Nationwide, only about 12% of law enforcement positions are filled by women, Ross said.

Ross and Foushee hope the Supporting Women COPS Act will expend gender diversity throughout law enforcement departments throughout the country.

“Police departments cannot do this on their own,” Ross said. “It'll take systemic reforms, and Congress has a responsibility to act.”

Many police chiefs in the Triangle are women, Raleigh’s Estella Patterson, Durham’s Patrice Andrews and Chapel Hill’s Celisa Lehew.

The federal legislation would create a national task force to offer recommendations on how to increase the hiring of women. States that accept those recommendations would get a boost in federal funding.

“Studies have shown that women in law enforcement means less excessive force, helps improve police community relations, are named in less complaints and produce better crime outcomes,” Foushee said.

Andrews is among the local police chiefs who are excited about the opportunity federal support would offer.

“We are mothers. We are sisters. We are daughters,” Andrews said.

Andrews said representation matters.

“Seeing someone who looks like you, in positions of leadership, matters,” Andrews said.

Ross and Foushee said they are optimistic the legislation will get widespread, bipartisan support in Congress.

“I do believe it's the kind of legislation that will have bipartisan support, which is so important in a bipartisan Congress,” Ross said.