From left, Master Corporal Alaina Battle, Master Corporal Shannon Hummel and Lieutenant Adrienne Benevento are three of 13 women officers employed by the University of Delaware Police Department. UDPD is one of 80 police departments at American colleges and universities to join as a partnering agency with the 30x30 Initiative and commit to improved inclusivity and gender diversity of its officers, staff members and administrative leaders.

Badge of honor

Article by Christopher A. Vito Photo by Evan Krape March 20, 2024

UD Police is one of only two departments in the state of Delaware to partner with the 30x30 Initiative, aimed at increasing gender diversity in policing

In 1838, Boston established what historians regard as the United States’ first full-time, publicly funded police department. It wasn’t until 1908 — seven decades later — that Portland hired the first sworn woman police officer in U.S. history.

Today, the number of women in policing still lags behind their counterparts.

Women make up 12% of sworn police officers in the United States and occupy only 3% of police leadership positions. Those statistics are from the 30x30 Initiative, a national advocacy and education initiative working to narrow the under-representation gap of women in policing. More specifically, 30x30 strives for police recruit classes to reach 30% women by 2030.

The University of Delaware Police Department is one of 80 police departments at American colleges and universities — and one of only two Delaware police departments — to join as a partnering agency with the 30x30 Initiative and commit to improved inclusivity and gender diversity of its officers, staff members and administrative leaders.

“Education is the root of our mission at the University of Delaware, and that’s why our department believes so strongly in partnering with the 30x30 Initiative,” said Patrick Ogden, associate vice president and chief of UD Police. “It’s important that we at UDPD join efforts with 30x30 to educate others about the valuable contributions of women officers in their departments and in their communities around the country, and bring significant change to the composition of police departments by 2030.”

Research suggests that police departments and the communities they protect benefit equally from a more diverse police department. According to the 30x30 Initiative, women officers “use less force and are perceived by communities as more honest and compassionate.”

The UD Police Department employs 13 women officers. (Administratively, women also manage UDPD's recruitment and employment, financial services, compliance with the federal Clery Act, records and Lewes Campus security.)

Master Corporal Shannon Hummel is a minority on the force, as a woman and Asian-American. Yet, she said, “I’ve always felt welcome and supported here. I had a baby in 2021, and when I needed a pumping room, my male sergeant emailed me right away to ask what kind of mini-fridge I wanted. I’ve never felt any roadblocks.”

Officers attest that this culture of support and dedication to one another and the wider community is the reason for every award, every recognition, every year. And it will remain a vital tenet of the department’s mission, no matter what the upcoming semesters bring.

Master Corporal Alaina Battle has been with UD Police for over 15 years. A nationally certified emergency medical technician, Battle oversees the department's emergency care unit — a volunteer, student-run ambulance that serves the UD campus and the Newark community.

“I was the kind of kid who would watch ‘Cops’ and ‘Rescue 911,’ and think about both as career paths. With UD Police, I get to do both and live out my dream,” said Battle, who also serves as one of UD Police’s team leaders for its crisis negotiations team.

Lieutenant Adrienne Benevento is the department’s highest-ranking woman and UD Police’s special operations commander, where she oversees the operational needs of the department that fall outside the scope of patrol. These include UDPD’s Criminal Investigation Unit, its Community Resource Unit, and needs for special event planning on campus. Benevento also has led self-defense courses offered by UDPD and available on campus at no charge.

“I don’t come from a police family and I didn’t have any women role models in policing,” said Benevento. “This agency has given me experience, opportunity, and fulfillment. It’s everything I could have hoped for.”

A first-generation college student, Benevento hadn’t yet graduated from UD when UD Police hired her in 2008. The department supported her pursuit of her degree, which she earned in 2012. At the time of her hire, Benevento said UD Police had two full-time women officers. Now, a 13th recently graduated from the Delaware State police academy and a 14th is about to enter the academy.

“My mom and dad (Ann and Robert) have attended every one of my promotion ceremonies, and when I reached lieutenant, it became clear to me how important it was to have a woman in this rank,” Benevento said. “There are women viewing me as a mentor, someone who will always look out for them and stand up for them. I take that role very seriously. I sometimes ask myself, ‘How did I get this opportunity?’ Then, I remember that I earned it.”