First Female Police Officer

When women first began to enter the police force around the turn of the 20th century they came in through the back door as social workers tasked with upholding laws protecting women and children.

First female police officer. It proposed ten supervisors to direct 100 female police officers. In line with requirements for male officers a minimum height was established though at 5 feet 4 inches this was considerably lower than that for men. In 1934 she was also made the lapd historian and by 1937 there were 39 female officers in the lapd and five reserves.

An order issued a month later outlined the qualifications required for potential recruits and the conditions of enrolment. Edith smith was given her warrant card in 1915 with grantham borough police after she had volunteered. Edith smith 21 november 1876 26 june 1923 was the first female police officer in the united kingdom with full power of arrest.

In 1897 she married stationer and tobacconist william smith. Photo courtesy of los angeles police historical society. A female police officer makes an arrest in the 1980s.

She was one of six children of nursery and seedman james smith and his wife harriet. Alice stebbins wells american minister and social welfare worker who in 1910 became the first woman appointed to the los angeles police department. Officer wells was not the only los angeles woman to pioneer in law enforcement.

The university of california created the first course dedicated to the work of female police officers in 1918 and wells was made the first president of the women s peace officers association of california in 1928. In 1910 alice wells was also hired by the lapd. In 1908 the first female police officer lola baldwin was hired to carry out standard law enforcement duties.

It s difficult to determine when the first american female police officer pinned on her badge and began her watch. Later in 1916 georgia ann robinson joined the los angeles police department to become one the nation s first african american woman police officers. Edith was born on 21 november 1876 in oxton birkenhead.