Beginning in 1972, women found more opportunities in law enforcement, although they still faced many barriers. Progress continues to move slowly.

Equipment
In the early 70's, many women were still issued impractical uniforms that included skirts and heals. In wasn't until the late 70's that equipment belts designed for women were available.

There are still issues with uniforms, especially in departments with few women. According to Donna Milgram, executive director of the Institute for Women in Trades, Technology and Science (IWITTS), "Most gear is designed for male officers and is based on tests with male officers, and cut down versions don't really work for women. Improperly fitting equipment, and uniforms pose a health and safety hazard which could endanger the lives of police officers and of others" (Policeone.com)

Opportunities
President Richard Nixon's 1969 executive order ending the FBI's ban on hiring women as special agents had been a step in the right direction. However, the most significant piece of legislation to usher in the modern era of law enforcement for women came in 1972.

An amendment to the 1964 Civil Rights Act gave the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) power to enforce anti-discrimination laws for state and local government agencies--including police departments. Women began being hired in greater numbers, attending regular police academies, and receiving promotions to supervisory positions across the country. These advances were not showing up equally in every department.

"An analysis of the UCR data showed that most of the police agencies reporting to the FBI did not employ any policewomen in 2003," (Policechiefmagazine.org). While large agencies and campus police departments integrated women into patrol positions, many small, rural departments still do not have female officers.

Hiring officials say they hire the best person for the job, but complain that there are few female applicants (Pennlive.com). Recruitment still lags behind need.

Diversity is important in law enforcement. Chief James Adams of Upper Allen Twp. Police Department in Pennsylvania said, "If you look at our client base, we have significant victims, witnesses, people we arrest, who are female. I'm not saying it's 50-50, but right now we're 100 percent male as far as sworn staff" (Pennlive.com).

• 1972: An amendment to the 1964 Civil Rights Act gave the EEOC power to enforce anti-discrimination laws for state and local government agencies.
• 1980: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) formally defined sexual harassment and classified it as a form of sexual discrimination under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
  
• 1985: Penny Harrington became first female police chief for a major city, (Portland, Oregon).
  
• 1992: Jacquelyn Barrett elected as first black female sheriff (Fulton County, Georgia).
• 1993: Margaret M. Moore, first female to serve as the head of an ATF field office (Baltimore, MD).
  
• 1994: Beverly J. Harvard selected first African American woman to serve as chief of police for a large city, (Atlanta, Georgia).
• 1995: The National Center for Women & Policing and the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives were founded.
• 1999: Women in Federal Law Enforcement organization was incorporated.
• 2003: The majority of U.S. agencies did not employ female law enforcement officers.
• 2011: Women comprise 13% of law enforcement personnel.
  
• 2013: Julia Pierson appointed by President Obama as first female Secret Service Director.
  

Social Barriers
"In 1973, a sergeant with the LAPD, Fanchon Blake, sued after she and other female police sergeants were not allowed to take the lieutenant's exam because they were women. She won. A similar lawsuit filed against the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department by Sue Bouan in 1980 was eventually settled in 1988" (Policemag.com). These lawsuits helped improve hiring and promotional practices for women. However, some of the pioneers, like Bouman, confronted a backlash from peers for the rest of their careers.

Sexual harassment and hazing were common roadblocks for new female officers in the 1970's. Patty Fogerson, ret. detective supervisor III, worked as a police officer with the LAPD from 1969 to 1994. She talked about her early years on the department. "Phrases like sexual harassment and hostile work environment didn't exist back then. I was able to work robbery and detectives, background investigations, and was one of the first female drill instructors in the academy. I just got along and survived in the beginning, then things settled down" (Policemag.com).

As of 1998, there were few mentoring programs designed to support women in law enforcement (Policemag.com). Women in small departments where they may be the only female patrol officer sometimes find support through national organizations.

Benefits of Women in Law Enforcement
Rather than having a tendency to fuel an already violent situation, female officers are more likely to use communication skills to try to calm the situation. Some victims may find talking with female officers less intimidating than reporting to male officers. Chiefs point out that there are situations in which the department may open itself up to liability when only relying on male officers in sensitive situations with female victims and suspects.

While some are concerned about women not being as big and strong as some male officers, others don't see this as a major issue. There are many tools, including tasers and firearms, that simply do not rely on strength. In most situations, all officers would be better off if they relied on tactics and skills rather than strength.

