First Female Police Officer

In 1908 the first female police officer lola baldwin was hired to carry out standard law enforcement duties.

First female police officer. Alice stebbins wells american minister and social welfare worker who in 1910 became the first woman appointed to the los angeles police department. Photo courtesy of los angeles police historical society. Edith smith 21 november 1876 26 june 1923 was the first female police officer in the united kingdom with full power of arrest.

Later in 1916 georgia ann robinson joined the los angeles police department to become one the nation s first african american woman police officers. In 1910 alice wells was also hired by the lapd. In 1912 margaret queen adams became the first female deputy sheriff in the united states when she joined the los angeles county sheriff s department.

Edith smith was given her warrant card in 1915 with grantham borough police after she had volunteered. The uk s first warranted female police officer has been commemorated in a memorial service. Although stebbins was not the first female police officer in the united states she is believed to have been the first to hold powers of arrest.

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. 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. A female police officer makes an arrest in the 1980s.

Officer wells was not the only los angeles woman to pioneer in law enforcement. An order issued a month later outlined the qualifications required for potential recruits and the conditions of enrolment. Edith was born on 21 november 1876 in oxton birkenhead.

In 1897 she married stationer and tobacconist william smith. In 1934 she was also made the lapd historian and by 1937 there were 39 female officers in the lapd and five reserves. The national police commission npc has requested the acting igp to nominate a female police officer to the post of deputy inspector general of police dig for the first time in the history of.