The Case File

A brief history of women with the Los Angeles Police Department is provided to gain an appreciation of the unique challenges and adversity they faced to be accepted as equals with their male counterparts within the department. Our sisters in blue that came before us were true trailblazers in the Los Angeles Police Department.

In 1909, Alice Stebbins Wells was the first female policewoman, generally known as matrons or workers in Los Angeles with arrest powers. However, female personnel were not classified as police officers. In fact, the LAPD badges had the word "POLICEMAN" imprinted on their department-issued badge, and policewomen had the word "POLICEWOMAN" imprinted on their department-issued badge. Prior to 1973, LAPD had two separate gender-based job classifications. Men in the policeman classification performed police field assignments and could be promoted to all ranks. Policewomen did not work regular field assignments of their male counterparts, instead performing tasks related to women and children, desk duty, and administration. They were barred from promotion above the level of sergeant. Policewomen carried their gun in their purse and were issued a formal hat, skirt, jacket, and blouse uniform. In 1973, the LAPD abandoned the sex-segregated job classifications; forming a single entry-level position of police officer.

In 1971, then LAPD Chief Ed Davis openly expressed his feeling toward female officers at a meeting with females present. Chief Davis bluntly proclaimed, "Real police work should be done by men," and females' biggest drawback was that "they have monthlies."

Chief Davis's comment created a firestorm that reformed the department forever. LAPD policewoman Fanchon Blake, with almost twenty years of service, was present at the meeting. She was furious with the chief's callous remark.

This was the trigger that started the war. Fanchon Blake took on the entire LAPD organization by initiating a class-action lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles, alleging discrimination in the department's selection, hiring, and promotional work practices for females and minorities.

It took almost eight years for the class-action lawsuit to be settled and enforced by a court order in 1981, resulting in changes in the unfair selection and recruitment, training, appointment, and performance for women and minorities in LAPD.

The Los Angeles Times described these changes in the organization as "shattering LAPD's glass ceiling for women." When the lawsuit went into effect to be enforced in 1981, there were approximately 175 females in LAPD. In the year 2010 there were almost two thousand female officers. Los Angeles Times editor David Colker wrote that Fanchon Blake's class-action lawsuit "targeting the LAPD resulted in one of the most sweeping changes in the departments history."

There were a plethora of unsubstantiated horror stories about female officers floating throughout the department during the time increasing numbers of females began to join the department in 1981. One rumor spread like wildfire regarding a female officer in the infamous rough Southend Watts projects. Her male partner engaged in a physical fight with a combative suspect who was overpowering the officer. The female officer allegedly panicked and ran back to the parked police vehicle and locked the vehicle doors.

Another rumor related to a female officer in Northeast Division. The female officer and her partner were breaking up a party with complaints of loud noises. The female officer reportedly shot a suspect after he ripped off her uniform tie and clip. These stories fueled the "old-timer" officer's narrative and perception that female officers on the job could not be trusted in physical field situations with combative suspects.

I looked forward to the unique challenges of serving the community to make a true difference and focused on excelling every day to prove females could do the job as equals with our male counterparts. All police officers are human regardless of gender, and we all make mistakes. All new officers and probationers have a learning curve in this complex occupation. Police street work is unpredictable and fluid, requiring reliance on ongoing training, quick assessment and decision-making in life-and-death situations, and identification of all available resources.

For those of us that joined the department in the early 1980s, there was a significant transition period. Most male police officer counterparts had never worked with female officers in the field and not everyone embraced the concept. Meaningful internal cultural change takes time to implement and ownership on the part of the stakeholders within any organization.

To our present and future sisters in blue, never forget the struggle and obstacles our female officers in blue faced with steadfast courage, tenacity, and perseverance.

These female officers fought back and proved beyond a doubt that females can do the same job as their male counterparts as equals in the field, including handling fluid dangerous situations.

Note: Some information obtained from the Internet, LAPD Police Women, and Fanchon Blake.

This chapter was taken from Patricia L. Blake's acclaimed book, Touched by the Hand of God: In the City of Angels, SEND ME!

During the start of day watch shift, I was working an L-car, one officer unit on a corner of a business district with heavy going to work traffic, standing in a parking lot. Suddenly, approximately fifteen panicked people ran on foot down the sidewalk toward my position, yelling and screaming for help.

Immediately I observed a huge male suspect over six feet tall and heavyset who resembled the "Michelin Tire Man," a male about six feet tall with what appeared to be layers of round tires encircling his body under his extra-large T-shirt. It was almost comical; the suspect growled and snarled as he chased the group of people from a distance of about fifty feet behind them. As a coup de grâce, the suspect prominently held a forty-ounce full-beer bottle in his right hand.

The crowd of frightened people, now huddled together on the opposite corner of the intersection, watched intently as I assessed the situation and stepped between Mr. Growly and the crowd.

In my firmest command presence voice, I ordered the suspect repeatedly to drop the beer bottle. The suspect ignored my commands, instead raising the beer bottle over his head in a threatening manner.

In a somewhat unorthodox and risky move, I swung my side handle baton one time aiming at the suspect's right hand and glass beer bottle. The suspect could possibly use large pieces of the glass to assault me if this plan did not work. The baton struck the suspect's hand and shattered the glass beer bottle. The suspect immediately deflated like a helium balloon, becoming dejected and docile from the shock of the bottle shattering in his hand.

The crowd, still watching intently from the other street corners, shouted and cheered. The suspect was taken into custody without further incident and transported for a mental evaluation hold as a possible danger to himself or others.

I was relieved the suspect gave up and no one was hurt.

This chapter was taken from Patricia L. Blake's acclaimed book, Touched by the Hand of God: In the City of Angels, SEND ME!