Marie Connolly Owens, America’s First Female Police Officer

(via mental_floss)  Because of their non-standard appointments and powers, determining who was the country’s first policewoman is challenging. Both Lola Greene Baldwin and Alice Stebbins Wells have vied for the title, but in fact they were beaten to the punch by almost 20 years. Marie Connolly Owens joined the Chicago Police Department in 1891 with the title of Detective Sergeant, full arrest powers, and a badge. She was on the department payroll and received a police pension when she retired in 1923 after 32 years on the force.