On This Day in Herstory, September 12th 1910, Alice Stebbins Wells was sworn in as the first female police officer; she was given the keys to the telephone box, a police rule book, a badge, full powers of arrest, but not a gun.
Wells graduated from the Hartford Theological Seminary, where she conducted a study that proved these was a genuine need for female police officer; and after a substantial amount of campaigning, Wells became the first policewoman, and was classified under civil service, “purity squad”, and not required to wear a uniform. Prior to this, police departments had only employed female officers to care for female prisoners. Wells, however, was a full police officer and was issued badge #398; when she attempted to used this badge for a free trolley ride she was accused of abusing her husbands powers, and so she was issued “Policewoman’s Badge Number One”.
Since she was considered by many to not be of the same caliber as typical officers, Wells was responsible for sewing her own uniforms, which were floor-length dresses and a jacket. Many considered Wells an officer in name only, and much of her duties were less urgent than other officers, like chaperoning dances and monitoring skating rinks. Finally, two years after Wells joined the force, women became more of a force to be reckoned with, as two additional woman joined the LAPD, and 16 other women became police officers across the United States.
Wells went on to found and be the first president of the International Policewomen’s Association. Throughout her life and career she advocated for the need for more female officers, so women would feel more comfortable using police services. Wells also went on to found, and be president of, the LA Social Hygiene Society that promoted sex education in LA.
