LAPD Celebrates 100 Years Of Women In Law Enforcement

LOS ANGELES (CBS 2) — The LAPD celebrated the 100th anniversary of the hiring of its first female officer Saturday night with a glitzy dinner honoring all the females in the department, past and present. The event was held at the Sheraton Universal Hotel.

The story of women in the LAPD was played out on stage with current officers portraying the original trail blazers. The women were dressed in vintage uniforms from the era represented.

Back then they wore policeman's badges, but were known as "Police women," and had to sew their own uniforms. They wore flourished hats, ruffles and sometimes even carried parasols. It's a marked contrast to today, where they are called just "police officers." The department has many women in high ranking positions, plus a female officer in its elite SWAT unit.

While the department was celebrating its own history, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck was making his own personal history. Chief Beck beamed as he spread the news that he had become a grandfather for the first time earlier that day. The event was emceed by CBS 2's Laura Diaz.