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Diverse voices important in law enforcement

In the Aug. 24 edition of The News, reporter Julie Riddle showed us how Michigan State Police Trooper Ashley Simpson, Alpena County Assistant Prosecutor Cynthia Muszynski, and 81st District Court Judge Laura Frawley highlight the growing number of women in Northeast Michigan law enforcement.

We are glad to see such a vitally important segment of our community bringing in new perspectives and voices, though we have a long a way to go. Women make up about half the population in this country but only about 12% of police, 30% of lawyers, and just shy of 40% of judges.

It’s important to have a diverse set of voices in every aspect of a community. Each of us bring to every table to which we’re invited a unique background that has shaped our perspective on the world around us and the people with whom we interact. Women have different experiences than men, people of color have different experiences than white people.

The more we get to hear about experiences we haven’t had ourselves, the better neighbors we can be.

And a diverse set of voices is perhaps nowhere more important than in law enforcement. People from all walks of life find their way into the criminal justice system, and it’s important that people from all walks of life are there to serve them.

Plus, the more women we have behind a badge, the more opportunity we have to, as one woman told Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officer Jessie Curtis, show our “granddaughters what girls can do.”

(THE ALPENA NEWS)

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