a lot from each other.”

As for his age, Virden thought he was the oldest recruit until he met Gwen. In celebration of her 45th birthday, he said the class of 47 recruits threw her a party.

Bryce Buyakie covers courts and public safety for the Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @bryce_buyakie.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: How women, older recruits are breaking into law enforcement careers