Now that women play a more active role in the military, some female applicants bring military experience and tactical skills to the job.

Achievements
Although uncommon, women have served as police chiefs, sheriffs, and assistant directors of federal agencies. Women have formed supportive organizations including the International Association of Women Police, The National Center for Women & Policing, The National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, and Women in Federal Law Enforcement.

There are still firsts left for women in law enforcement. In fact, Julia Pierson was just selected by President Obama to be the Secret Service director on March 26, 2013. She will be the first woman to hold that post. After working as a police officer for three years at the Orlando Police Department, she joined the Secret Service. She rose through the ranks over the last 30 years (www.cfnews13.com). Some believe that she is entrusted with changing the male-dominated culture of the agency which allowed for a prostitution scandal in 2012 (Washingtonpost.com).

Progress
The International Association of Chiefs of Police released a report on "The Future of Women in Policing" (Criminaljusticeschoolinfo.com). These were their findings:

• Given the variety of circumstances faced by law enforcement officers, it has been found that women can be just as effective and even more effective in certain scenarios.
  
  
• Women often show a high degree of competency in intellectual and strategic situations and can diffuse potentially dangerous situations with great skill
  
  
• Women still face discrimination, sexual harassment, and peer intimidation in their roles
  
  
• As role models at higher levels of law enforcement increase, the number of women interested increases
  
  
• The media has recently made a shift and portrayed women as competent and effective law enforcement personnel, which is helpful for changing societal assumptions
  
  
• More than two-thirds of current criminal justice students polled are in support of additional women law enforcement officers
  
  
• Women law enforcement officers are especially effective in carrying out the new community model of policing, which is less reactive and more proactive

Women's role in law enforcement has grown significantly in the last 140 years (see Women in Law Enforcement: The Early Years). Yet, women hold only 13% of law enforcement jobs, and only 7% of supervisory positions (Criminaljusticeschoolinfo.com). Many small departments still have no females among their sworn officers. Unlike their male counterparts, female officers frequently feel the need to prove themselves daily. Perseverance has allowed women to make contributions and attain increasingly more powerful roles in law enforcement.


Resources:

Criminal Justice School Info, "Women in Law Enforcement," www.criminaljusticeschoolinfo.com, (accessed 4-2-2013).

Horne, Peter, "Policewomen: Their First Century and the New Era," www.policechiefmagazine.org, September, 2006.

Miller, Barbara, "Female Police Officers are Rare but Sought After for Unique Skills," www.pennLive.com, 12-8-2012.

National Law Enforcement Officer Museum, "Women in Law Enforcement Photo Timeline," www.NLEOMF.org, (accessed 3-20-2013).

News 13, "Orlando's Julia Pierson Named 1st Woman Secret Service Head," www.cfnews13.com, 3-26-2013.

Scoville, Dean, "The First Female Patrol Officers," www.policemag.com, 9-21-2012.

Stone, Rebecca, "Sam Browne and Beyond: A Look at Duty Belts," www.policeone.com, Nov. 2000.

Wilson, Scott, "Obama to Name Julia Pierson as New Secret Service Director," www.washintonpost.com, 3-26-2013.

During National Women's History Month, let's look into how women have slowly integrated into the field of law enforcement. It took a long time before women held the same jobs as men for anywhere close to the same level of pay. And many more years before they were issued uniforms and equipment that were practical for their role as police officers. They still fight for respect.

The first few women in law enforcement were hired in 1845 to be matrons. Far from patrol officers, they were civilians hired to care for women and children in police custody.

It is difficult to name the first female police officer, since there is little agreement on dates and duties. Based on research publicized in 2010, it would appear that Marie Connelly Owens was hired by the Chicago Police Department as a police officer in 1891 (Suntimes.com). In 1898, she joined others in her department in being placed on the civil service rolls as a "regular patrolman" after scoring 99% on her exam (www.fedagent.com).

In 1908, Lola Greene Baldwin was the first full-time, paid female law enforcement officer in Portland, OR. Apparently the first female to have powers of arrest at the LAPD was Alice Stebbins Wells, hired in 1910. She may have been the first person referred to as a "policewomen."

• 1845: New York City hired two police matrons.
• 1878: Many departments across the country hired police matrons.
• 1891: Marie Owens, formerly a city health inspector, was hired as a police officer for the Chicago Police Department. She served for 32 years.
• 1898: Marie Owens passed her civil service exam with a score of 99% and joined others at her department on the civil service rolls.
  
