America's First Police Woman

Those interested in the history of law enforcement, or even history buffs generally, should enjoy Nathan Masters' article, "How America’s First Policewoman Took Down an Insidious L.A. Cult." The article is about Officer Alice Stebbins Wells of the Los Angeles Police Department and her undercover investigation of the "Pillar of Fire" cult and the disappearance of Lily Maud Allen, daughter of a prominent London merchant. 

    The article briefly outlines Wells' background and her becoming a police officer in Los Angeles, as well as giving a background on the rapidly expanding Los Angeles of the first decade of the 20th Century. The cult, Pillar of Fire, was an offshoot of the Methodist church, led by a feminist fanatic named Alma White. Ironically, Wells' was also active in promoting women's rights--and it was through the backing of "progressive" supporters that she was able to convince the LA mayor to give her a shot at being a police officer. 

    Lily Allen, as noted above, was the daughter of a wealthy London merchant who had fallen under the sway of the cult while in England, and fled to the United States to join up with the cult. Although detained upon her arrival in New York, she was able to escape immigration authorities and next popped up in Los Angeles. When the police chief learned that Allen was in L.A., he selected Wells to infiltrate the Pillar of Fire group in order to learn Allen's whereabouts. Wells' success proved that women could be useful in police work and, by the end of 1912, the LAPD boasted four female officers, including Wells. Soon, many additional cities had begun hiring female officers.

    But I can't end this without a reference to Wells' attitude toward self-defense:

... Alice was always prepared for a fight. She practiced martial arts. “The use of a few well chosen Jiu Jitsu tricks,” she once advised women, “will help women when sneak thieves arrive or burglars invade the home.” Despite what she told reporters, she also had at least one hidden weapon: the hatpin atop her head. “Don’t forget the trusty hat pin,” she advised, “the best weapon and most to be depended on.”