Police Links: Lady Cop

Did you ever read comic books as a kid? If so, maybe you knew that once upon a time there was a DC Comics heroine called Lady Cop.

Melanie Basich 2012 Headshot

September heralds the start of the school year, which is often a welcome relief for parents, if not for students. It might have been a while, but did you ever read comic books as a kid? Or maybe as an adult? If so, maybe you knew that once upon a time there was a DC Comics heroine called Lady Cop.

None of the character's incarnations lasted very long, but what does exist shows the comic book version of how female officers were expected to look and behave in the 1940s, then in the 1970s, and again in the 2000s. Joan Jennings, the first Lady Cop, didn't actually get her own comic book. She appeared in 1942's Gang Busters #9. After appearing in a single issue of her very own comic called "Lady Cop" in 1975, title character Liza Warner had to wait until 2006 to reappear. This time she was part of another comic, but she didn't stick around that long the third time, either. What do you think of these portrayals of women in law enforcement?

Unfortunately, modern law enforcement officers frequently must contend with active shooter incidents. On the Active Response Training Website, Greg Ellifritz provided excellent analysis of the Sikh temple shooting based on the dash cam video that was released. This is an example of how deconstructing an incident can help others plan for how to respond to such events.

Now for some amusing happenings: A man disdainful of the police paid his $137 traffic ticket with 137 origami pigs made out of dollar bills, a sex offender was caught after his girlfriend "liked" the local sheriff’s office Facebook page, and a man pulled a gun on a pregnant woman for smoking, apparently worried for the well-being of her unborn child. I don't know if he realized the irony of his actions or not.

Let's finish by turning the focus back to officers. Continuing PoliceMag.com's series "Returning to Duty," Paul Clinton talked to Paramus (N.J.) PD's Det. Rachel Morgan about what it took to get back on the job after a shooting that she needed multiple surgeries to recover from.

Morgan was named one of NLEOMF's July 2011 Officers of the Month for her handling of the incident in which she was injured. You can continue to read about the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund's officers of the month in every issue of POLICE Magazine, in print and online.

Related:

Police Links: Paddleboarding Patrol

Police Links: Taking Care of Your Own

About the Author
Melanie Basich 2012 Headshot
Managing Editor
View Bio