Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says Chicago needs more female police officers

By Dan Cahill

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had one of the greatest offensive weapons in all of sports—the sky hook, but he also knew how to play defense.

The thoughtful NBA legend has been writing about societal issues for Time. In his most recent column, Abdul-Jabbar addresses the police shooting of Laquan McDonald in Chicago.

Abdul-Jabbar believes a greater presence of female police officers would help curtail the number of unjustified shooting incidents.

“I can’t help but wonder how many of the 2,813 people killed by police since May 1, 2013, might be alive today if the call had been answered by a female cop,” Abdul-Jabbar writes.

From Time:

Study after study for the past 40 years extolls the virtues of women police officers. A 1974 Police Foundation study concluded that women encountering angry, drunk or violent individuals were as capable as men in resolving the problem. More important, women acted less aggressively and they believe in less aggression. A 1988 study of 14 years of U.S. and international research concluded that women were effective at reducing violent situations: Policemen see police work as involving control through authority, while policewomen see it as public service.

It’s a must-read piece from Abdul-Jabbar, whose father and grandfather were police officers.

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