Pulse: Chatter: Crime: Women’s Work
In a city known for macho swagger, it may come as a surprise to realize that nearly all the top law-enforcement officials — the toughest of the tough guys — are women. There’s Lynne Abraham, of course, the longtime grande-dame district attorney. There’s Janice Fedarcyk, who in January became Special Agent in Charge of the local FBI. At the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Inspector in Charge Teresa Thome rules the roost; at the IRS, Special Agent in Charge Leslie DeMarco leads the criminal investigation division. And this summer Laurie Magid joined their ranks when she became acting U.S. Attorney. Chalk it up to a critical mass of women who, having flooded colleges and grad schools in the ’70s and ’80s, have finally risen to the top — the same tide that has yielded a surge in female CEOs. Magid says the effect is even more pronounced in policing professions: “In the public sector, people are judged more on their performance, not on using old-boy networks. That’s especially true in law enforcement.” Which is why she predicts that the ascension of X-chromosomed crimefighters has only just begun. Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey had best get in touch with his feminine side