Women in Policing History

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Questions and Answers

What was the primary role of women in policing in the late 1800s in the United States?

Crime prevention and social work

Patrolling the streets

Combatting organized crime

Assisting and overseeing women and juveniles (correct)

Who was the first woman to be assigned as a 'patrolman' in the United States?

Clara Hamilton

Mary Owens (correct)

Alice Stebbins Wells

Lola Baldwin

What was the primary focus of Lola Baldwin's duties as a 'female detective'?

Law enforcement and patrol

Forensic investigation and analysis

Crime prevention and social work (correct)

Intelligence gathering and surveillance

What was the impact of the Great Depression on women's employment in the 1930s?

Women's employment suffered due to changing attitudes Signup and view all the answers

What was the role of women in law enforcement during World War II?

They were confined to auxiliary work such as dispatching and clerical work Signup and view all the answers

What was the International Association of Women Police formed to do?

Support the advancement of female officers Signup and view all the answers

Who is considered to be the first female police officer 'officially designated' as a policewoman?

Alice Stebbins Wells Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary role of the matrons hired by the NYPD in 1845?

Assisting and overseeing women and juveniles in jails Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of the year 1968 in the history of women in law enforcement?

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department assigned the first female patrol officers. Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary reason for the slow growth of women in law enforcement?

Physical strength requirements. Signup and view all the answers

Who was the first black female police chief in the United States?

Beverly Harvard. Signup and view all the answers

What was predicted by researchers in the late 1980s regarding women in law enforcement?

Women would comprise 50% of the police workforce. Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of 1972 in the history of women in law enforcement?

JoAnne Misko and Susan Malone became the first fully sworn FBI agents. Signup and view all the answers

What was the purpose of the 1995 study by the International Association of Chiefs of Police?

To identify barriers to female advancement in law enforcement. Signup and view all the answers

What is a common misconception about women in law enforcement?

Women lack the necessary physical strength for patrol work. Signup and view all the answers

Who was the first female police chief in the United States?

Penny Harrington. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

History of Women in Policing

Women have been involved in municipal policing in the United States since the late 1800s, initially fulfilling specialist roles assisting and overseeing women and juveniles.
In 1845, the NYPD hired two women to work as matrons in the city's two jails.
In 1893, the Chicago Police Department assigned Mary Owens as a “patrolman”, primarily working with women and children.
In 1905, Lola Baldwin was sworn in as a "female detective" in Portland, Oregon, with powers of arrest, focusing on crime prevention and social work.
Alice Stebbins Wells, hired by LAPD in 1910, is considered the first female police officer “officially designated” as a policewoman, receiving badge number 1.
Wells founded and became the first president of the International Policewomen's Association, promoting female officers across America and Canada.
During the 1930s, women's employment suffered due to the Great Depression, and law enforcement shifted focus from social work to combating crime.

Mid-20th Century Developments

During World War II, more women were hired in law enforcement, mostly in auxiliary roles like dispatchers or clerical workers.
In 1956, the International Association of Women Police was formed to support female officers.
In the 1960s, police departments increasingly needed women crime-fighters for undercover work in vice squads.
In 1968, Elizabeth Robinson and Betty Blankenship became the nation's first female patrol officers in the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
In 1972, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act outlawed gender discrimination in public agencies, including police departments, expanding opportunities for women.

Breaking Barriers

In 1972, JoAnne Misko and Susan Malone became the first fully sworn FBI agents.
In the 1980s, women like Penny Harrington broke through police departments' "glass ceilings", becoming chiefs of police.
In 1994, Beverly Harvard became the first black female police chief in Atlanta.
Today, over 300 women serve as chiefs of police in departments across the nation.

Challenges for Women in Policing

Predictions that women would make up nearly 50% of the law enforcement workforce by the 21st century did not materialize.
Despite studies showing women can perform all duties of patrol officers and excel in many areas, growth of women in policing has progressed slowly.
Physical strength is often perceived as a limitation for female police officers, leading to questions about their effectiveness in dangerous physical confrontations.