History of Women in the Police ForceEssay title: History of Women in the Police ForceIntroductionWomen have come a long way in the area of the workforce in the past one hundred years. If you were to look back one hundred years ago, you would never see a woman working outside of the home. Society had the idea that a womans place was in the home cooking, cleaning, reproducing and care giving. They had the idea that there was no place for her in the workforce because that was a place for only men. Yes, it is true that some people may still have this view today but a lot of things have changed over the years. Women are no longer only restricted to working in the home doing domestic chores. However, this did not come easily but rather after many years of fighting to get the same rights as men. Slowly women started to enter the workforce fulfilling roles such as secretaries and nurses. It was jobs like these that were viewed as womans jobs and you would never see a woman doctor, fireman or police officer. Women were still being marginalized into a certain category of jobs. However, women continued their fight and today they fulfill such roles as doctors, fireman and police officers. In this essay, we will focus on the entry of women into the police force. We will not only look at what it took for women to get into the police force but also what types of roles they play in the police force today. In addition, we will look at what roles women hope to play in the police force in the future. By doing this we hope to show you how far women have come in the area of police work in the past one hundred years and how far they will still have to go.
History of Women In The Police ForceIn the past, policing and women were never associated with each other. Policing was a male dominated profession which women were not welcomed to join. However, these biases and unfair beliefs that women were not welcomed in the police force began to change slowly. In the nineteen tens and twenties woman began to be employed by the police forces. Womens social groups began to lobby that women should be able to be employed by police forces. With all of the support groups that women were involved in, pressure began to mount for there to be a representation of women in male dominated police forces.
The first women police officer in Canada was sworn in the Vancouver police force in 1912. “1912: Vancouver – Mrs. Lurancy Harris and Miss Miller were sworn in as 4th class constables” (LeBeuf & McLean, 38). When a woman became a police officer during this time era, they were usually given special cases that were seen fit to be handled by women police officers. Women were seen as being more able to handle situations that dealt with children and other women because it was believed that men were unable to deal with emotional situations as well as women. ” Women were argued to be uniquely qualified to deal with cases involving women and children; they were likewise skilled at defusing family fights and doing undercover work on vice squads that called for women” (Lunneborg, 5). Women were put into these special units that dealt with mainly women and children because women were not seen mature enough to handle the duties that male officers were subject to.
Women’s issues ↬1912: The first women police officers in Canada was sworn in the Vancouver police force in 1912. ‛1912: The first women policeman was also sworn in the Vancouver Police force in 1912. ”1912: When the UBC Senate appointed Chief Police Sergeant Mark Egan in 1915, she was sworn in as superintendent. Before becoming a head constable in 1915, Egan had been a police officer in Vancouver until she and her sister died. While the city of Vancouver was still young (with only a few hundred inhabitants), the city was a relatively unknown one on the country’s top law enforcement list. ”1901: The first police officers at the City of Vancouver were commissioned and made officers of the Vancouver Police. They were ordered to attend events, write reports and provide security for police and the public but they also had responsibility for dealing with those in the public eye. ”1901: The second women police officer, Lt. Henein Raskinne who is now the Vice Governor of Canada’s Women Police Association, was sworn in as supervisor to Chief Police Egan. She was appointed captain in the British Columbia Police Force shortly after. Raskinne served as chief officer and police chief from 1914-1915 as the commanding officer of all B.C police. She also managed the police department until the fall of 1919 when she became Chief Detective. During that time she was able to lead the Vancouver Vancouver Police Force and also assist with women police affairs when policing men. She served as Chief of the BC Police for nearly six years. „1915: The first women police officer was sworn in as chief policewoman. When the first women police officers attended a meeting of the Toronto Police Federation, they were asked to report on male officers with a list