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History of Women in the MPD
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Memphis First Female Officers
The 10 women pictured below began training as "meter maids" for the Memphis Police Department on March 17, 1958. They graduated on March 31, 1958 as commissioned officers but were not armed and were told to avoid making arrests. For some reason the next group of "meter maids" were not commissioned so to correct this confusing situation all women were retrained for 200 hours then re-commissioned on May 15, 1970. Julia Claire Lester was among the first female
officers hired on March 17, 1958 and was re-commissioned during that 1970s class. She was promoted to lieutenant on July 26,
1979 and became the departments first female 30 year Captain when she was promoted to that rank on March 17, 1988. She retired
in 1992 after 34 years of dedicated service. (Captain Lester is pictured above - front row, 3rd from left.)
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Pictured above is Claudine Penn, who was
employed September 16, 1963 as a "meter maid" and was
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