The Windsor Police Service is struggling to attract women officers.

Less than one third of the department's entire personnel is female. An even smaller percentage of those who applied to become officers during the 2012 recruitment drive was female.

Approximately 15 of more than 200 applicants were women last year. That's 7.5 per cent.

"We’re trying. Every time we make a recruitment drive we’re specifically identifying females," Windsor Police Chief Al Frederick said. "A number of years ago, it wasn’t such the struggle as it is today. It’s much more of a struggle today.

"We don’t know why. We’re not sociologists. We’re doing our best."

Statistics Canada data shows that 19.5 per cent of all police officers in Canada was female in 2011.

Insp. Rick Facciolo, who spearheaded the Windsor Police Service's workplace census, said Windsor police recruit at women's groups and through community leaders, but with little success.

"Although the community is made up of a certain number of people we may never ever achieve the exact numbers that are out there," Facciolo said. "It’s not something that will happen any time soon. It won’t happen during my career here."

It's a similar situation in London, where between 2008 and 2010, the number of female applicants for constable remained steady at 10 per cent, according to Const. Ken Steeves. In 2011, that number rose slightly, to 13 per cent..

"Most police services are struggling with attracting females to the profession," Frederick said.

Facciolo would also like to see more women officers already working apply for more promotions.

Even enrolment in St. Clair College's police foundations course is on the decline. In the fall of 2012, 11 per cent of students was female, that's down from 26 per cent the year before. In 2010, female students accounted for 21 per cent.

There are some women in the course who are determined to become police officers.

Kaitlynn Rintaniemi and Elysia Brandie are two of them.

"Problems arise in any job," Rintaniemi said. "I have a lot of male friends so I’m used to mingling and being around men."

Brandie said she has always admired police officers and what they do for their communities. She's convinced she can do the same.

"I think people understand women. We can do just as much as they can," Brandie said.