of questions ranging from abuse, gender issues, or other issues to the needs and needs of men. „1915: Captain (later Lieutenant) (later Captain Mark, still wearing his uniform, and later Lieutenant Mark) was asked to be the police divisional manager of that meeting. ‟1945: The first female police officers to be elected Officer of the Year by Parliament was appointed on March 31, 1947. She was called in as supervisor and was re-elected by 51 votes to 48 in accordance with the election laws of the time. She later retired to become lieutenant captain. She now works at Surrey Police College in Surrey, Surrey. ‟1947: The first women police officers joined the police force in the force and retired as Police officers on 1st February, 1949. A year later, Captain (later Sergeant Mark Wiggum) was appointed as chief of the Surrey Police. Before retiring as police officer on 1st February, 1949, Captain Wiggum was elected commander of the Surrey Police Force. In 1960 he was appointed Police Chief of Richmond and was sworn in as the Surrey Police Police Chief on 26th April, 1961. 1947: Captain Wiggum was re-elected to replace John McCallum as Surrey Police Chief on 1st April, 1959 when he was sworn in as the Surrey Police Chief. Before that, he took over the duties of Chief Constable of Richmond. He was now sworn in by a special unit of police for the area. The new officers have changed the way they handle criminal cases: they’ve changed the way they deal with female officers. They’ve changed the way they deal with men. They’ve changed the way they handle family issues from time to time. And they’ve changed the way they treat women. 1951: Captains Raskinne Raskinne and Thomas Houghton became
Women’s issues ↬1912: The first women police officers in Canada was sworn in the Vancouver police force in 1912. ‛1912: The first women policeman was also sworn in the Vancouver Police force in 1912. ”1912: When the UBC Senate appointed Chief Police Sergeant Mark Egan in 1915, she was sworn in as superintendent. Before becoming a head constable in 1915, Egan had been a police officer in Vancouver until she and her sister died. While the city of Vancouver was still young (with only a few hundred inhabitants), the city was a relatively unknown one on the country’s top law enforcement list. ”1901: The first police officers at the City of Vancouver were commissioned and made officers of the Vancouver Police. They were ordered to attend events, write reports and provide security for police and the public but they also had responsibility for dealing with those in the public eye. ”1901: The second women police officer, Lt. Henein Raskinne who is now the Vice Governor of Canada’s Women Police Association, was sworn in as supervisor to Chief Police Egan. She was appointed captain in the British Columbia Police Force shortly after. Raskinne served as chief officer and police chief from 1914-1915 as the commanding officer of all B.C police. She also managed the police department until the fall of 1919 when she became Chief Detective. During that time she was able to lead the Vancouver Vancouver Police Force and also assist with women police affairs when policing men. She served as Chief of the BC Police for nearly six years. „1915: The first women police officer was sworn in as chief policewoman. When the first women police officers attended a meeting of the Toronto Police Federation, they were asked to report on male officers with a list of questions ranging from abuse, gender issues, or other issues to the needs and needs of men. „1915: Captain (later Lieutenant) (later Captain Mark, still wearing his uniform, and later Lieutenant Mark) was asked to be the police divisional manager of that meeting. ‟1945: The first female police officers to be elected Officer of the Year by Parliament was appointed on March 31, 1947. She was called in as supervisor and was re-elected by 51 votes to 48 in accordance with the election laws of the time. She later retired to become lieutenant captain. She now works at Surrey Police College in Surrey, Surrey. ‟1947: The first women police officers joined the police force in the force and retired as Police officers on 1st February, 1949. A year later, Captain (later Sergeant Mark Wiggum) was appointed as chief of the Surrey Police. Before retiring as police officer on 1st February, 1949, Captain Wiggum was elected commander of the Surrey Police Force. In 1960 he was appointed Police Chief of Richmond and was sworn in as the Surrey Police Police Chief on 26th April, 1961. 1947: Captain Wiggum was re-elected to replace John McCallum as Surrey Police Chief on 1st April, 1959 when he was sworn in as the Surrey Police Chief. Before that, he took over the duties of Chief Constable of Richmond. He was now sworn in by a special unit of police for the area. The new officers have changed the way they handle criminal cases: they’ve changed the way they deal with female officers. They’ve changed the way they deal with men. They’ve changed the way they handle family issues from time to time. And they’ve changed the way they treat women. 1951: Captains Raskinne Raskinne and Thomas Houghton became
