County of Los Angeles

Office of the Sheriff

Hall of Justice

Los Angeles, California 90012

SHERIFF’S BULLETIN #113 July 26, 1974

EXPANSION OF LADY DEPUTY’S ROLE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT

In 1972 the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department implemented a new program designed to explore, with a view to expanding, the role of women in Law Enforcement.

Beginning in September of that year Lady Deputy Sheriffs were assigned to areas of crime prevention, investigation and arrest previously handled exclusively by male sworn personnel.

As in any new program, the questions facing the Lady Deputies were formidable. How effective would they be in crime investigations? Would the public accept them in their new roles and responsibilities? Would the male Deputies accept them as equal partners?

With the close of the pilot portion of the program and the evaluation of the data, these questions have been answered. The Lady Deputy has been accepted and has performed well not only in crime prevention and investigation, but has also won acceptance as a working field law enforcement officer.

The study revealed that in certain specific areas the Lady Deputies possessed an investigative potential which previously had not been considered. They could communicate with victims of certain crimes better than their male partners.

This particular result of the study figured prominently in the design of a new Comprehensive Rape Investigation Program, the first such program in the United States. Our Department, in implementing this program, will utilize Lady Deputy investigators who will work with rape victims from the time the crime is reported until the end of the court proceedings, the object being to reduce the trauma and indignities suffered by rape victims, obtain more willing cooperation from them and thereby increase the conviction rate.

Women have a definite and growing role in progressive law enforcement. Our Lady Deputies have proved themselves to be a positive asset to our line activities ...ready, willing, and certainly able to complete the most difficult, as well as the most delicate, assignments. We will continue to expand our Lady Deputy program as still another part of our continuing effort to provide the citizens of our County with the finest in law enforcement services.