Women in Policing

The New York City Police Museum's exhibit "Women in Policing" chronicles the evolving roles women have played as emerging and influential members of the law enforcement community. The exhibition sets forth the major chapters of the history of women in the New York City Police Department. It traces women’s progression from the first Police Matrons of the 1890s to the multifaceted modern day female Police Officer. It also tells the stories of some of the brave pioneers and contemporary trail-blazers who have helped shape this rich history.

In the century since women first began working for the New York Police Department, the role of women in policing has undergone significant changes. These changes, chronicled in this exhibit, did not always come easily. The lobbying activity of women’s organizations contributed to the appointment of the first Police Matrons in 1891 to guard female arrestees. Gradually, women were hired as official members of the Police Department under the title of “Policewoman.” They were required to hold a college degree and focused primarily on the social welfare issues of the City. A number of Policewomen also performed the duties of and held positions as Detectives and undercover officers.

Women were prohibited from competing for supervisory ranks for over half a century. It was not until 1964, as a result of a lawsuit, that the right of women to take promotional exams was recognized. Even then, women were restricted to certain assignments. In 1973, the New York City Police Department, responding to federal civil rights legislation, dropped all distinctions between Policemen and Policewomen by adopting the Police Officer title and placing both men and women on patrol. Today women can be seen in nearly every aspect of service in the NYPD, including specialized units, and hold high-ranking supervisory and management positions.

1890s
Police Matrons

The evolution of the Police Matron first began in the New York City jails. In fact, New York City was one of the first cities to employ Jail Matrons in 1845, following the example set by New York State prisons that hired female Prison Matrons as early as the 1830s. Such hires were a response to demands by the American Female Reform Society and the Women's Prison Association of New York City, founded and led by Abby Hopper Gibbons. Both organizations secured the six Jail Matrons in New York City: two in the City Prison (The Tombs) and four on Blackwell's Island.

The introduction of women into the New York City Police Department in 1891 was prompted by concern about the treatment of women in police precincts. Until that time, the task of searching female prisoners was performed by male officers, their wives, widows of policemen, or by the maid at the police station. The widows, known as “bedmakers,” were paid out of the Policemen’s own pockets. Female prisoners were not housed separately from the male prisoners. In addition, men and women (called “casuals”) who came to New York City without money were often forced to find shelter at the station houses. In 1887, at various times, up to 42,000 of these homeless women spent at least one night in a station house. This intermingling of the sexes in the station house scandalized many citizens of New York City.

To rectify the situation, the Women’s Prison Association of New York and the American Female Christian Temperance Union, petitioned the Board of Estimate and Apportionment for the appointment of police matrons, and for the creation of separate prison cells for men and women. This movement was given added impetus in 1890 when a police officer was found guilty and sentenced to prison for the attempted assault of a fifteen-year-old girl at a station house.

These lobbying efforts met with success. On March 20, 1891, Governor David B. Hill signed a bill that mandated the hiring of Police Matrons and the establishment of separate cells for men and women under arrest. Three months later, the first civil service test was held for the title of Police Matron. It should be noted that the State Assembly had passed legislation providing for the hiring of Matrons in 1888, but the Police Commissioner did not make any appointments.

Applicants were required to be recommended in writing by at least twenty women “ of good standing.” The first Prison Matrons, Mary Waldron, D.C. Carley, C.H. LeBourbeau and E. Linner (first names unknown), were sworn in on October 5, 1891, and were assigned to the 4th and 6th precincts. Police Matrons worked long hours, received one day off per month, and were granted one week’s vacation per year. As of 1899, they were paid $1,000 per year. They did not receive a pay increase until 1918.

The new Matrons were met with opposition within and outside the Police Department. One newspaper rebuked the appointment, stating the Matrons “will be awarded immediate leave of absence whenever a mouse…is known to be on the beat.” Male Officers protested, and the Doorman’s Association noted, “Put a woman in a station house under salary and she’ll be trying to run [the] precinct inside of three months.”

• 1888 Legislation Passes to Hire Police Matrons - New York State Legislation providing for the appointment of Police Matrons is passed. However, the New York City Board of Police Commissioners does not make any appointments.

• 1891 First Police Matrons Hired

• 1892 Police Matrons in Every Precinct - As a result of the 1888 law passed requiring that female doctors treat female patients in mental institutions, every precinct station house secures Police Matrons to tend to female arrestees.

