Alice Stebbins Wells Research Paper

There are many women in Police forces today. It never use to be that way, policing was considered a man’s job. That changed in the early 1900’s when the first American born citizen was hired as a police woman. Alice Stebbins Wells was born in Manhattan Kansas on June 13, 1873. Mrs. Well’s was the first American born female to be hired as a police woman with arrest powers. Before being hired by the LAPD as the first women officer Alice was a social worker. It was in 1909 when she petitioned Mayor George Alexander and city council, requesting that an ordinance providing for Los Angeles police women be adopted. It was passed an on September 12, 1910 Alice Stebbins Well’s was appointed as the nation a first female to be designated a police women
with arrest powers. Since 1890 many California cities employed women as “matrons” or “workers.” These women specialized in the care of female prisoners. They also worked in city and county prisons as well as other penal institutions. Her first day as police women Mrs.
Well’s was given a Gamewell key which is also known as a telephone call box. She was also given a first aid book and a “policeman’s badge.” When Mrs. Well’s displayed her badge to be able to ride the trolley cars for free like the rest of her fellow officers, the conductor accused her of misusing her husband’s identity. This was later fixed by giving her the very first “policewomen’s badge number one.” Mrs. Well’s first partner was Officer Leo W Marden. Mr. Marden was the department’s first juvenile officer. Shortly after her being hired the following order was issued. “No young girl can be questioned by a male officer; such work is delegated solely to policewomen, who, by their womanly sympathy and intuition, are able to gain the confidence of their young sisters.” Some of Mrs. Wells’s first duties were to supervise and enforce the laws at places such as dance halls, penny arcades, skating rinks and many other similar places. She also had to interact with female members of the public. Mrs. Wells also participated in the “suppression of unwholesome billboard display, searches for missing people, and the maintenance of general information bureau for women seeking advice on matters within the scope of police
departments. In 1911 a position of women police officers in Los Angeles were placed under the Civil Service control. By October 1912 there were three police women and three police matrons employed by the LAPD. In 1915 Mr. Wells organized the International Policewomen’s Association. This was a nonprofit organization.
This is now known as the International Association of Women Police or the IAWP. When Mrs. Wells first became appointed as a police women this became nation wide publicity. By 1916 this had resulted in 16 other cities and several foreign countries had begun to hire police women. Mrs. Wells successfully persuaded (UCLA) which back then was known as the University of California, Southern Division, to offer the first course to deal specifically with the work of women police officer’s. This course was available in the criminology department in the summer session in 1918. Mrs. Wells help create a group known as Women’s Peace Officers Association of California. In 1928 Mrs. Wells was named the first president of the association that she helped create. In 1934 Mrs. Wells made it to the rank of Sergeant. Also in July of 1934 Alice was appointed Los Angeles Police Department Historian. She held that position until she retired on November 1, 1940. Mrs. Wells served her community for 30 years. During Mrs. Wells carrier she fought for the idea that women as members of municipal police department are particularly well qualified to perform both preventative and protective work among females and juvenile
criminals. Alice will forever be remembered for introducing this new concept to local Law enforcement. Due to all of Mrs. Wells hard work in fighting for women officers many women had been hired by the LAPD. By 1937 the Los Angeles Police Department had hired 39 police women. In addition to those 39 women another five were hired as “aerial policewomen.” At one time this was an all man squadron. This squadron was filled with commercial and highly trained amateur pilots. These officers were called on when situations require expert flyers. This opened a whole new opportunity for women officers. This women has made it possible for women to do anything men could do in the police force. Alice Stebbins Wells died August 17, 1957 at the age of 84. Many officers attended her funeral as pallbearers. Some of them were Deputy Chief Frank E Walton Jr, Inspector K.J McCauley, Sergeant G.E. Luther and A.R Bangard, and policewomen Betty J Munson and Chloe I Gilmore. Ten other female officers in full dress uniform served as the Honor Guard. The service was held in the Forrest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.