There’s a New Sheriff in Town: Early Women in Arizona Law Enforcement

Arizona has a tremendous record of electing women to office, but there is one position that has been dominated by men – that of sheriff. Was the West just too wild for female sheriffs? Learn how early women got involved in policing the state and find out about the early female pioneers in this field, like Jewel Jordan, Maricopa County’s first female sheriff. We’ll also discuss the life of Lucretia Roberts, whose career as an elected law enforcement official was featured in a novel and a major Hollywood film starring Debbie Reynolds.

Heidi Osselaer holds a Ph.D. in history and teaches at Arizona State University, Tempe, focusing on women in Arizona history. Her book Winning Their Place: Arizona Women in Politics was published by the University of Arizona Press and she served as the historical consultant for a documentary film on the deadliest gunfight in Arizona history, the Power shootout. Osselaer is a recipient of the Sharlot Hall Award for her “valuable contributions to the understanding and awareness of Arizona and its history” and she plays an active role with the Arizona Women’s Heritage Trail.