• 1895 First Female to Work at Police Headquarters - Minnie Gertrude Kelly is the first female to work at New York City Police Headquarters and is appointed Secretary to the Police Board.

• 1896 Increased Duties for Police Matrons- There is one Matron per shift (one day shift and one night shift) who is assigned to each of the 15 police station houses. Duties increase and they are now assigned to search subjects, and process, escort and supervise inmates in precinct detention facilities, as well as to care for lost children.

• 1896 Isabella Goodwin Hired as a Police Matron - Police widow Isabella Goodwin is hired as a Police Matron, she later becomes a First Grade Detective.

• 1911 Mary Sullivan Hired as Police Matron - Mary Sullivan is appointed a Police Matron (and will later head the Policewomen’s Bureau).

• 1912 First Female Promoted in NYPD - Police Matron Isabella Goodwin is promoted to First Grade Detective on March 2, after a number of successful temporary assignments with the Detective Bureau the previous year. This is the first such promotion for a woman in the New York City Police Department.

1917-1921
A Transitional Period:
The New “Protective Officer” & the Old Police Matron

As the nation began preparing for World War I and the Women’s Suffrage Movement gained the support of many New Yorkers, a new problem arose that led to the appointment of New York City’s first Policewomen. Many citizens feared that the concentration of young men at new military recruiting centers posed dangers to vulnerable young girls. To safeguard the girls, women’s groups began pressuring the City to appoint women as “Protective Officers.”

On August 3, 1917, exercising his war emergency powers to make appointments exempt from the Civil Service system, Police Commissioner Arthur Woods gave special Patrolmen’s badges to Sara Douglas and Mrs. Joseph Cook. Although they were authorized to make arrests, the mission of these two Protective Officers was to prevent the corruption of young girls.

In 1918, the newly appointed Police Commissioner, Richard E. Enright, proposed the creation of the exempt position of “Policewoman” to perform the functions of these Protective Officers. Commissioner Enright’s plan angered the incumbent Police Matrons, the women on the long waiting list to become Police Matrons, and the Federation of Women’s Civil Service Organizations.

On January 28, 1918, Ellen O’Grady, who had served as a Probation Officer for the City’s Magistrate’s Courts, became the first female Deputy Commissioner. Her responsibility was that of Fifth Deputy Police Commissioner in charge of the newly formed Welfare Bureau. It’s main function was that of preventative police work and the protection of young girls. O’Grady supervised the Police Matrons, the NYPD’s first female detective, Isabella Goodwin, and 55 male Police officers (O’Grady became the first woman in U.S. policing to supervise a substantial number of male officers).

Despite this opposition, the first six Policewomen were appointed on August 15, 1918. Mary Hamilton, later to become the first Director of the Women’s Bureau, was among these first Policewomen. The Policewomen were paid $1,200 a year. They carried a revolver, handcuffs, and a summons book, but they did not wear a uniform. They were assigned to different zones to look after young girls and to respond to domestic disputes.

In 1919, the Police Matron’s Association lobbied for legislation giving Police Matrons the title of Policewoman. At the same time, Commissioner Enright sought permanent Civil Service tenure of the Policewomen appointed under the war emergency measure. The legislature enacted both measures. The Police Matrons claimed victory because they had won the title of “Policewomen.” Yet, at the same time, the former Policewomen’s title was changed to “Patrolwomen.” Thus, in some respects, parity between the two groups had been achieved: both positions were Civil Service and both paid the same salary. However, the job requirements and selection criteria for Policewomen and Patrolwomen remained very different.

• 1917 Women’s Police Reserve Established - The Women’s Police Reserve is created in New York City as a wartime measure. It is a uniformed volunteer organization that attracts many women seeking unpaid civil service.

• 1918 First Female Assigned to Homicide Squad - Police Matron Mary Sullivan becomes the first woman assigned to the NYPD's Homicide Squad. She also leads the Police Matron’s fight for equal status among the newly appointed Policewomen.

• 1919 First African-American Policewoman in NYPD - Municipal records indicate that Cora I. Parchment is the first African-American Policewoman in New York City.

