Ep02: Pioneer and Groundbreaker Penny Harrington
My heart was heavy as I decided to release this pre-recorded episode. As I was wrestling with that decision, protests were, and likely still are, occurring not just across our country, but all over the world. Though this podcast focuses on women in male dominated fields, what is at the heart of this is inequity, bias, systemic injustice. We are hurting, angry, and in shock. But I realized that maybe more than ever it's important to hear about those who have advocated for change in eliminating excessive force and police brutality, including those from within the system.
My guest in this episode is Penny Harrington. She began working as a policewoman in 1964, when there were only 12 women in her department of over 800 officers. In 1985, she was appointed chief of the Portland Police Bureau - the first woman in the country to hold this position. Clearly, being a woman in law enforcement was rare and had challenges, and being a leader in the field, even more so.
She later became a special assistant to the California State Bar's director of investigations to handle a wide range of special projects. She has served as an advisor for the US Department of Justice under Janet Reno, and she has testified for the US Civil Rights Commission. She became known as the foremost expert in the US on women's issues in policing.
In 1995, she co-founded The National Center for Women & Policing. According to the NCWP, the organization promotes increasing the numbers of women at all ranks of law enforcement as a strategy to improve police response to violence against women, reduce police brutality and excessive force, and strengthen community policing reforms.
I want to make it clear that I realize how complicated the relationship is between law enforcement and the community at large, especially for the disenfranchised and the underrepresented. For too many, this relationship is broken. No one person or organization could possibly have all the answers, but I felt that hearing the story of one woman who has been fighting for over 50 years on issues of equity was particularly compelling to me.
Today, at age 78, she lives on the Central Coast of California, and has never truly retired. In fact, just before the release of this episode, she was testifying before the US Senate in front of the US Senate Justice Committee on George Floyd.
In this episode, Penny will share with us her story and career experience in law enforcement. She talks about her steep journey of rising through the ranks from being a rookie to becoming a leader.
Episode Highlights:
- What led Penny down the path of law enforcement
- Challenges when entering a field that is not saturated with women
- Standing firm in what you believe
- Pay gaps, rising through the ranks and smashing glass ceilings
- Sex discrimination in the workplace
- Penny’s experience leaving the Portland police department
- How Penny became a pioneer to opening door for females to work in the criminal justice system
- Co-founding The National Center for Women & Policing
- Why women should not undervalue themselves
- Life in "retirement"
Connect with Penny
Mentioned in this episode:
- The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan
- Triumph of Spirit: An Autobiography by Chief Penny Harrington
Please consider supporting organizations that challenge racial injustice:
- Equal Justice Initiative www.eji.com
- Black Lives Matter www.blacklivesmatter.com
- NAACP www.naacp.org
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This episode was supported by Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest. Please go to girlsincpnw.org to learn more.
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