Englisch BHS, Maturatraining mit Audio-CD

26 Reading Women on the front line Read the text about gender diversity in the security services. First decide whether the statements (1–7) are true (T) or false (F) and put a cross ( ) in the correct box. Then identify the sentence in the text which supports your decision. Write the first four words of this sentence in the space provided. There may be more than one answer; write down only one. The first one (0) has been done for you. True / False / First four words 09 Women on the front line From the real life double agent Mata Hari to the –ctional James Bond character M portrayed by Judi Dench, it would seem that women punch well above their weight when it comes to outma- noeuvring the enemy and protecting national security. It’s no wonder then that seven months ago the UK’s Intelligence and Security Committee recommended that the online forum Mumsnet should be used to recruit more spies. According to latest –gures, women at present account for 37% of the workforce across the secret services. In the police service, women are also making strides and are now represented in the full range of counter-terrorism, armed response and organised crime work. When it comes to under- cover surveillance, their emotional intelligence and instinctive understanding of human nature make them vital to criminal investigations, says Lynne Owens, who became the –rst female chief constable of Surrey police three years ago. “Many women have a degree of determination that makes them stand out in criminal investigation work. Fewer women than we would like are applying for –rearms duties, but I believe that we are making progress towards real gender diversity at all levels.” For 41-year-old Detective Sergeant Hannah Richards (not her real name), watching people without attracting attention is all in a day’s work. She’s an undercover oŒcer and threats on her patch include Class A drug smuggling, people traŒcking, child exploitation and high-value, cash-in-transit robbery. Six years into her role, her skills have helped to put more than 20 high- pro–le criminals behind bars, many for terms of up to 14 years. “Much of the work involves following people of interest as they go about their daily business and it’s essential to be able to blend in on the street without raising suspicion,” she says. “Even the toughest member of an organised crime group – we never say “gang” because it sounds juvenile – has to go out to the supermarket or buy a pizza and when it comes to following a target around a shopping centre, a woman will always be the –rst choice.” Although Richards and her colleagues are issued with ‘personal protection’, including –re- arms, when an arrest is going to be made, she says that instances of suspects pulling weapons on undercover oŒcers are rare. “Only –ve members of our crime unit are female, compared with two when I joined. Whether you are in a fully kitted out van or following someone on the street, covert policing needs intuition, strong observational skills and an excellent memory: all of which come naturally to many women.” However, according to Jayne Monkhouse, an independent equality advisor to the Police Federation, the shorter length of service of many woman police oŒcers is an issue. “ e recruit- ment pattern for the police force is two-thirds men to one third women and that pattern is repeated in terms of applications too.” Many women though –nd in£exible, family-unfriendly working patterns diŒcult and leave in their mid to late thirties, so they miss out on the senior, specialist roles in areas such as armed response. “ ose jobs tend to go to oŒcers with many years of service and these will typically be men,” she says. Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentu des Verlags öbv