History in Blue: 160 Years of Women Police, Sheriffs, Detectives, and State Troopers

In his informative but dry overview, television producer Duffin examines nearly two centuries of pioneering women struggling against widespread discrimination in law enforcement. The first women in the field, in the 1840s, served only as prison matrons, tending to the needs of female prisoners and juvenile delinquents. Duffin describes the police matron as a “mother figure with a badge,” who, even working outside prisons well into the 20th century, was primarily in charge of enforcing moral standards, and straightening out runaways and youth offenders. Many early female officers weren't issued uniforms, let alone weapons, reinforcing the idea that they were enforcers of propriety more than of law. The year 1968 marked a breakthrough: in Indianapolis, the first two female officers patrolled a regular beat together rather than being paired with men, and in 1985 Penny Harrington became the country's first female chief of police in Portland, Ore. Duffin's eagerness to impart as much knowledge as possible often reduces his style to the steady recitation of facts. Cramming too many names, dates, and ranks into the dense narrative doesn't do enough justice to his subjects. Photos. (Feb.)