Southern California has an interesting history and has been the birthplace of several well-known firsts and inventions, but there are some important historical firsts that do not seem to be known by many people. For example, did you know that the first female police officer in Los Angeles was actually the first in the entire country?
Alice Stebbins Wells was born in 1873, was married to a farmer, and had three children. She served as a minister in Kansas before joining the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
In addition to Oberlin College, Mrs. Wells also graduated from Hartford Theological Seminary. During her education there, she conducted a study that led her to conclude that the police department greatly needed female officers.
The LAPD made United States history on September 12, 1910, when it became the first to appoint a female officer with full powers to arrest. Prior to this - in fact, beginning in 1890 - women were only employed by the Department as “police matrons” to care for female prisoners.
Earlier that year, Wells had successfully petitioned and received 100 signatures from the community. The petition was directed toward the city council and the mayor requesting an ordinance to be adopted that would provide for a Los Angeles Policewoman.
Wells had to hand-sew her own uniform, the very first women’s police uniform in the country. A reproduction of this Khaki jacket and floor-length dress is part of the memorabilia displayed at the Los Angeles Police Historical Society Museum.
In 1925, Wells co-founded the Los Angeles Women Police Officers and Associates (LAWPOA) organization with the goal of providing benefits and a community for the few women serving in law enforcement a the time.
Alice Wells was known not only for promoting women’s rights and fair treatment but also for consistently advocating for more women to be brought onto the police force. Wells saw this as vital for helping young people and women who may not be comfortable talking to male officers.
By 1916, as a direct result of Wells’ promoting the need for women on the police force, female officers were being hired in at least 16 other cities in the U.S. as well as several foreign countries.
In 1915, Wells established the International Policewomen’s Association, founded to promote equality and fight discrimination against females on police forces around the world, and she served as its first president.
Wells died in 1957 and a 10-woman honor guard attended her funeral, along with high-ranking Los Angeles officers.
The effects of her dedication to and advocacy of women’s rights continued long after she was gone. More women continued to be added to the force, particularly after the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972.
By becoming the first female officer in Los Angeles, and in the United States, Alice Stebbins Wells had a profound effect on the history of law enforcement. You can learn more about her influence by visiting the LAWPOA Website. Would you like to know more fun and historical Southern California facts? Check out this article on 13 things you probably didn’t know about SoCal.
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