In the male-dominated profession of law enforcement, Karen Bartuch definitely stands out. Not just because she’s a striking six-foot-tall blond, she’s also a natural leader. As the president and founder of the Women’s Tactical Association, Bartuch brings women and men together to enhance their skills in firearms, combat mindset, tactics and fitness.

Since 2002, Bartuch has worked as a police officer in Chicago. While she currently writes policy for her department, her previous assignments include being a member of the gang team and the Target Response Unit. She fills us in on her vision for the WTA, why she chose the cop life and the misconceptions about tactical women.

Growing up did you always want to be police officer?

No, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I went to college (Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.) and landed a sales job in corporate America, pharmaceutical sales to be exact. I was really unsatisfied and unfulfilled even though pharmaceutical sales is a great job (for some) and paid me well.

For whatever reason, I felt like my job was unimportant. It didn’t matter; there were more important things going on in the world than whether or not I sold more prescription medication.

What made you want to join the force in 2002?

My brother Erick is a Blue Island Police Officer. At the time (and still today) he LOVED going to work every day, and I wanted that. I knew that I liked action — I was always into sports and fitness and daredevil-type things, so I applied on a whim to join the Chicago Police Department. The offer to join came right when I was denied a promotion at my pharmaceutical sales job, so I made the change. And I have not looked back.

You started the Women’s Tactical Association to give an alternative to the primarily male-dominated training. Does WTA training differ from other tactical training?

No, the training is no different nor do I want it to be. I want my members (of which I have males and females) to be the best they can be and to push themselves farther than they think they could ever go physically and mentally.

In addition, I would never advocate different criteria for specialized units such as SWAT based on gender or any factor for that matter. Our SWAT team has one standard for all. That being said, our training should be the same to prepare us. The bad guy does not care if you are male or female, so even if we have to work twice as hard then so be it.

Are there misconceptions or assumptions about tactical women?

I would say the biggest is that some people feel we don’t belong in the tactical community. And just like the men, there are some of us who don’t. The reality is that not all of us will ever make it onto a SWAT team. But there is a large percentage of LE that is female; CPD is almost 25 percent. The WTA is providing life-saving skills and training that may not have been easily available to females in the past to ensure that they are operating at a level that can hopefully dispel some traditional misconceptions and assumptions about females.

While you do extend an invitation to males, are any men members of the WTA?

Yes, we have several, and they love it because we provide the best training available consistently, and we try to keep it affordable. We have several former marines who just joined are proud card-carrying members!

What does the future of the WTA look like?

The sky is the limit. My goal is to get many of us trained up as instructors for rifle, pistol etc. so that we can get ALL of the members operating at the same level. Right now, since we are so new we have various skill and comfort levels with weapons handling, fitness, etc. I would like to have a strong group that is all speaking the “same language.”

I would also like to see us eventually competing in pistol and rifle competitions on a regular basis as well as SWAT competitions nationwide. Other states have also contacted me about starting chapters so I would like to start branching out and get other states and departments in the fold.

At first, many women’s tactical pants were just men’s pants with slight modifications. Now manufacturers are attempting to find the perfect fit for women’s tactical pants. What brand do you like the best and why?

I have two favorites, the 5.11′s (EMT pant) and the Tru-Spec ripstop. I like these two because they are designed for women’s bodies, they sit lower on the hips (many of the others are too high waisted, which is not good for holster draws or for comfort), come in long sizes (I am 6 feet tall) and are very practical and comfortable at the same time. Women want to have the same functionality, e.g., lots of pockets, durability, comfort, etc., but we definitely require a different “fit” than just the men’s pant.

Are there any changes you’d make to the women’s tactical pant (or in any type of tactical gear) that would make your job easier?

I plan to tackle the fit of the duty belt next; we have inherent anatomical differences that are not currently being addressed with current duty belt designs. Ballistic vests are now being customized for women, which is good. My first vest is the size of a sports bra and basically was a shortened male vest — unacceptable. Other than that, I think much of the equipment is gender neutral.