ILLINOIS – Illinois State Police have set a goal to have 30% of cadet classes be women by 2030.
The department made that 30 by 30 pledge in 2022, but the number of women signing up has stayed about the same ever since. There are more than 1,000 sworn officers with Illinois State Police, but only 10% of them are women. Only two of the 35 most recent graduates were women.
Illinois State Police Deputy Director Rebecca Hooks has been with the department for more than 20 years and is the highest-ranking woman in the agency’s history. Hooks says law enforcement agencies should look like the communities they serve. She says recruitment for law enforcement is down everywhere, and that’s why the State Police started a social media campaign to highlight the opportunities for women on the force.
Illinois announced last week that new troopers will earn $90,000 dollars a year with benefits after graduating from the academy.