• 1908: Lola Greene Baldwin was sworn in as a full-time, paid law enforcement officer for Portland, OR.
• 1910: Alice Stebbins Wells was hired by the LAPD and may have been the first female with powers of arrest and the first referred to as a "policewoman."
• 1915: International Association of Policewomen (IAP) was founded. It was disbanded during the Depression.
• 1916: Anna Hart, a jail matron for Hamilton County, OH, was the first female law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty.
• 1918: Policewomen with limited powers were working in more than 200 U.S. cities.
• 1921: Mary E. Hamilton became the first female precinct leader for NYPD.
• 1948: Although 30 percent of FBI employees were women, none were special agents. They all worked in support positions.
  
• 1956: The International Association of Women Police (IAWP) formed as a continuation of the IAP.
• 1957: Beverly Garland starred in the first American TV police show starring a woman.
• 1960: The number of policewomen had doubled since 1950.
• 1961: In Shpritzer v. Lang, Felicia Shpritzer won her case in front of the Supreme Court of New York after females had been denied the opportunity to take the promotional exam.
• 1965: Felicia Shpritzer and Gertrude Schimmel had the two highest scores on the promotional exam and were sworn in as NYPD's first female sergeants.
• 1968: Elizabeth Robinson and Betty Blankenship of the Indianapolis Police Department were the first women assigned to car patrol duties.
• 1969: President Richard M. Nixon signed Executive Order 11478 which made it illegal to discriminate in the federal service based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or handicap.
  

Society took a step backward during the 30s and 40s when most employers decided that the few jobs available during the Depression should go to men. During WWII, when many men left for military service, women filled support jobs in police departments but still had limited roles. While 30 percent of FBI employees were women in 1948, they were all in support positions such as secretaries, file clerks, radio operators, fingerprint examiners, or lab technicians. Not one served as a special agent.

In the 1950s and 60s, more and more women worked as police officers rather than filling social work functions. Most notably, "The face of law enforcement across the country was forever changed in 1968 when Indianapolis Police Department policewomen Elizabeth Robinson and Betty Blankenship strapped on their guns and took control of Car 47...These two women made it quite clear that women were capable of all aspects of law enforcement responsibilities," (ICWtorchbearerawards).

President Richard M. Nixon's executive order signed on August 8, 1969, removed the FBI's ban on hiring women as special agents. "Women now held authority to carry firearms, execute search warrants, and make arrests" (NLEOMF.org).

When Patty Fogerson joined the LAPD in 1969, male and female officers shared concerns about how to work with each other. "My first partner didn't know whether he should open the door for me when we got in the car," Fogerson said. Although the term had not been coined, sexual harassment was intense in those early years (LATimes.com). Yet, she persisted and retired from the department in 1994.

Also in 1969, Judith Lewis began working for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. "Our uniform was a skirt, high heels, and a blouse. We went through a 10-week academy vs. a 20-week academy for men. We got a 2-inch gun to carry in our purse" (Policemag.com). Very little was equal for male and female law enforcement officers.

The first women in law enforcement struggled to earn an opportunity to try to prove themselves. It would take much more to earn respect and some semblance of fair treatment. In my next blog, I will look at progress made by women in the modern era of this male-dominated field.

Resources:

Boxall, Bettina, "In a Man's World: Women were a Novelty When Patricia Fogerson Joined the LAPD; 'You Just Kept Your Mouth Shut and Kept Going,' She Says," LATimes.com, 3-3-1994.

Indiana Commission for Women Torchbearer Awards, "Elizabeth Robinson and Betty Blankenship," ICWtorchbearerawards, 2008.

National Center for Women & Policing, "A History of Women in Policing," www.womenandpolicing.com, (accessed 3-20-2013).

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, "The Forgotten Story of Marie Connelly Owens of the Chicago Police Department," www.Fedagent.com, 3-15-2013.

National Law Enforcement Officer Museum, "Women in Law Enforcement Photo Timeline," www.NLEOMF.org, (accessed 3-20-2013).

Scoville, Dean, "The First Female Patrol Officers," Policemag.com, 9-21-2012.

Spielman, Fran, "First Female Cop Hired in 1891, 22 Years Earlier Than Thought," www.Suntimes.com, 9-30-2010.