Gender Neutral Rank for Female Officers

The Belize Police Department says that it’s in the process of designating ranks within the force as gender-neutral. Currently, the female police constables are referred to as W.P.C.  Moving forward, the department wants to get rid of the “W” and all female police constables will be referred to by the gender-neutral term ‘PC.’  Commissioner of Police Chester Williams explains.

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“We have discussed at policy group and we have agreed that we will remove the W from in front of the PC where women officers are concerned. So, we will not refer to any officer as WPC. We will all be PCs if they are constables or corporals if they are corporal, sergeant if they are sergeant; so the W is going to be removed. The legal office is currently working on the policy document that will officially have the removal of the W from in front of the names of women officers. Again, it goes to the whole issue of gender equality. We don’t want to appear to be sexist or as the case may be, we will be able to know who the women officers are based on their appearance and based on their names. I think B.D.F. has done the same. They have also removed the W in front of the rank structure that they have in the B.D.F.”