“Law enforcement is so much better because of the presence of women in leadership roles,” said Karol V. Mason, addressing the audience at the Women in Law Enforcement Symposium on March 8, 2019, in celebration of National Women’s History Month. It was a sentiment shared by John Jay’s Director of Public Safety & Risk Management, Diego Redondo, as he revealed his good-natured humor with the overwhelming female crowd.

“I was sitting at home last night, trying to figure out what I was going to say this morning. I was doing homework with my daughters, my wife was walking around, and my girls said, ‘Aren't you scared of standing in front of this room full of women?’” said Redondo with a smile. “I said, ‘Scared? No, I have to deal with the three of you. So, after a cold night out in the shed, they let me go back inside, shower, get dressed and come to work today so that I could facilitate this symposium for all of you.” The audience laughed, and Redondo introduced the President Mason.

Mason connected the dots between this year’s Women in Law Enforcement Symposium and the previous night’s Lloyd Sealy Lecture, which also celebrated women in law enforcement. “There's this wonderful theme that's happening throughout John Jay, a recognition in law enforcement about the importance of women leaders. And it's true because we rule, don't we?” exclaimed Mason. She told the audience of mostly women law enforcement leaders that women “up in the ranks” really understand how to relate to communities, talk and listen to people, while also providing strong leadership and guidance.

“We all know that the relationship between communities—particularly marginalized communities—and law enforcement is challenged. Unfortunately, some people give the wrong impression about the entire profession,” said Mason, “but I have so much faith and hope because of the leadership in this room and the women who are in law enforcement. I know that you will change these relationships and people’s perceptions.”

Mason then directed the audience’s attention to a special John Jay alumna in the room and the symposium’s second presenter, Chief Nilda Hofmann ’02, who is the highest ranking Latinx woman in the NYPD. “John Jay is over 50 percent Latinx. Having your leadership says so much not only to the community, but to the students here at John Jay,” said Mason. “They see you, and they know that you were once them. You can tell them, ‘I was you, and look at where I am now.’ The nice thing about being first in these roles is that we have no intention of being the last.” 

Mason went on to thank everyone in the room, for serving as role models and encouraging the next generation of leaders to positively impact communities. “You all are the face of the criminal justice system to the majority of the country, and we want to make sure that we give you the support, the encouragement, the tools, and the resources you need,” said Mason. “We also want to hear what we need to do to equip our students to come out and be successful partners with you in this important work.” 

The first speaker of the symposium was Professor Emerita Dorothy Moses Schulz, a retired Captain with the Metro North Commuter Railroad Police and author of Breaking the Brass Ceiling: Women Police Chiefs and their Paths to the Top. Harking back to her days as a John Jay Professor in the Law, Police Science and Criminal Justice Administration Department, Schulz quickly went into teaching mode. “I'm going to ask you a couple of questions and anyone can shout out the answers, this is interactive. Who was the first woman with municipal arrest powers? Anybody know?” said Schulz. A few hands, mostly of her former students, went up. But no one could zero in on the exact name, so Schulz gave the group a lesson in women’s history, and their own history as women in law enforcement. “It was Marie Owens in 1893. Believe it or not, the Chicago Police Department gave her the rank of Policeman. She was a police widow. In those days there were no pensions for police officers, so it became common that a lot of police widows were given the job of police matron,” said Schulz. “She was given the title of Policeman, a title she had for almost 30 years. In 1913 the Chicago Police Department actually hired policewomen. But her title was never converted.”

Schulz went on to educate the audience on how women made their way into law enforcement by “pushing the door open themselves”—citing women such as Alice Stebbins Wells (1873–1957), the first female police officer, and Georgia Ann Robinson (1879–1961), the first African-American woman police officer, both of whom were appointed in the Los Angeles Police Department. Many of these women used political influence, in many cases, well before they had the vote, to get into all-male institutions. Schulz told the audience that their jobs back then were very different from what policemen did then, and very different from what most of them are doing today.

“These women worked with women and children, and basically provided social service or information about social service under the umbrella of the police department,” said Schulz. “Most of the early policewomen were what we would call upper middle class, and were the first women to have gone to college, and were overwhelmingly white—although we'll hear about Georgia Robinson. They were very much concerned with morality issues, particularly as it often pertained to women of lower social classes than they were. So, although it's nice to say that they provided social services, the truth is that many of the recipients of the social services could easily have lived without their assistance.”

Finding out where the history of women in law enforcement began was eye opening for many in the room, but even more surprising was learning about the group that started the movement: The Women's Christian Temperance Union, founded in 1874. Schulz explained that this original organization felt that alcohol was the root of all evil, and that nothing was eviler than a drunk woman who could easily be taken advantage of by men. “So one their big pushes, along with temperance, was to get women into precinct houses and station houses to protect drunken women, which was the major reason why most women were ever in custody. The thought was ‘good women’ would help the ‘debauched women’ learn a better way of life.” Schulz laughed and followed that thought with her modern-day reflection. “At a lot of law enforcement conferences where I share this history, there’s a fair amount of drinking in the evening. The original Women's Christian Temperance Union women would be turning over in their graves if they knew what the future held for what they lobbied so hard to change.”

Why is it important for women in law enforcement to understand this historical background today? “It's important to know your history. It's a story of people pushing their way in the door. Whether it's women or minorities, or anyone else,” said Schulz. “These women represent the first pushing in the door for those of us who are here now. Everyone said they couldn't do it. They were too small. They were too good. Be careful of that. Whenever people tell you that something is beneath you, that's usually a way of them saying that they don't want you there, under the guise of looking out for you or protecting you.”

The Women in Law Enforcement Symposium was made possible because of a special collaboration between John Jay College and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Office, and the generous support of the Siemens Corporation. The all-day event included an impressive roster of speakers, including: Dorothy Schulz, Professor Emerita; Chief Nilda Hofmann, NYPD Community Affairs Bureau; Sarah Bynum, Siemens Energy; Marie- Helen Maras and Adam Wandt, John Jay College Professors;  Nora Cronin from the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and Estelle Davis, New York State Department of Labor; Jennifer Thompson, FBI New York Office and Barbara Daly ’02, FBI New York Office; Timothy Latterner, FBI New York Office; Garima Bhatnagar, Police Division, United Nations; Commissioner Geraldine Hart, Suffolk County Police Department and Dina Thompson, FBI New York Office. All of their invaluable contributions on important topics such as cyber security, sex and labor trafficking in NYS, persuasive communication, LEOKA, officer safety and awareness, and mentorship, enhanced the groups’ understanding of their roles as leaders in law enforcement. And, as President Mason said in her opening remarks, it was also about the camaraderie between the attendees. “I'm so glad that you’re here, taking this opportunity today to hear, learn, and celebrate with each other. Your presence helps us motivate, encourage, and inspire our students.”