Brass Ceiling Research Paper

The term “brass ceiling” is defined as an imaginary barrier which stops women from progressing in their careers within the military and law enforcement” (Macmillian Dictionary). It is similar to the idea of a “glass ceiling”, which describes barriers women face during their careers in a general sense. “Brass” refers to the ranks within a police department or military branch, typically starting at the rank of Lieutenant. During their careers, women often find themselves unable to advance towards higher positions and ranks that are typically occupied by males, thus hitting a “ceiling” in their careers.   Policing as a formal profession began in the 1840s with the creation of the Boston Police Department in 1838. For many years, police officer positions were only made …show more content…
In 1910, the appointment of Alice Stebbins to the Los Angeles Police Department made her the first female police officer in the United States. Prior to her hiring, Mary Owens was hired by the Chicago Police Department as a police officer; however, this was done in order to give her compensation for her husband’s line of duty death. Her duties included assisting on cases involving juveniles and women, and she was the first women to receive arrest powers. Lola Baldwin is credited with being the first sworn officer within the United States with the Portland Police Department. In 1985, Portland again made history by appointing Penny Harrington to Chief of Police, making her the first female police chief in a major city. There is a dispute regarding who was the true “first female officer” since the job description was vague and was more in line with the duties of social workers. Many argue that Lola Baldwin should be considered to be first, since she was the first sworn officer. On the other hand, there are people who believe that Alice Stebbins was the first women to act in the same capacity as the male police officers. In both cases, these two women paved the way for more women to join police

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