Mark43, The30×30 Initiative, and Mind’s Eye Productions announce listening session hosted by the Los Angeles Police Department

August 3, 2023 – Today, the leading public safety technology company Mark43 and the 30×30 Initiative, a national effort to advance women in policing, announced two listening sessions hosted by the Los Angeles Police Department. Today’s sessions are in-person, roundtable discussions for sworn women officers and detectives in California agencies, and includes participants from the Los Angeles Police Department, UCLA Police Department, U.S. Custom and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, San Diego Police Department, Santa Ana Police Department, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. 

This marks the fifth location for these listening sessions, following successful sessions in Baltimore County, Md., Philadelphia, Pa., Boulder, Colo., and Waco,Texas. Each stop across the country, co-hosted by Mark43, the 30×30 Initiative, and Mind’s Eye Productions is specifically designed to capture actionable insights to help attract more women to law enforcement careers and support their professional development. Following the focus groups, Mark43 and the 30×30 Initiative will share findings and additional recommendations for law enforcement agencies. 

Ganesha Martin, Mark43 Vice President of Community Affairs, Public Policy and Advisory Services and a Steering Committee Member of the 30×30 Initiative said: “These listening sessions have already proven to be a powerful tool in the critical work of finding solutions to recruit and retain women in law enforcement. We are proud to partner with 30×30 and the Los Angeles Police Department to bring together sworn women officers from 30×30 participating agencies to help pave the way for more diverse and representative police forces. Diversity matters. Communities thrive when they can see themselves represented in local policies, practices, and personnel. Bringing more women into the field strengthens the public safety profession and our communities as a whole.” 

Chief Michel Moore of the Los Angeles Police Department said: “As a signatory to the 30×30 Pledge, we are proud to host this listening session. The LAPD is actively working toward improving the representation and experiences of women officers in our agency. Conversations like the one we have today will allow us to continue to examine this issue to ensure that police departments reflect the communities they serve.”  

Commander Ruby Flores of the Los Angeles Police Department said: “We are thrilled to partner with Mark43 and the 30×30 Initiative on this important effort to hear from women serving their communities in Los Angeles and southern California. Thanks to events like this and the work of the 30×30 Initiative, we now have the research behind what we have been saying for years – that women make outstanding police officers.” 

Maureen McGough, Chief of Strategic Initiatives at the NYU School of Law’s Policing Project and co-founder of the 30×30 Initiative said: “More than 300 law enforcement agencies across the US and Canada have taken the 30×30 Pledge to advance women in policing by removing inherent biases and unnecessary barriers, and ensuring the unique needs of women officers are met.  We’re grateful to LAPD for their strong contributions to our shared mission.” 

Nationwide, women comprise only 12 percent of sworn law enforcement personnel and only 3 percent of leadership positions. Research shows that when there is a larger proportion of female officers, incidents can result in better public safety outcomes. Mark43 is committed to supporting programs that develop public safety workforces reflective of the communities they serve.  

Mark43 encourages law enforcement agencies to take the 30×30 Pledge and reinvest in supporting and developing women in public safety around the world. 

About 30×30 

The 30×30 Initiative is a coalition of police leaders, researchers, and professional organizations who have joined together to advance the representation and experiences of women in policing agencies across the United States and Canada. 30×30 was founded at the Policing Project at NYU Law, in partnership with police professional organizations like the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE) and the National Policing Institute (NPI), with support from Microsoft’s Justice Reform Initiative. More about how to get involved, participating agencies and partnered professional organizations can be found at 30x30initiative.org. 

About Mark43 

Mark43 is the leading cloud-native public safety technology company. By delivering a modern, intuitive and mobile-first Records Management System, Computer-Aided Dispatch and Analytics platform, Mark43 empowers governments and their communities to improve the safety and quality of life for all. Working with more than 200 local, state and federal public safety agencies, Mark43 is transforming how first responders use technology to respond, engage and serve the community. Mark43 provides the tools, resources, expertise, and security foundation that public safety needs today, tomorrow, and beyond. For more information or to request a demo, visit www.mark43.com.   

About Mind’s Eye Productions 

Launched in 2000, by producer/director Deirdre Fishel, Mind’s Eye Productions produces documentary films that take audiences deep into the worlds of people whose lives have remained largely invisible. The documentary feature Women in Blue is Mind’s Eye Productions’ latest project.