Join us on April 13, 2024 at 10:00 am at the Mount Baker Encore Room for a short business meeting and a great presentation by:
Chief Rebecca Mertzig began her career with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office in 2004 and reached the rank of Lieutenant in 2020. Her experiences include patrol, special investigations, school resource officer, civil disturbance unit, Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) TAC Officer, honor guard, peer support, and first level and middle management leadership. She both served and supervised the Office of Neighborhoods which is a co-response unit pairing deputies with social workers to encourage engagement in services. She served as the Police Chief for the City of Stanwood and the Honor Guard Commander. Chief Mertzig has 18 years of law enforcement experience and was named Deputy of the Year in 2010. Chief Mertzig has her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Eastern Washington University.
Women have been making significant strides in law enforcement, a field traditionally dominated by men. Currently, women make up about 12% of sworn officers and 3% of police leadership in the United States. Organizations like the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE) play a crucial role in supporting and mentoring women in the field. They aim to inspire, lead, and mentor women to join and excel in law enforcement careers.
Efforts are being made to increase the representation of women in law enforcement. The 30×30 Initiative is one such effort, aiming to increase the percentage of female police recruits to 30% by the year 2030. This initiative is supported by various law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, which has pledged to work towards this goal.
Research has shown that women in policing bring unique benefits to the profession. They are often rated as more trustworthy by communities, have high levels of interpersonal communication skills, and can have a calming effect on male partners in high-stress situations. Higher levels of female representation are also associated with organizations that emphasize community policing.
The presence of women in law enforcement is not only important for gender diversity but also for the positive impact they have on policing practices and community relations.
AAUW-WA is a charitable, non-profit organization in Washington State which works to change the climate for women and girls. We accomplish this through education, research, advocacy and philanthropy.
THE WHATCOM/BELLINGHAM BRANCH WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO YOU. CONTACT US AT whatcommembership@gmail.com
AAUW members will vote in April to remove the educational requirement for membership. This is the next step to modernizing our organization. Over the years the work has changed and so have we. Clearly we have achieved the educational goal and we now are set to move to the future. If the college education requirement had not been in place back in the day, Eleanor Roosevelt could have been a member. Think about it!
READ OUR APRIL NEWSLETTER
- Check out RumorGuard™, our media literacy platform that debunks viral rumors.
- Explore our collection of tips and tools, which includes handy infographics that lay out common news literacy topics, like the standards of quality journalism and how to vet whether a source is legit.
- Visit our events page to join a future news literacy training.
- Browse our resource hub for everyone to find even more, including recent episodes of our podcast Is that a fact?
6 things to know about AI
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We are now on
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Contact Membership Co-chair Sandy
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AAUW Washington State Calendar
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WELCOME TO AAUW! We are an organization that started back in 1918, with a passion to make Women’s Equity a Reality and celebrate higher education!
We promote events and scholarships for women and girls, and hope you’ll join us! We offer free programs to help women negotiate fair pay! Please spread the word!
Even non-members can participate in current women’s issues by weighing in with our 2 minute activist program. Go to our national website AAUW.org.
Our meetings are on the 2nd Saturday of the month, from 10 to noon. Our programs are always interesting, and we also have fun breakouts to spend some social time!
We’d love to have you visit! Send an email to request information or read the current newsletter.
aauwbellinghambranch@gmail.com
BLACK LIVES MATTER
On behalf of our 170,000 members and supporters, AAUW commits to fighting for justice, long-term and lasting change, and we stand in solidarity against racism. We also acknowledge that as an organization we have our own work to do.
And, as a member of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, we will work to advance the policies and systemic changes identified in the New Era of Public Safety: A Guide to Fair, Safe, and Effective Community Policing and Vision for Justice platform.
Written by former AAUW CEO Kimberley Churches
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If you are interested in joining, contact us at aauw.bellinghambranch@gmail.com
whatcommembership@gmail.com
updated: 4/4/2024