Researcher: Chicago had first female cop

CHICAGO, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A retired federal agent and amateur historian said his research indicates the country's first female police officer worked in Chicago in the 1890s.

Rick Barrett, a history enthusiast and former Drug Enforcement Administration agent, said he came across the name Marie Owens while researching forgotten Chicago police officers in 2007 and further digging revealed she had been a detective sergeant in the department, the Chicago Tribune reported Thursday.

Barrett said Owens had been hired as a city factory inspector in 1889 to help enforce child labor and compulsory education laws. He said she was transferred to the police department in 1891 amid increased pressure on public officials to enforce child labor laws. She was given a badge, the rank of detective sergeant and powers of arrest.

However, Barrett said, Owens' contributions were largely forgotten due to a historian in 1925 incorrectly identifying her as the widow of a patrolman.

Barrett said Owens was likely the first female police officer in the country, with the title previously thought to be held by a Portland, Ore., woman hired in 1908. Chicago officials said they previously believed the first female police officers were hired in the city in 1913.