Policing Women: The Sexual Politics of Law Enforcement and the LAPD, and: Top Cops: Profiles of Women in Command, and: Triumph of Spirit (review)

Policing Women: The Sexual Politics of Law Enforcement and the LAPD by Janis Appier. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1997, 256 pp., $59.95 hardcover, $19.95 paper.

Top Cops: Profiles of Women in Command by Marion E. Gold. Chicago, IL: Brittany Publications, 1999, 216 pp., $21.95 paper.

Triumph of Spirit by Chief Penny Harrington. Chicago, IL: Brittany Publications, 1999, 280 pp., $26.95 paper.

The history and current status of women in non-traditional professions such as law enforcement is a topic of interest to professionals in many disciplines as well as women who wish to enter this profession. The three books reviewed here examine the continuum of experiences of women in policing. Janis Appier examines the history of women in the early days of the Los Angeles Police Department. Marion Gold, while including a brief history of women in policing, primarily profiles women who have reached leadership positions in law enforcement. Finally, the autobiography of Penny Harrington gives one woman's account of a battle waged against discrimination and harassment in the law enforcement subculture to reach her leadership goal.

Women were first used in the criminal justice system in the 1800s to deal with female prisoners. Since women were often housed in the same institutions as men, they were subject to mistreatment and abuse by male guards and inmates. Thus, the first women in law enforcement were matrons in jails and prisons.

Early female police officers often came from the ranks of social workers. They were located in separate departments, with separate dress, pay scales, and duties. The social work orientation of these early women officers was both an advantage and a disadvantage. Their education and experience helped them to understand the social factors that led to female offenses, while their roles as wives and mothers, in a traditionally patriarchal society, gave them skills to deal with these offenders in a compassionate way. However, their social work orientation conflicted with the crime-fighting orientation that was becoming the standard for police work. While they knew the social factors that contributed to female offenses and had the skills to deal with their charges from a motherly perspective, their social work approach separated them from the crime-fighting orientation, which was becoming the standard for most police work. In addition, these women were subject to the social, economic, and political forces of the day. During the women's movement at the turn of the century their value and roles in criminal justice were greatly appreciated, but during the 1930s and 1940s, when economic conditions were bad, their value and role diminished. They were often in competition with men who were perceived as family breadwinners.

Janis Appier provides an historical discussion of women police officers in the book Policing Women: The Sexual Politics of Law Enforcement and the LAPD. She divides her work into two parts. Part One traces the origins of the female police officer movement and includes a discussion of the controversy over the social issues and reforms of the Progressive Era along with an analysis of the social factors such as gender and social class that were often a barrier to early policewomen. During this time, behavior, especially that dictated by sexual mores, was changing. It was hoped that female police officers could reduce the sexual exploitation among young working-class females that was occurring. Part Two examines the early work of women police officers in Los Angeles, including a discussion of the life and work of pioneers, such as Aletha Gilbert, who was one of the first "City Mothers." The gender stereotype of women as the more compassionate personalities made them more suited to dealing with offenses related to juveniles, issues of morality, public safety of women, and crime prevention. Appier also discusses the rationale and politics of...