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Women in Policing

The First but not the Last

The first "official" woman police officer, Alice Stebbin Wells, was hired in 1910 by the Los Angeles Police Department. There are some reported "policewomen" from the late 1800s but Alice is considered the first woman actually hired to be a police officer. Of course her duties were limited by the social views of the time - many of her assignments and of those women who were hired later were based on gender roles - such as jail matron, meter maid, and social worker. As society changed and women became more vocal about their roles in the workforce police agencies across the country faced - sometimes reluctantly - the fact that women not only wanted to be police officers but that they actually brought different elements to the police profession such as compassion, problem-solving and a different perspective in dealing with the community.  And as community policing continues to change the way officers police the community in which they serve more women on the force can exact those changes for the positive.

There have been many women pioneers on policing and the Memphis Police Department is no exception. To read more about the history of women within the MPD click here - history.

Roles of Women in the Memphis Police Department

Within the Memphis Police Department women have filled various and important positions - Deputy Chiefs, Precinct Inspectors, Executive Majors, Lieutenants, Sergeants, Academy and Firearms Instructors, and Field Training Officers.

You will find female officers working in the Aviation Unit as helicopter pilots, riding on horse back with the Mounted Patrol, supervising Vice & Narcotics Officers during drug stings, searching for suspects with their dogs as members of the Dog Squad, teaching kids about the perils of gangs and drugs as members of the Drug Education Unit, or taking fingerprints and collecting evidence as a part of the Crime Response Unit, as well as many other interesting and rewarding assignments.

Career Opportunities for Women

There are many advantages to joining the Memphis Police Department. The job is always challenging! When you report to work you never know what exciting adventure or interesting situation awaits you during your shift. Everyday you face something different and there are so many interesting positions within the MPD that at the end of your career you may have "changed jobs" several times without ever leaving the Memphis Police Department.

Being a police officer can be a rewarding experience that involves dedicating your life to making Memphis a better place by providing professional and courteous service to the citizens of Memphis as well as to all visitors.

A Memphis Police Department career means many things:

opportunity - to make a real difference in your community.

variety - in work and assignments.

satisfaction - in yourself and with your career.

pride - in being part of a professional, respected organization.

As a Memphis Police Officer you will have job security and pay equity that is not found in many private sector jobs - plus you will have an excellent benefit program that includes insurance and pension plans. You can also continue your education with the City of Memphis' Tuition Reimbursement Plan.

You might handle a burglary or homicide, you may be called on to assist the elderly or speak to a group of kids, direct traffic and handle an accident, look for a lost child, make arrests, or patrol your neighborhood as a part of one of our COACT Units.

Your day might be spent riding on your police bike answering calls in the downtown area or in Midtown or investigating a crime from its beginning with the victim until it goes to trial with the suspect.

Once you have a few years of police experience and seniority you may be interested in bidding for a position in one of our specialty units such as the Dog Squad, Aviation Unit, TACT Unit, Officers in the Schools, Drug Education or Crime Response Unit. Based on your abilities and interests you may also be selected to work undercover as a Vice & Narcotics Officer.

Not matter where you find yourself working within the MPD you will work with hardworking, dedicated officers of all backgrounds and form lifelong bonds with many of them.

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Last updated on Tuesday, December 22, 2009 02:25 PM.