In the early 1970s, Sandy Arpei fought her way into the Saratoga Springs Police Department through a court challenge.

More than 30 years later, Arpei’s groundbreaking struggle to become a part of the once predominantly male based police force has opened doors for other female officers to become an essential ingredient of the department.

 “Once you get a few female officers to open up the door, then from there on, you can see from them moving up in rank, that it’s becoming a more popular career for women,” Dispatcher Abby Temple said. “It sets an example for younger generations because young girls are finding role models through these women.”

Today, the Saratoga Springs Police Department has one of the highest rates of women officers in the area with eight out of the 71 officers employed being female.  Lt. Linda Quattrini is a 26-year veteran of the department and the highest ranking female officer on the force. Vanessa Canzone is an Investigator and the remaining six officers are part of the patrol division.

Women employed by the department does not just stop at law enforcement officers, as there are also six public safety dispatchers, and one parking enforcement officer. Arpei is still a member of the staff, as she now works as an identification officer with the department.

Police Chief Ed Moore said that the department has a long history of hiring female officers. Arpei was already on the force when he joined the department in 1974.  He also mentioned seeing old photos of female officers dating back to the 1950s.

In 1910, the first woman in the United States with full police power was hired by the Los Angeles Police Department.  In 1970, a few years before Arpei won her court case; only two percent of all police officers were women. Today, women comprise just over 11 percent of law enforcement personnel nationwide.

“Law enforcement is still a non-traditional field of work for women; but just like men, they realize that it is a sound profession that offers a challenging career,” Michael Carpenter, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Adirondack Community College, said. 

Professor Carpenter acknowledged that close to 50 percent of his classes are made up of female students, and that number has remained steady over his 10 year career at the college.

“It takes a certain women to do this job,” Officer Amy Evertson said.  “You have to really want to get into law enforcement, and not a lot of women are comfortable with it.”

Becoming a member of the Saratoga Police Department is no easy task. First you have to achieve near perfect scores on the civil service exam.  Then each candidate is put through an intensive background investigation that involves a polygraph and psychological examination. 

The process concludes when the department performs a three to four-month background investigation, in which, two officers are assigned to investigate each candidate. Around one in every 10 officers that contend for positions in the department actually get offered a job.

“It’s the most important investigation we will ever do in the police department, we are hiring people and giving them a gun and the power to take another persons life if need be,” Moore said. “Through that process, we have to keep a blind eye to whether it’s a male or female because what we ultimately want to do is hire the best individual possible for the department.”

In terms of testing, women are required to take the same tests as the male officers.  Physical fitness requirements are posted by the civil service commission here in Saratoga Springs. 

Officers no matter what age or sex are expected to meet the criteria set forth by the civil service commission; if they can not meet those requirements then they won’t be offered a position with the department.

“Each and every female officer that works here earned their position, and every one of them is a great addition to the police department,” Moore said.  “Lt. Quattrini, who has been here for over 20 years, and holds one of the top positions in the department, is a credit to what all female officers provide here.”

Regardless of gender, male and female officers have to posses well rounded physical and mental skills in order to successfully perform their job. However, studies show that certain types of officers and individuals are best utilized in certain scenarios.

For instance, the race, age, type of crime committed, along with the background of an offender will state that with a particular type of suspect it’s always better to use a female officer.

“When you’re dealing with cases involving women or children they tend to feel more comfortable with a woman, their [male officers] presence alone, whether it be their stature or build, can be more intimidating, where as when I walk in, they seem to relax more,” Evertson said.

According to Chief Moore, 10 percent to 15 percent of all custodial arrests by the department each year are female. The Department needs female officers in order to process, search, and incarcerate female offenders.

“We want to have a police department that is well rounded, and one that is suited to best serve the needs of the community; female, as well as male, and minority officers, are an integral part of that,” Moore said.

Last year the women of the department filed a workplace discrimination complaint with the state Division of Human Rights.  In January, the state Division upheld their complaint, and as a result, the department will have to make adequate bathrooms and showers available for the 16 women employed by the department.

As of now, women officers have to change one at a time in a small locker-room, and their only option for bathrooms are to either use the men’s locker-room or the public bathroom downstairs.

The women of the Saratoga Police Department have fought, and continue to fight, to ensure that they have an equal role in the policing of Saratoga Springs.  They protect our streets, and are a credit to the growing number of female officers in police departments nationwide.

“I would like to see more women get into law enforcement.” Officer Evertson said.  “Saratoga Springs is a great place, and we are fortunate to have a great group of women working here.”