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Article: South San Francisco's first female police officer succeeded in a time of prejudice
- Article from:
- Oakland Tribune
- Article date:
- September 13, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2009 Oakland Tribune. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO -- While South San Francisco police officials
in 1980 considered hiring Joni Lee, who became the city's first
female police officer, there was one group that fought particularly
hard against a woman joining the police force.
They said she would endanger officers' lives or wouldn't be able
to hold her own in a fight, and perhaps she would seduce her male
colleagues. The group of dissenters were the wives of South San
Francisco police officers.
"Yeah, I was shocked," said Lee, who only found out because then
police Chief James Dutzman told her the story in 1984.
A lot has changed since then. As Lee, now a sergeant in charge of
community relations, works toward her 30th year ...