1921 – 1938
Patrolwomen and Policewomen

Resentment persisted between Patrolwomen (formerly “Protective Officers”) and Policewomen (formerly “Police Matrons”). Different tests were required for each group and, until 1925, Patrolwomen were not required to take a physical exam. While Patrolwomen were considered to have more investigative responsibilities and thought of themselves as the more elite group, the duties of the two groups had become quite similar. In fact, in 1923, Commissioner Enright used the Patrolwomen’s test list to appoint two Policewomen.

From 1925 until 1937, when the consolidation was finally achieved, each Police Commissioner advocated merging the two positions. Policewomen supported the proposal but Patrolwomen, believing that becoming a Policewoman was a step down, repeatedly voiced opposition. A first step toward merging the two titles occurred in 1935, when Police Commissioner Lewis J. Valentine approved a single uniform for both Policewomen and Patrolwomen. Until then, Patrolwomen had not been required to wear uniforms and, at the time, the new requirement was correctly perceived as an indication that the Patrolwomen position would soon be abolished. The legislature passed a bill in 1937 to abolish the rank of Patrolwoman and consolidate the titles.

The first exam for the consolidated title of Policewoman was offered on May 21, 1938. About 5,000 women took the exam and 300 passed. Among them was a doctor, boxer, engineer, attorney, several dancers, a writer for “True Detective,” a newspaper woman and a private investigator. The first class was sworn in with a base salary of $2,000 per year in 1939. The women who passed the exam were like the Patrolwomen before them, younger and better educated than the former Policewomen, many of whom began their careers as Police Matrons.

• 1921 The first civil service test is given to Patrolwomen on May 13.

• 1921 PEA is Established - The Policewomen’s Endowment Association (PEA) is founded by Mary Sullivan, Rose Taylor, Ada Bearry, Mary McGuire and Minnie Ernest.

• 1925 First African American Policewoman Assigned to the Women’s Bureau - Appointed December 29, Nettie Harris is the first African-American Policewoman assigned to the Women’s Bureau. She retires in 1951, serving the Harlem Community for 27 years.

• 1925 Patrolwomen are required to take a physical exam.

• 1931 First Steps Towards Consolidation - Police Commissioner Edward P. Mulrooney introduces a bill to the Municipal Assembly to consolidate the titles of Patrolwoman and Policewomen (the bill is unsuccessful and dies in the Assembly).

• 1934 Patrolwomen and Policewomen Report for Pistol Practice - Under orders by Police Commissioner Lewis J. Valentine, all patrolwomen and policewomen (155 in total) are required to report for pistol target practice for the first time. Every woman in the Department is to carry a revolver of at least .32 caliber in her handbag. A special over the shoulder pocketbook is designed but not yet made mandatory.

• 1935 Mary Shanley Assigned to Detective Bureau - Patrolwoman Mary Shanley is assigned to the Detective Bureau's Pickpocket Squad. She will become a First Grade Detective and have more that a thousand career arrests, most notably the notorious Chinatown Charlie.

1924 – 1973
Bureau of Policewomen

The Women’s Bureau was established in 1924 and renamed the Bureau of Policewomen six years later. Policewomen assigned to the Bureau performed matron duties, participated in undercover work, investigated charges of sexual assault, searched female corpses, took abandoned babies to shelters, and protected women and children by patrolling in plainclothes at beaches, movie houses, and schools. Each Policewoman carried her own .32 revolver which was smaller than the men’s .38.

The Bureau of Policewomen also responded to requests for Policewomen made by other units of the NYPD. In 1964, for instance, the Bureau received 311 requests. That same year, members of the Bureau of Policewomen made 1,050 arrests. As Lieutenant Lucy Acerra, who worked in the Bureau, wrote: “The New York Policewomen’s Bureau had taken on all the characteristics of a small police department within a larger one.”

In 1967, 180 women from the Bureau of Policewomen were assigned to precincts. The duties of the Policewomen at the precincts continued to consist primarily of searching women prisoners, guarding children, and performing clerical work. This decentralization of the majority of the Policewomen was a precursor to the dissolution of the Bureau which occurred on August 15, 1973.

• 1921 First Women’s Police Precinct Opens - The first Women’s Police Precinct opens its doors on West 37th St. in April. Mary Hamilton is appointed Director with Isabella Goodwin second in command. Twenty Patrolwomen and six Policewomen are assigned to the precinct. Their primary role is that of civic and welfare work targeted at protecting young girls.

