TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Police Department gained nearly three dozen new officers Tuesday afternoon as agencies across the country also look to recruit more women in law enforcement.
Looking at Kristina and Jenna Duran is like seeing double.
“She’s one of my biggest role models, honestly,” said Jenna Duran. "I got a lot to look up to."
The mother-daughter duo proudly wear their uniforms. Cpl. Kristina Duran has been a sworn officer with Tampa Police for 18 years.
“Especially to have strong women in this career, it's incredible to be able to pass that on to her,” said Cpl. Duran.
Jenna’s hard work led her to a big moment, following in her mom’s footsteps to become a new officer with TPD. She was one of 35 officers sworn in during a ceremony Tuesday.
“Growing up, I mean, we saw as a family how law enforcement impacts the world and how great it can be, and that's where I think I want to do that as well,” said Jenna.
Tampa Police said of those being sworn in as full-time officers, 35 percent of those are female officers.
TPD Interim Chief Lee Bercaw said increasing female representation on the police force is a goal shared with law enforcement agencies across the nation as part of the 30x30 initiative.
30x30 seeks to increase the representation of women in police recruit classes to 30 percent by 2030.
“It's a diverse workforce in the city of Tampa, which includes women, and that's very important to us,” said Bercaw.
Currently, women make up only 12 percent of sworn officers and three percent of police leadership in the US, according to 30x30.
For now, this family is taking in the moment and carrying on the tradition to protect and serve.
"Women in the police field is a necessity. We need diversity,” said Jenna. “We can only grow from here, so I think it’s a big thing to show the community that we need to have representation.”
