I have held a lot of jobs in my life -- car hop, piano teacher, bartender, muffler installer, to name a few. But I have only had one career: law enforcement. For me, it wasn't a calling. I still remember when the lieutenant who interviewed me asked why I wanted to be a cop. I told him it was because I was unemployed. I am thankful they hired me anyway. As it turns out, I didn't just find a job; I found a family.
The first female police officer in the U.S. was Lola Baldwin who started in 1905 in Portland, Oregon. In those days, the police matron was more social worker than law enforcement. Lola bridged that with actual powers of arrest, but she mostly handled tasks related to women and children. The first year women achieved the status of patrol officer was in 1968 when Betty Blankenship and Elizabeth Coffal hit the streets in Indianapolis, Indiana. Here in Alaska, Fran Howard became the first female State Trooper and headed to the academy in Sitka on Sept. 29, 1969. She told a reporter once that she was not a barnstormer or women's rights advocate, and of becoming a State Trooper, she explained that, "It just sorta happened."
When I started in the early 1980s, there weren't very many women in the ranks. The national average back then was about 12 percent. I'm sad to say that today, women make up only 13 percent of law enforcement officers nationally. For a span of 30 years, that is not much progress. The traits that I believe are the most important for a career in law enforcement include communication skills, compassion, honesty, integrity and intelligence. Those traits are not gender specific. For all of the other necessary skills, departments train you.
The things that make a career in law enforcement so appealing don't really differ all that much between men and women. The days are unpredictable, the opportunities abound to solve problems, aiding people in crisis is empowering and there's nothing like a word of thanks from folks who truly mean it. When you rise to a challenge, the view is spectacular.
The Fall 2015 Women in Law Enforcement Recruitment Fair runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the University of Alaska Anchorage Student Union. The public is invited to visit booths with many state, local and federal agencies represented. This is the perfect time to ask questions, dispel myths, and see if there is something in the broad area of law enforcement jobs you may find interesting. Agencies represented at the recruitment fair in the past have included the Anchorage Police Department, Palmer Police Department, Seward Police Department, Juneau Police Department, FBI, U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, Alaska State Troopers, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Department of Corrections, U.S. Air Force Reserve and others. The event is co-sponsored by the Women Police of Alaska.
We welcome men and women of all ages to stop by and check out the types of jobs that are available. Some departments offer ride-along programs and I encourage you to seek those out. We would also love to provide that extra nudge to women who may never have thought they would be interested in law enforcement. Today's tools and training level the playing field and it would be worth your time to check out the various agencies that are represented. Who knows -- maybe things could just sorta happen.
Andrea Jacobson is president of Women Police of Alaska.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, e-mail commentary@alaskadispatch.com.