‘Women In Blue’ show they’re up to the challenges

STOCKTON — A different perspective, a sense of calm and a sense of empathy are some of the things women bring to the law enforcement arena, according to experts in the field who just happen to be women.

The Eleanor Project, a local organization aimed at helping empower women, hosted “Women In Blue” at The Philomathean Club in Stockton on Tuesday night, featuring six women in local law enforcement agencies who shared how they entered they got to where they were, and what challenges they’ve faced over the years.

“I’ve spent my career living under a cloud of not being able to get a higher position,” San Joaquin District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar said during the event as she related how she was passed over for a promotion several times, even though she had tenure and more experience than the male counterpart who was tapped for the higher position.

She recalled that during her 2014 campaign for the post to which she ultimately was elected, she was asked why she was running. Salazar said she wanted a promotion, and running for district attorney was the only way to get it. Her election in 2014 made her the county’s first female D.A.

Salazar noted that throughout law enforcement — either in police departments or the district attorney and public defenders offices — women face challenges such as lower pay, and being told they have to act and dress a certain way.

“There are many women in my office who have lived with that, and many more before us,” she said. “It’s just interesting to still see that in this world.”

Stockton Police Lt. Kathryn Nance said growing up she didn’t realize there were people who treated boys and girls or men and women differently until she landed a career in law enforcement.

She recalled several times when male counterparts in units and departments to which she was assigned were surprised she was smart, even though she was a woman.

“The biggest challenge for me was making the path I wanted in law enforcement,” she said. “I didn’t want the police jobs that were traditionally set aside for women, like counseling or child abuse prevention or rape.”

Nance has held many positions in the department that traditionally have been set aside for men, including field training officer, gang detective, homicide detective, patrol sergeant and sergeant of the gang street enforcement team.

At one point in her career, she learned she was the only gang expert in the county.

Much like Nance, Manteca Police Chief Jodie Estarziau has held many posts in her department, including dispatcher, member of the hostage negotiations team and member of the mounted patrol.

But Estarziau said she didn’t experience the same challenges or difficulties as Nance or Salazar as she worked her way up the chain of command.

“I was surrounded by people who believed in me and supported me,” she said. “It was like each time I got comfortable in my position, they told me to move up. ‘You’ve mastered this, it’s time to move on.’”

Estarziau became the department’s first female police chief. She is one of two women currently serving the Manteca Police Department and said there still are clear differences between men and women in law enforcement.

One of those, she said, is what women bring to the job.

“What I see women bringing is a sense of calm,” she said. “I’ve been on several scenes that have just desolved into a mess. What I think women do is we quickly assess the situation. Does (the situation) need to go there or can we reason with someone through common sense.”

Salazar agreed, adding women can bring the ability to balance several duties and jobs at once, as well as a sense of empathy for those making their way through the system.

“We know what it’s like to be treated differently, so when people are coming through our system, we know what they’re going through a little bit more,” she said. “It’s a really valuable tool women bring, and it’s something they bring to everything they do.”

Salazar, Nance and Estarziau were joined by San Joaquin Public Defender Miriam Lyell, San Joaquin County Probation Chief Stephanie James and Lodi Police officer Regan Porteous, who also related their stories of challenges and how they entered the law enforcement field.

“This is about sharing stories of how they got there, who mentored them and what their educational background is,” event organizer Kristen Birtwhistle said. “Most of them went through the ranks and are now making significant impacts in fields that have traditionally been dominated by men.”

Created in 2015, The Eleanor Project was named after Eleanor Roosevelt, and its goal is to create networks and conversations among women to address issues vital to advancing change, such as pay equality.