(WGHP) -- Across the nation, only 14% of police officers are women. However, a national initiative is trying to push that number to 30% by 2030. "I wanted to do something that means something," said Chief Kelly Blackwelder with the Elon Police Department. Taking the oath to protect and serve was easy for Blackwelder, but what followed was more difficult. "We had nearly 100 officers, and I think we had eight women," Blackwelder said. "I realized pretty quickly I was going to have to work twice as hard ... so my male counterparts saw me as an equal not as a liability." Her experience is one countless women in law enforcement can relate to but also one that's worth it. "It's lonely being the only person in the room," said Assistant Chief Stephanie Mardis with the Greensboro Police Department. "Creating a space where I felt comfortable and could really grow into my own skin was something I had to mature into … If I can do it, anyone can." Both Blackwelder and Mardis say female officers serve a unique purpose and sometimes fill a void that not all male officers can. "I've been able to walk into a situation being the only woman in that space and be able to connect and de-escalate," Mardis said. The personal experiences are backed up by data. "We're not about removing men from policing, but we are suggesting there's an untapped pool of qualified people that might be great police officers," said Director of Gender Equity for the NYU Policing Project Tanya Meisenholder. Meisenholder says studies have shown women police differently. They're more likely to be empathetic, have fewer community complaints, have better de-escalation skills and are better at building trust. That data formed the 30x30 Initiative, which is to bring in more women and build a better version of policing overall. Both the GPD and EPD signed on to the project in 2022, pledging to make changes to recruiting and support for officers to meet the goal of 30% women on the force by 2030. "We implemented a lactation break policy. That's a unique challenge for new moms coming on," Blackwelder said. "We use gender-fluid language throughout all our official documentation and policies." "We hosted our first women's symposium in September, and we had 30 or 40 people show up just to learn about what it's like to be a woman in law enforcement," Mardis said. Both departments are also adjusting shifts, roles and pay to attract women who might be moms, forming support groups and wellness initiatives and changing their recruiting tactics. And it's working. In 2022, roughly 15% of officers in Greensboro were women. Today the number hovers around 20%. For Elon police in 2022, the only women on the force were the chief and one other person. Today in their small department, they sit around 28% between full-time and part-time officers. The changes open up spots for women, but these leaders say they make everyone better police officers. "I'm very optimistic with the trajectory of my profession, and I know moving forward we are going to redefine what the profession of law enforcement looks like in our communities," Mardis said. "The theme is, 'You are not alone.'" The GPD, the EPD and the Burlington Police Department are the only three signed on to the 30x30 initiative in the Piedmont Triad.