Lakewood Police Department Celebrates Its Women Police Officers
The Lakewood Police Department, Lakewood, N.J., recognized and celebrated its women police officers this September. National Police Woman Day is celebrated in September to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of female police officers who enforce law and order around the country.
Today only about 10 percent of the police force in the United States is made up of women. National Police Woman Day hopes to encourage more women to join the service. Along with expressing gratitude to these officers, the day also hopes for a future where law enforcement bodies will have stronger female representation.
Police Chief Gregory Meyer said, “We acknowledge all the dedicated women of law enforcement, particularly some of the best who work here at Lakewood Police Department! Thank you for your service.”
History: The first policewoman in the United States was most likely Marie Owens. She was hired by the Chicago Police Department in 1891. Although police matrons were not a rare sight in prisons in New York City prior to this, they lacked the authority to arrest as Owens did. Alice Wells was hired by the Los Angeles police department in 1910 and was the first American-born woman police officer in the United States. Unlike Wells, Owens had been born in Canada.
In 1854, the first police matrons were hired by New York City to search and guard female prisoners, but they were civilians with no law enforcement authority. The role became quite popular among women and many started applying for similar positions in various parts of the United States.
In 1910, the Los Angeles Police Department appointed the first regularly rated policewomen, Alice Wells. Before her, matrons were seen as masculine and not very bright. Wells was a college graduate, a social worker, and had deliberately sought the position of a police officer. She soon became a pioneer in the national movement to have police departments hire women as officers. However, that did not really happen, and women were hired by quotas. This means they regularly faced discrimination, silent contempt, sexism at the workplace, and other double standards. Today policewomen are involved in all aspects of police work.