The Speaker

Superintendent Lanita Cullinane is the first female in the history of the Boston Police Department to hold her current position of Chief, Bureau of Field Services. There she oversees all of the uniformed personnel of the Boston Police Department.

Prior to her current position Cullinane served as Deputy Superintendent for the Bureau of Field Services. Cullinane began her career with the Boston Police Department in June 1995 assigned to District B-3, Dorchester and Mattapan. In 2001, Cullinane became a full-time instructor at the Boston Police Academy. Cullinane was promoted to detective in 2006 and worked in Recruit Investigations, Domestic Violence, Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Units. In 2012, she was selected by the Superintendent’s Office to serve as the Outreach Coordinator for the Bureau of Investigative Services. In 2016, she was assigned to the Homicide Unit. Cullinane was then promoted to the rank of Sergeant in October 2017 and assigned to Area B-2. She then returned to Homicide and was promoted to Sergeant Detective in July 2018. Cullinane served as the Zone Commander for six police districts as well as the Commander of the Firearms Analysis Unit.

Cullinane also serves on a number of committees including, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for the BPD, the Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC), and Northeastern University's Institute on Race and Justice (IRJ) Community Advisory Board (CAB).

Superintendent Cullinane holds a Master of Social Work from Boston University, a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Public Administration from Suffolk University. Cullinane is a Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) in Massachusetts.

The Workshop

Empowering Black and Brown Women Leadership in Policing : Wednesday, October 04, 2023 03:00P

Despite efforts to increase representation, the percentage of black and brown women in law enforcement has remained relatively stagnant for the past few decades. And the bulk of information on women in policing has focused on the growth of women in law enforcement, barriers, sexual harassment, gender differences, why women are deterred from law enforcement, physical limitations, and instruments used during the recruitment process, and the stress endured after entry into the profession.

The main reasons for the lack of black and brown women leadership in policing are sexism and racism, which remains relevant in law enforcement. Most men despise women telling them what to do, especially black women. Professional groups are very important for women. Sometimes, you are given a role but not the support you need to succeed. You can get that from being a part of professional organizations such as NABLEO, which encourages female mentors to instill ethics, morals and values respected amongst their peers. Seeing is more instructive than reading about how to act in difficult situations. Black women hearing stories of their peers facing hardships but remaining persistent and focused in moving up in ranks is imperative.

This workshop will examine the importance of the advancement and empowerment of women leadership in policing, by considering Black female officers’ concerns, values, and experiences in the profession of law enforcement, thereby helping to shape policy, procedures, and recruitment tactics aimed at the retention and success of Black female law-enforcement officers.