• 1921 Mrs. George Loft, a wealthy civic leader succeeds Ellen O’Grady as Fifth Deputy Police Commissioner and takes over as Director of the Women’s Police Precinct one month after it opens.

• 1923 Women’s Police Precinct Closes - With disagreement about how the Women’s Precinct should be run, Fifth Deputy Police Commissioner Loft disbands the Women’s Police Precinct

• 1926 New Director of Women’s Bureau - Mary Sullivan, who began her career as a Police Matron, succeeds Mary Hamilton as Director of the Women’s Bureau.

• 1939 First Class of Policewomen Graduate - On March 9, Police Commissioner Lewis J. Valentine swears in the first class of 20 Policewomen who start at a base salary of $2,000 per year (Probationary Officers receive $1,200, lowered by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia).

• 1942 Policewomen Must Have College Degree - Policewomen are required to hold a college degree by the NYPD (men, at this time, do not). As a result, many Policewomen were often older and better educated than their male counterparts when joining the Police Department.

• 1943 Combination Gun and Make-Up Bag - Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia issued the first black combination gun and make-up shoulder bag designed and donated by former Police Commissioner Grover A. Whalen. It contained a holster for a .38 revolver, a lipstick in medium red, a powder compact and a case of dry rouge.

• 1958 Women and Men Train at Police Academy - All police appointees from the Civil Service list, both men and women must attend six months of intensive training at the Police Academy. Men and women take the same academic classes, however, physical training varies somewhat from the men’s. Upon graduation, Policewomen are assigned to the Detective or Juvenile Aid Bureau, or to the Bureau of Policewomen. A women’s starting salary is the same as that of the men’s, $4,500 a year.

1961-1973
Climbing the Ladder

In 1961, after 20 years as a Policewoman in the Juvenile Aid Bureau, Felicia Shpritzer challenged the Police Department’s policy of prohibiting women from taking promotions exams with a lawsuit on behalf of all Policewomen, thus paving the way for the advancement of women in law enforcement throughout the country.

The New York Court of Appeals ruled in Shpritzer’s favor in 1963. In 1964, 126 women took a make- up Sergeant’s exam. On March 12, 1965, after lengthy court litigation, Felicia Shpritzer and Gertrude Schimmel, the two highest scorers among the women, became the Police Department’s first female Sergeants. After suing again and passing another promotion exam, Shpritzer and Schimmel became the first female Lieutenants in 1967.

Despite their legal victory, some unions and fraternal organizations in the Police Department organizations felt that the female Sergeants and Lieutenants should be paid less than their male counterparts, denied patrol experience, and only hold supervisory posts in the Bureau of Policewomen. It was not until 1973, when the Bureau disbanded and Policewomen officially became Police Officers that women first achieved equality among the ranks.

• 1968 The Police Benevolent Association (PBA) opens membership to Policewomen.

• 1971 First Female Captain - On August 25, Lt. Gertrude Schimmel is promoted and sworn in as the Department’s first female Captain.

• 1972 First Female Deputy Inspector - On January 21, Capt. Gertrude Schimmel is promoted and becomes the Department’s first female Deputy Inspector.

• 1972 First Women on Patrol Duty - Police Commissioner Patrick Murphy, aided by Deputy Inspector Gertrude Schimmel, experiment by assigning 15 Policewomen volunteers for patrol duty.

• 1972 First Female Officer at FBI Academy - Captain Vittoria Renzullo is the first female Police Officer in the U.S. to attend the FBI Academy. She is also the last Director of the Policewomen’s Bureau, which is to close the following year.

1973 – Present
The Modern Era

In 1972, Congress amended Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, prohibiting state and local government from discriminating on the basis of race, ethnicity, or gender. To meet these new legal requirements, Police Commissioner Patrick V. Murphy initiated a pilot project to put the first Policewomen on patrol. Fifteen Policewomen volunteered and after two weeks of training at the Police Academy, they were assigned to patrol duty in pairs, rather than with male partners.

During the next year, a number of significant changes occurred that paved the way towards the integration of women into the uniformed ranks of the NYPD. The Bureau of Policewomen was disbanded and the titles of “Policewoman” and “Policeman” were officially consolidated to “Police Officer.” More than 350 female Police Officers were hired and trained, more than half of whom were assigned to patrol duties. Height regulations were dropped, “unisex” physical tests for those competing to become Police Officers were implemented, and a new standardized “unisex” uniform was mandated.

