Philadelphia City Council honors first 100 women who joined police force after 1976 court order

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia City Council recognized the first 100 women patrol officers at an event Thursday, according to officials. These women were some of the first to join the force after a court order in 1976 required the department to allow women in patrol roles.

Celebrating trailblazers in Philadelphia policing

What we know:

City Council honored women who broke ground as Philadelphia’s earliest female patrol officers, who joined the force following a 1976 court order. 

Harriett Farr, a retired Philadelphia Police corporal and training officer, said, "I made it my dream to become a police officer, I didn’t think it was going to happen, though I really didn’t." These women paved the way for others and faced pushback, but showed resilience and strength.

Maria Watson, a retired Philadelphia Police officer, said, "Every time they said we couldn’t do it we made sure we showed them that we could." 

Margie Watson, a retired Philadelphia Police Detective, recalled her first assignment and the reaction from the public: "my first assignment I rang the bell and a little boy came to the door and he said, mom its a lady out here dressed in a man police uniform. Want to talk to you will see me as a police officer because he had not seen that before."

The backstory:

The effort to include women as patrol officers started with a court order in 1976 that forced the Philadelphia Police Department to hire women for these positions. 

"When the women came on this job, not only were they brave but bold, and determined to show that they can does this job as well as men could do it," said Farr.

The first women on the job faced serious challenges from their male coworkers, including being left without radios, assigned difficult patrol beats, and lacking basic accommodations. 

"They made up beats, they dumped us on beats without our radios," said Farr. "We never got a chance to have lunch, left us out in the rain never had place where we could go to the restroom. It was horrible."

The pathway for future female officers

What's next:

Today, about 22 percent of officers in the Philadelphia Police Department are women, according to officials. The department has committed to the national 30/30 Initiative, aiming to raise the percentage of women in policing to 30 percent by 2030. 

Many current and retired officers expressed pride in how opportunities for women have grown; Farr said, "I am so proud of the sisters that came on after us I am so proud of them."

Maureen Rush, retired Philadelphia Police officer and former University of Pennsylvania Police chief, said, "We thank you for acknowledging the hard work, the grit, the labor and the love that went into this and at the end of the day I think we can all say we had as great time and it was the greatest show on earth serving the citizens of Philadelphia so thank you."

Why you should care:

The recognition of Philadelphia’s first women patrol officers highlights ongoing efforts to diversify law enforcement and ensure more women have opportunities in policing roles.