In 1977, Marilyn Anderson was presented with badge number 51, becoming Prince Albert’s first female police officer.
She applied for a job as “policewoman” and wore a different uniform than her male colleagues. Her first day at work still sticks in her memory.
“I felt like everyone was afraid that I was going to break,” she said. “They weren’t certain how to treat me or where I should be working, what I should be doing.”
The Prince Albert Police Service has come a long way since that day in 1977. On Wednesday, the force came together to mark international women’s day and celebrate trailblazers like Anderson. In a room full of female police officers, past and present, Chief Troy Cooper presented Anderson with a plaque marking her historic role.
“The role of police has changed over the past few decades, along with the role of women in society,” Cooper said. “But that change requires someone to go first, someone to be an example, someone to be bold.”
For more on this story, see the March 9 print or e-edition of the Daily Herald.