The 1971 experiment to assign female officers on patrol duty was deemed a success, and women were assigned with male partners. Some officers’ wives were angered by this decision and, in protest, picketed Police Headquarters. These women felt threatened by the close relationship that might develop between their husbands and female partners. Others feared that the women might not perform as well as other men, leaving their husbands in added danger. However, a number of research studies that compared the patrolling techniques of men and women were conducted. They concluded that given the same opportunities as men, women perform as well as men on patrol.

Women have continued to steadily reach the upper-most ranks of the Police Department. In 1971, Gertrude Schimmel became the first female promoted to Captain. She later became the first female promoted to Deputy Inspector in 1972, and Inspector in 1974. In 1978, Schimmel reached the highest rank of any female Police Officer in the Police Department when she was promoted to Deputy Chief. It would be almost twenty years later before another woman would achieve a higher rank. On January 13, 1995, history was made when Gertrude LaForgia became the first woman to be promoted to Assistant Chief, Borough Commander.

• 1974 First Female Assigned to ESU - Police Officer Helen Knedlhans, a registered nurse, is the first female assigned to the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit. Police Officer Ann Morrissey joins her a few months later.

• 1980 First Asian-American Female Police Officer - Agnes Chan is the first Asian-American female police officer in the NYPD. She is promoted to Detective in 1984.

• 1981 First Woman to Receive the Combat Cross - Susanne Medicis becomes the first NYPD female officer to receive the Combat Cross.

• 1981 First Women to Receive Medal of Honor - NYPD officers Sharon Fields and Tanya Braithwaite are the first women to receive the Medal of Honor, the highest award bestowed to a member of the NYPD for acts of heroism.

• 1984 First Female Highway Officer - In January, Police Officer Christine Legrottaglie is the first woman assigned to the NYPD Highway Unit, and serves there until August 1986.

• 1984 First Woman Killed in the Line of Duty - Irma Lozada, New York City Transit Police Officer, is the first female officer killed in the line of duty in New York City.

• 1986 First Female Harbor Officer - On May 7, Police Officer Ann Morrill becomes the first female harbor launch pilot in the NYPD Harbor Unit where she remained until her retirement in 2002.

• 1986 First Female Officer Assigned to K-9 - In May, Police Officer Lorraine Hovey is the first female dog handler assigned to the NYPD Canine (K-9) Unit, serving there until her retirement in 1995.

• 1990 First Female Pilot - Mary Lowry is the first female pilot assigned to the Aviation Unit, serving until 1995.

• 1992 First Female C.O. of Mounted Unit - In June, Captain Kathy Ryan becomes the first female Commanding Officer of the NYPD Mounted Unit, and serves there until December, 1995.

• 1992 First Female Assigned to Bomb Squad - Detective Karen Engdahl is the first female assigned to the Bomb Squad, and serves there until January, 1996.

• 1992 First African-American Female C.O. - Joyce A. Stephen becomes the first African-American Commanding Officer.

• 1994 First African-American Female Captain - Joyce A. Stephen becomes the first African-American female Captain (she is promoted to Deputy Inspector in 1995, and Inspector in 2000).

• 2001 Only Female NYPD Officer Killed in the Line of Duty on September 11
  On September 11, Police Officer Moira A. Smith is the only female NYPD officer killed in the line of duty during the attacks on the World Trade Center. December 4, 2001, Police Officer Smith posthumously receives the NYPD Medal of Honor.

• 2002 First Woman to Hold an Elected Position of an NYPD Union
  On July 1, Sgt. Maureen Murphy is elected Recording Secretary of the Sergeant’s Benevolent Association (SBA), becoming the first woman ever to hold an elected position with an NYPD union.

• 2002 First Female Commanding Officer of the Police Academy
  On June 28, Inspector Diana Pizzuti is promoted to Deputy Chief and becomes the first female Commanding Officer of the NYPD’s Police Academy.

• 2002 First Female Hispanic Captain - On September 27, Lieutenant Angela (Arecena) Kobetitch is promoted and becomes the first female Hispanic Captain in the NYPD.