Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Deputy Secretary Kristie Canegallo delivered the following remarks at the Women in Federal Law Enforcement’s Annual Leadership Training in Alexandria, VA.
Well first, let me say thank you to President Bonus for that kind introduction, and for the invitation to be with you all this morning.
You know, when I became Deputy Secretary of DHS last summer, my very first trip was to Dallas to meet with a group of female law enforcement agents and officers to talk with them about what DHS, which is the largest federal law enforcement agency, could be doing to better support them. And the ideas from that convening have kicked off a year of action at DHS that I’m proud to be a part of and excited to talk with you about today.
But before I do, I want to acknowledge how challenging the last three weeks have been for the federal law enforcement community and for some of our team members in particular.
The attempted assassination of former President Trump on July 13th put into stark relief your critical work as law enforcement officers and agents, safeguarding our leaders, safeguarding our rule of law, and safeguarding our institutions.
There are important lessons that must and will be learned from that day – and we’ll use that knowledge to strengthen what is already the world’s premier protection force and make it even better.
At the same time, I’m incredibly proud of what the men and women of the United States Secret Service did in Pennsylvania that day, and what they – and what many of you – do every single day, to ensure the safety and security of their protectees. The same is true of law enforcement agents and officers across our Department and across the federal government like the U.S. Marshals, and of our state and local partners. Each of you train and work smart and hard. You are dedicated, brave, and skilled. You put your lives on the line to keep our country safe.
In the weeks since, I know that many of us have read and seen commentary disparaging the role of women in law enforcement generally, and in the United States Secret Service specifically. And let me just be plain: that way of thinking is baseless, it’s insulting, and it’s dangerous.
Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas and I were proud to say as much in a joint public statement that we issued the days following the shooting, alongside the leaders of every single DHS agency and office with law enforcement responsibility. And in that statement we reiterated our commitment to continue to recruit, to retain, and to elevate women in our law enforcement ranks. And I know that belief is universally shared by leaders across the U.S. Government. No matter where you serve, no matter how you serve, we have your backs.
I want to commend and thank WIFLE, with the 30x30 Initiative, NAWLEE, NOBLE, and several other organizations for their strong statements of support.
So, at a time when there seems to be a lot of folks who want to talk about women in law enforcement – OK – let's talk about women in law enforcement.
Let’s talk about how women are making our law enforcement forces and departments better, stronger, and more effective. Let’s talk about the research that shows women law enforcement officers and agents obtain better outcomes for crime victims, are less likely to use excessive force, and are less likely to have citizen complaints filed against them. Let’s talk about what study after study has shown, which is, representative teams lead to higher organizational effectiveness and better outcomes for American communities, and the safety and security of our country.
Let’s talk about the 30 x 30 Initiative, which sets tangible goals to help organizations of all sizes make progress. At DHS we’ve redoubled those efforts to meet these goals and increase the ranks of women in our law enforcement agencies. We don’t compromise our standards to recruit women – we are hiring the best of the best. And 35 percent of our new hires in law enforcement and law enforcement-related roles are women.
Let’s talk about the impact that women law enforcement agents and officers are having in our communities and on their colleagues. Look no further than the inspiring stories of 26 agents and officers from across the federal government who will receive a 2024 WIFLE Foundation Award this week for their skill, creativity, and courage. From revolutionizing our entire Department’s work disrupting and dismantling drug cartels and money laundering operations, to establishing the first U.S. Secret Service Counterintelligence Program, to leading life-saving search and rescue missions, these women are driving innovation in how we execute our mission and reinvesting in their teams while doing so.
And let’s talk honestly about the challenges women in law enforcement are still experiencing, so that we can develop strategies to address those issues.
Take body armor. Too many women at DHS are telling us that their body armor isn’t designed for them, doesn’t fit, and causes issues in their work. Insufficient body armor fit for women is an operational safety issue – one that we’re taking head on. We’ve established a cross-Departmental Body Armor Council to look at policy and contract issues, to ensure body armor performance, and proper measurement and fit assessments.
And as we’re clear-eyed about the work we have left to do, let’s talk about, and take pride in, the progress this community has made, how it was made, and who helped make it. For the last 25 years, WIFLE – this extraordinary collective – has been key to helping female law enforcement officers and agents get the opportunities, resourcing, training, and equipment that she needs to do her job and thrive at every stage of her career.
And to borrow this conference’s theme, let’s not just “look back” on history, but use it to “inspire the future,” to bring more women onto the team, and help the thousands of female law enforcement officers and agents already in our ranks grow and thrive across the federal government.
To help do so, last year we established a DHS Women in Law Enforcement Task Force, to bring female officers and agents together to discuss the support they need; to use their inputs to drive practical changes in our Department in recruitment, retention, career development, and employee well-being; and to create a community of interest. It’s already having an impact: a number of women involved in the Task Force have, in the last year, gone from front-line employees to first, second, or even third line supervisors, leveraging this network for support.
The Task Force, along with similarly-situated groups across our components, is driving policy work in areas like pregnancy use of force policy, tandem couple assignments, promotion procedures, mental health support, body armor, and more.
Simultaneously, we’ve grown our long-standing DHS Women in Law Enforcement Mentoring Program, in partnership with WIFLE, to match a record number of mentors and mentees for six months and conduct training events aimed at fostering career development.
Now, to ensure the effectiveness of our homeland security mission – that means ensuring that all perspectives are represented and heard; that means ensuring that all of our colleagues are able to advance and thrive; that means ensuring that anyone who steps up to serve knows that will be safe and supported in doing so – we in positions of responsibility have to step up, too. We have to do the research, we have to put in the work, have the conversations, and make the changes and investments further progress requires. We have to have your backs not just with words, but with our actions - and do so in an enduring way.
But to do that – and you have our commitment to do that – we also need you. We need this organization, we need your guidance, we need your advocacy, your leadership, internally and externally. We need you to be honest about what is working, and more importantly, be honest about where we have room for improvement. We need you to keep helping us build towards that better future, just as you have for the past 25 years.
So, thank you for being here. Thank you for all that you do, every single day, to keep our country safe. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to work alongside you, and alongside my fellow leaders in the federal government, who I know are personally invested in the success of this effort, including our Deputy Attorney General, Lisa Monaco, and the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Christopher Wray, who I have the pleasure of now introducing.
So thank you very much, and please join me in welcoming Director Wray.