Alexandria and Pineville Police Departments Honor Women Police Officers for Women’s History Month

To continue celebrating women in history, local police departments are honoring women police officers.

ABC 31 News Reporter Keisha Swafford has the story on how women have impacted the police force in the past and present.

Being a female officer in a male dominated field has always been a challenge, even today.

Pineville Police Detective Katie McBride says, “People like to try you because you are a female and then if you’re a small female, you have things you need to overcome so one thing I learned to do was be a good talker, you can talk yourself in and out of situations.”

Just like the first female police officer Marie Connolly Owens, Detective McBride works to stop injustice.

“With my cases, it’s hard to let some go. I work them until I can’t work them anymore. So, when I go to court and I get the convictions, I know I did my job.”

The first policewoman in Los Angeles, Alice Wells, worked to break down gender barriers in the police force.

Alexandria Police Officer Deeshona Gaines says, “Being able to talk to the community and make them feel safe is a big part of the job.”

Because of Well’s work to promote the need for female officers, Deeshona Gaines can work as a police officer.

Gaines says, “I believe being a positive impact for them, making changes in their lives, them coming to me or explaining to me, or remembering me for things I’ve done for them on a certain day, it makes me feel good.”

Owens paved the way for women officers to arrest criminals and help the community.

McBride says, “If it escalates, we need to be able to handle ourselves until backup does get there. That’s just the reality of being a female in this career.”

Today, women in the police force still make a positive impact.

Police departments plan to increase women recruits through more specialized recruiting and training.