In 1973, September 12th was named National Police Woman day to acknowledge the contributions and achievements made by female officers. Women have been making tremendous strides in law enforcement and continue to fight for justice and keep our communities safe.
Sheriff Kevin Bean extends his gratitude to the ladies of the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office who serve and protect Caldwell County.
History of National Police Woman Day
In the 1850s, the city of New York employed police matrons to guard and search prisoners who were females, but that was the extent of their duties, and they had no authority within law enforcement.
It is believed that the first female police officer in the United States was a woman named Marie Owens. Owens joined the police department in Chicago, Illinois in 1891, which was almost thirty years before women even earned the right to vote in the United States. She held the rank of Sergeant and was a specialist in enforcing child labor and welfare laws.
1910 brought the appointment of Alice Wells, a police woman in Los Angeles. A college educated social worker, Wells developed as a pioneer in the movement toward creating a place for more women in the police forces across the United States.
The history of women in law enforcement has continued to grow over the past century. Often fighting against discrimination and oppression, women now hold a vital part in police forces all over the United States and other places in the world as well. Though the number of women in the US police has grown from 3% in the 1970s to at least 13% in recent years, there is still a long way to go for gender equality.
National Law Enforcement Day in January and National Police Week in the month of May present opportunities for police officers of all genders to be honored and given special attention. But National Police Woman Day is especially devoted to the women of law enforcement who are committed to their communities and risk their lives each day on the force.
Created to celebrate and acknowledge the females who are in the police force, National Police Woman Day seeks to promote women’s role in law enforcement and encourage more women to join in on this noble career.