Odd Wisconsin by Erika Janik6/29/2023 ![]() Yet within the covers of popular fiction, women not only wrote mysteries but also created female characters that handily solved crimes. It would take more than seventy years for women to enter the force as full-fledged officers. Women who donned the badge faced harassment and discrimination. And most controversially of all, she had a purpose separate from her husband, children, and home. To solve crimes, she observed, collected evidence, and used reason and logic-traits typically associated with men. A policewoman worked outside the home, walking dangerous city streets late at night to confront burglars, drunks, scam artists, and prostitutes. Police work from its very beginning was considered a male domain, far too dangerous and rough for a respectable woman to even contemplate doing, much less take on as a profession. She wasn’t the first or only policewoman, but she became the movement’s most visible voice. ![]() ![]() She wore no uniform, carried no weapon, and kept her badge stuffed in her pocketbook. In 1910, Alice Wells took the oath to join the all-male Los Angeles Police Department. A lively exploration of the struggles faced by women in law enforcement and mystery fiction for the past 175 years. ![]()
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