Bottom line
@jimintoronto , if more women
applied for the job of Law Enforcement Officer, there would be more female law enforcement officers. It's as simple as that.
Female officers are a must in some situations, such as when a female in custody has to be searched, when a subject will only speak to a female, or a suspect will only negotiate with a female.
However, there are also specific situations that require a female officer be accompanied by a male officer when, normally, only a single officer would be needed. That's a departmental policy that increases costs, and it varies.