WRITING

  • The Mother Cop Dilemma

    Law Enforcement Today

    May 11, 2023

    Op/Ed

    LINK TO OP/ED

  • ‘How do you do it?’ Addressing the mother-cop dilemma

    Police 1

    March 8, 2024

    Article

    LINK TO ARTICLE

  • Navigating Law Enforcement Workers' Comp

    Police Chief Magazine

    May 2024 Issue

    LINK TO ARTICLE

  • Spirit of the law: A blueprint for pregnancy on patrol

    Police 1

    November 7, 2024

    Article

    Link to Article

  • From conference to movement: How women in policing rise as leaders

    Police 1

    October 8, 2025

    Article

    Link to Article

  • Save a seat for a sister: Lessons from the 30th NAWLEE Conference on leadership, resilience and belonging

    Police 1

    May 11, 2026

    Article

    LINK TO ARTICLE

Praise for “The Mother Cop Dilemma”

  • Raw truth right here. You’ve fought and you have achieved so much while balancing the most demanding career and motherhood. Both such blessings. Proud of you! A unique perspective that can only be fully understood by living out the delicate balance. Your writing hopefully enlightens others in the LE culture where so few understand the very real struggles moms face everyday!

    Retired Female Police Lieutenant

  • That was probably the most accurate and descriptive explanation of what female police officers must deal with when they choose to become an officer in a male dominated occupation often permeated with male biased individuals who cannot comprehend the value of their female counterparts. I doubt there are many women who have the backbone to live with and fight against the negative attitudes of so many people that affect almost their entire lives. It is great to see, however, that there are still many supportive people in this business who do the right thing, and people like you who can make positive changes that are absolutely necessary. Thanks for writing that.

    Retired Male Detective

  • For me, not relatable… just facts… exact facts. Very intimate and awesome she had the courage to pen it.

    Female Police Officer

  • Wait… is this my autobiography?! Every paragraph. So wild. Please let her know there are so many of us that share her struggles, joys, inner fights, outer fights, and badassness. We’re a rare breed over here.

    Female Police Officer

  • THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL!!! I LOVED IT!!!

    Female Police Officer

  • If you know the author please thank her for writing this article for me. The article brought up a lot of emotion for me as I felt like I wrote some of the parts. The shared experiences and success in spite of are really valuable to hear.

    Female Police Commander

  • This is really awesome and great for the profession! Thanks for speaking our truth! This is powerful!

    Female Police Sergeant

  • Heart felt article Julia. Thanks for sharing. I wholeheartedly agree about 30x30. We lived though many similar stories with my wife (a dispatcher) until we simply couldn’t sustain and she went per-diem, although she loved her profession. We have to add more capacity and flexibility for parents, particularly moms, if we want to recruit and retain and maintain employee wellness.

    Male Police Lieutenant

  • Great article Julia. I know several women who have faced very similar circumstances in my agency. The highest rank of any woman in my agency is Lt. There have been three and two of them did not have children. I know several women who had much to offer our agency, but left the profession to prioritize their families.

    Male Assistant Police Chief

  • Just read Julia’s article in Law Enforcement Today. She did an awesome job. It’s all legitimate issues. Even as a guy I can relate with many of the issues she brought up. I think her article was really good and makes me proud to say I worked with her at one point in time.

    Male Detective

  • Julia that is awesome!!! Every command staff member needs to read and embrace this. Thank you for sharing this publicly!

    Female Professional Staff Member

  • Brilliant and outstanding piece of writing. All I can say is they could all learn from you and I know I was never the most popular officer or sergeant because I was always pushing to get more female officers into the job but as you said there is this old boys system that holds them back. Very proud to have known you when I was at Laguna. So impressed with your article and your experiences should be shared further so many more can understand there is a future in any career for women not just law enforcement.

    Retired Male Police Sergeant

  • Julia, I applaud you for your vulnerability in this article. I have been in this job for nearly 2 decades and raised 3 children through it. Many of the experiences you described I felt I could have written about first person. Thank you for continuing to bring light to this very important topic as we use our experiences and voices to improve on the culture for the next generations.

    Female Police Commander

  • Well written and completely entirely accurate! The entire thing is so spot on and hits on every single feeling I have also had as a wife, mother and cop.

    Female Poilce Officer

  • Julia you captured the very essence of what is wrong and what is needed! This is a scene not only in law enforcement but in most industries. I commend you for your eloquent submission on women in law enforcement and really for all women!

    Retired Female Federal Agent