RIVERSIDE -- Of the nearly 2,000 sworn deputies in the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, only about 170 are women.

In an effort to boost that ratio, the department has started holding fitness challenges for women who are interested in law enforcement careers.

The second annual women's fitness challenge will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the sheriff's Ben Clark Training Center, 3430 Bundy Ave., in Riverside.

"We want to diversify our department to better respond to our community," said Investigator Jerry Franchville, a spokesman for the department.

"Traditionally, law enforcement has been a male-dominated profession," Franchville said.

While recognizing that it will probably never be the other way around, department officials realize the need for more women. That's where the fitness challenge can help, officials say.

More of an event than an agility test, potential recruits are provided an opportunity to talk with many of the high-ranking women in the department as well as with women who work special assignments such as canine or motorcycle patrols.

Sheriff Bob Doyle also is expected to be there to talk with the applicants.

While at the challenge, applicants can decide whether they want to pursue becoming sworn deputies, who have full police powers, or correctional deputies, nonsworn positions assigned to the county jail.

It is also a way for women to learn from others how to better their scores during the physical agility tests -- a requirement of the lengthy hiring process.

Last year, at the department's first such specialized fitness challenge, about 130 women attended, Franchville said. Of that number, five were hired by the department.

"Combining both men and women, typically we'll hire one, maybe two, per 100 applicants," Franchville said. "So five from this one event last year is actually a much higher ratio."

Organizers are hoping about 200 women will attend Saturday's challenge.

Of the five hired from last year's challenge, four became correctional deputies and one became a sworn deputy.

Deputy Chanel Curet is that gem the department found in those who came out last year. Hired Aug. 17, she started working earlier this month as a patrol deputy assigned to the sheriff's Palm Desert Station.

"The challenge definitely helped me," the 22-year-old deputy said.

Curet, who is 5 feet, 11 inches tall, said clearing the solid 6-foot wall was the hardest thing for her in the agility test.

With advice from deputies who were at the challenge to help applicants, Curet said she learned different techniques to be able to get over the wall faster than before.

She said having a way such as the fitness challenge to get support -- both moral and in the form of advice -- from other women was very helpful.

"It was cool to see so many other females there; to see others having the same problem with something and having deputies with the same body type come up to help you and say, 'This is how you do it,'" Curet said.

Women hoping to become sheriff's deputies must go through the same fitness challenges as men, but often can be intimidated at the coed agility tests by some of the much larger men.

"Yeah, I was kinda nervous about that," Curet said. "I've been to previous coed tests and the guys could be intimidating and not as friendly. You can lose a little bit of confidence -- just enough to mess with your game, so to speak."

Curet said she believes this event is a great thing for the department to do and hopes other law enforcement agencies will start looking into similar challenges geared toward women.

"Women are out there looking," she said.

She added, "There's no pressure to just come out to this and give it a try."

At Saturday's event, no children or spectators will be allowed. Applicants must bring valid photo identification and wear appropriate fitness attire.

Call (951) 486-3240.

Contact staff writer John Hall at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2628, or jhall@californian.com.

Second annual women's fitness challenge

- What: Practice and learn techniques to help pass the physical agility requirement to be hired by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

- When: 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday

- Where: Ben Clark Training Center, 3430 Bundy Ave., Riverside

- No children or spectators allowed

- Applicants must bring valid photo identification and wear appropriate fitness attire

- Information: (951) 486-3240