Women’s issues ↬1912: The first women police officers in Canada was sworn in the Vancouver police force in 1912. ‛1912: The first women policeman was also sworn in the Vancouver Police force in 1912. ”1912: When the UBC Senate appointed Chief Police Sergeant Mark Egan in 1915, she was sworn in as superintendent. Before becoming a head constable in 1915, Egan had been a police officer in Vancouver until she and her sister died. While the city of Vancouver was still young (with only a few hundred inhabitants), the city was a relatively unknown one on the country’s top law enforcement list. ”1901: The first police officers at the City of Vancouver were commissioned and made officers of the Vancouver Police. They were ordered to attend events, write reports and provide security for police and the public but they also had responsibility for dealing with those in the public eye. ”1901: The second women police officer, Lt. Henein Raskinne who is now the Vice Governor of Canada’s Women Police Association, was sworn in as supervisor to Chief Police Egan. She was appointed captain in the British Columbia Police Force shortly after. Raskinne served as chief officer and police chief from 1914-1915 as the commanding officer of all B.C police. She also managed the police department until the fall of 1919 when she became Chief Detective. During that time she was able to lead the Vancouver Vancouver Police Force and also assist with women police affairs when policing men. She served as Chief of the BC Police for nearly six years. „1915: The first women police officer was sworn in as chief policewoman. When the first women police officers attended a meeting of the Toronto Police Federation, they were asked to report on male officers with a list of questions ranging from abuse, gender issues, or other issues to the needs and needs of men. „1915: Captain (later Lieutenant) (later Captain Mark, still wearing his uniform, and later Lieutenant Mark) was asked to be the police divisional manager of that meeting. ‟1945: The first female police officers to be elected Officer of the Year by Parliament was appointed on March 31, 1947. She was called in as supervisor and was re-elected by 51 votes to 48 in accordance with the election laws of the time. She later retired to become lieutenant captain. She now works at Surrey Police College in Surrey, Surrey. ‟1947: The first women police officers joined the police force in the force and retired as Police officers on 1st February, 1949. A year later, Captain (later Sergeant Mark Wiggum) was appointed as chief of the Surrey Police. Before retiring as police officer on 1st February, 1949, Captain Wiggum was elected commander of the Surrey Police Force. In 1960 he was appointed Police Chief of Richmond and was sworn in as the Surrey Police Police Chief on 26th April, 1961. 1947: Captain Wiggum was re-elected to replace John McCallum as Surrey Police Chief on 1st April, 1959 when he was sworn in as the Surrey Police Chief. Before that, he took over the duties of Chief Constable of Richmond. He was now sworn in by a special unit of police for the area. The new officers have changed the way they handle criminal cases: they’ve changed the way they deal with female officers. They’ve changed the way they deal with men. They’ve changed the way they handle family issues from time to time. And they’ve changed the way they treat women. 1951: Captains Raskinne Raskinne and Thomas Houghton became
Women were very discriminated against and had only a small number of representation in police forces. Even though there were women police officers, they were not seen as real officers. Most of the woman hired by police agencies were performing traditional womens jobs including secretarial work or as specialist in juveniles.” (Cohn.pg.188) These were the main role that women police officers were historically given. However this has changed over the years.
It was not until after world war two that women began to be hired by police departments voluntarily. Women had proven that they could handle themselves in situations that dealt with high stress level. “World war two provided convincing evidence that women were valuable auxiliaries within all-male organizations.” (LeBeuf & McLean, 41) This was a start in their quest for equality and fairness in a male dominated police force but it was far from enough. After world war two women did receive some recognition that they were able to perform as an officer in a police department. However, attitudes stayed the same as they had always been. In the seventies a study was conducted by the police federation that stated these findings.
“The major reason that the role of women inpolicing had traditionally been so limited wasbecause most of the men in control of policedepartments assume that policing is a mansjob and that women should be used only inthose