|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
As the first female sheriff in San Mateo County, Sheriff Christina Corpus said when she started in law enforcement she didn’t know what to expect in an application process that felt intimidating.
So 10 years ago, in 2014, she started a women’s police boot camp to attract more women into the law enforcement career.
In 2023, the Sheriff’s Office joined the “30×30 Initiative,” a coalition of police leaders, researchers and professional organizations aimed at advancing female representation in their ranks. The goal of the 30×30 Initiative is to reach 30% of women in police recruit classes by 2030, and to ensure policing agencies are more representative of the jurisdiction the agency serves, according to a press release.Â
Current gender demographics show that 29% of department staff are women. This data reflects both sworn and professional staff members.
As of last year, women made up just 12% of sworn officers and 3% of police leadership in the U.S., the release states. And this has significant implications. Research suggests that women officers use less force (and less excessive force); are named in fewer complaints and lawsuits; are perceived by communities as being more honest and compassionate; and crime victims see better outcomes when working with female officers, especially in sexual assault cases, according to 30×30’s website.
Boot camp participant, Gabriela Schleusz, drags a 165-pound dummy for 32 feet. Photo by Jennifer Yoshikoshi. 
The obstacle course has to be completed in under 23 seconds to pass. Photo by Jennifer Yoshikoshi. 
Boot camp participants have to climb a 6-foot wall for part of the physical agility test. Photo by Jennifer Yoshikoshi
Shortly after creating the women’s boot camp, the Sheriff’s Office started a co-ed boot camp which they host every six months.
After five weeks of training with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Co-ed Boot Camp, more than 30 people graduated from the program on April 6 at the College of San Mateo in San Mateo. The graduation was followed by a physical agility test where participants were tested on their speed, strength, endurance and agility.
“It gives us an opportunity to really get to know and help these individuals that may be unsure or struggle with the physical agility test,” said Corpus, one of the first Latina sheriffs in the state. “They get to know us as an organization and they get to know us as people.”
Every Saturday morning for five weeks, participants train for the physical agility test and receive a nutrition plan to prepare for an intensive exam involving a 1.5-mile run completed in under 14 minutes, a 6-foot wall climb, a 32-foot (dummy) body drag, an obstacle course and a 500-yard sprint under two minutes.
Passing the test is a requirement for the hiring process at the Sheriff’s Office. Individuals are able to retake the physical test with no waiting period.
“I wanted to get as much experience as possible in the hiring process and the type of work they do here,” said 26-year-old Christopher Chan. “I found out that everyone supports each other and they treat each other like family. It’s something I look forward to hopefully joining.”
All participants signed a waiver before beginning their physical agility test. They headed down to the track to start the first portion of the exam — the 1.5 mile run.
Chan said the boot camp helped him prepare for aspects of the test and he proved this by finishing first in the 1.5-mile run in 10 minutes and 55 seconds.
After completing the run, the second challenge awaited them — a 6-foot solid wall and chained fence climb to be completed in under nine seconds to pass. Individuals were given two chances to attempt the wall.
All aspects of the physical agility test replicate real-life scenarios and prepare applicants for skills needed on the job. The 99-yard obstacle course tested speed and agility as they had to run, make sharp turns and jump over a sawhorse in under 23 seconds.
Moving onto the third portion of the exam, everyone was tired and glistening with sweat but motivated to keep going.
A 165-pound dummy awaited them, which had to be dragged for 32 feet in under 10 seconds. This is to replicate rescuing a person on the job.
To finish off strong, participants pushed themselves to sprint a 500-yard lap in under two minutes to pass the final portion of the test.
Although not everyone passed at the end of the day, boot camp participants felt satisfied by their experience and motivated to take another attempt at the test. Corpus said that some individuals would be interviewing with her afterward for roles with the Sheriff’s Office.
One of the participants, 23-year-old Gabriela Schleusz, is a recent graduate of University of California at Irvine with a bachelor’s degree in criminology. She said she’s “always been intrigued by law enforcement and anything to do with the criminal justice system.”
When asked about how she feels as a woman potentially going into the law enforcement field, she said, “I’m a little hesitant about it, but I think that’s a barrier that not only I need to overcome but a lot of other women need to overcome.”
‘I’m a little hesitant about it, but I think that’s a barrier that not only I need to overcome but a lot of other women need to overcome.’
Gabriela Schleusz, boot camp participant on how she feels about going into the law enforcement field
Schleusz felt empowered by the handful of women who also took part in the co-ed boot camp.
“We all motivate each other and it’s something that law enforcement needs a little bit more of,” said Schleusz. “It’s scary, it’s a lot mentally, but once you come and start talking to people and getting through the obstacles it gets a lot easier.”
Corpus plans to host a women’s boot camp in the fall for individuals like Schleusz who carry a passion for law enforcement but find the test daunting.
Completing the boot camp gives future candidates an upperhand in the hiring process and reduces the level of intimidation that many aspiring deputies and correctional officers may feel when applying.
“I go back to my memories and I wish I had people that supported me and the community,” said Corpus. “That really drives me and then to actually have the honor of swearing them into the organization and into the profession, it really comes full circle.”
“I go back to my memories and I wish I had people that supported me and the community,” said Corpus. It always goes back to poor me….