North Carolina Female Officers Defy Stereotypes

Feb. 12--When Kathy Harveston walks into a room with her gentle blue eyes, big smile and glasses, she's used to people asking if she's a teacher or a librarian.

She's even more used to their reaction when she tells them what she really does for a living -- she's a sergeant with the Rock Hill Police Department, only the second female sergeant in the department.

"They say, 'I didn't know women police officers are supposed to look like that,' " she said, grinning.

It's one of the misconceptions she and other female officers face every day, some of which they say come from TV shows like "Law & Order" and "CSI."

Harveston and some of her female co-workers -- detectives Trista Baird and Toshia Smith and master police officer Sarah Blair -- know the misconceptions well, including:

That women can automatically enter the force as a detective.

That they can't have a family or a dating life.

And, most importantly, that they aren't "big enough" or "strong enough" to be in law enforcement.

"You don't wear heels to work," said Harveston, 58, laughing.

Women make up about only about 15 percent of officers in all law enforcement agencies, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. While that's an improvement from 20 years ago by about six percentage points, Rock Hill is actively recruiting more female officers.

Currently, the department's staff is comprised of 41 percent minorities, a category that includes women. The department couldn't provide specific numbers for how many women it employs.

"We want to continue to recruit quality people," said Police Chief John Gregory, "and we want a diverse pool to choose from."

'Not something girls do'

Harveston never considered being a police officer while she was growing up in Greenback, Tenn.

"It's a very small town," she said. "I think my (high school) class was about 45. In my community, law enforcement wasn't something girls do."

Harveston married, had two children and began to work in a bank. Later, as a single mother, she worked for an airline company.

When a friend told her in 1990 she should consider applying for a security position at the Knoxville airport, she laughed, pointed to her background as a mother and said, "That's not really me."

Still, she applied, fired a gun for the first time and got the job.

Working in public safety was "a good career," one she loved, she said.

"Then Sept. 11 happened," Harveston said. "When that happened, my husband (she had remarried) worked for U.S. Airways. We had to move to Monroe, N.C."

Wanting to stay in law enforcement, she joined the Rock Hill Police Department as a patrol officer.

Harveston laughed and shook her head talking about a major obstacle for her -- her sense of direction.

"The hardest time I had coming to a different place was getting around the city," she said. "I knew I could do it, but I needed to be trained. I admit going home and crying about it."

Harveston became a detective in 2004, working in the sex crimes unit. She was promoted to sergeant last year.

Women "want to come in and be detectives right away," Harveston said, addressing a common misconception. "You need the strong background experience with patrol."

That's why every new hire begins as a patrol officer.

Being a woman has its benefits when talking to certain victims, Harveston said.

"It does make a difference being a mother," she said. "You have to think outside of your emotional box. You can't let your emotions affect your ability to do your job."

Harveston says her experience as a female officer helps her handle calls a little differently, helping de-escalate situations through words and not necessarily physical force.

She recounted one of the most rewarding times of her career.

A woman had reported being kidnapped, locked in a trunk, driven to North Carolina and raped. Police in Charlotte had caught a man who matched the suspect's description.

The victim told Harveston she had left a ring in the suspect's trunk for identification.

They found the ring.

Nicole E. Smith 803-329-4068