Reno Policewomen under Chief Elmer Briscoe 1964-65 Left to right: Rita McCall, Gladys Newsom, Billie Rice, Dora Kruse and Peggy Patchen Newsom

THE RANKS OF THE POLICEWOMEN GROW -- IN THE JAIL 
by Jim Gibbs

After the forced resignation of Chief Gregory and the announcement of the hiring of Elmer Briscoe as the next Chief of Police starting September 1, 1960, Mayor Barker also announce that the "Meter Mollies" would be moved into the former Red Cross building adjacent to City Hall which was then located at 1st and Center Streets.

In a detailed article published on May 7 1960 a petition for higher wages which listed the major points of the wage plea for police. The role of "policewoman" was included at $30 less per month than her male counterpart before July 1962 and $40 less after. However, there is no indication that a policewoman was employed by the Reno Police department

In January of 1961, Chief Elmer Briscoe spoke before the Community Service Council which had been seeking the employment of female matrons. Briscoe stated that he had requested funds from the City council to hire four policewomen. Chief Briscoe said they would serve in the jail to prevent unfounded criticism of male personnel who presently have charge of the jail.

Twelve Reno Police rookies including policewomen Marie Crawford, Olga Sink and Gladys Newson began a 5-week training program on September 15, 1962. The curriculum included basic police procedures, traffic control and accident investigation, a study of city, state and federal laws, fingerprinting, trial procedures, juvenile work and problems, riot control, communications and weapons instruction.

Less than a year later on August 30 1963, Reno's four policewomen all became notary public officers. Only Gladys Newsom of the original three remain on the department with Doris Dean Kruse, Rita L. McCall and Margaret L. Patchen.

In an article published in the Nevada State Journal on May 7 1964 featuring Policewoman Peggy Patchen, she spoke of their duties. "We work in the jail division assisting the booking officer. We do the typing of jail records, and we are all notary publics. All criminal complaints and traffic citations must be notarized, so this keeps us busy," she said. Patchen added that there are four full-time police woman which included herself, Gladys Newsom, Rita McCall and Dora Druse. She stated that their main job was to deal with the female prisoners -- anything that pertains to them (female prisoners), such as taking them to court or to the hospital.

Patchen, who was married to a retired CHP officer said, "I want to go farther in police work . . . maybe someday working with juveniles." She added that, "All four of the policewoman attended on-the-job training classes daily at the police station, and that they have judo training and target practice often."

By August 1965, Reno had five policewomen which would be short lived. In 1967 the remodeling costs of the Reno Police station would sky rocket forcing a general cutback in police personnel which would include the lack of funding for 15 patrolmen, 2 cadets and 1 policewoman.

Generally, the role of a policewoman was restricted to that of a jailer which can be assumed from an article about the policewomen of the Reno Police Department in 1965. Included was this description of their duties:

DUTIES OF A RENO NEVADA POLICEWOMAN
●  Twenty minutes before she goes on duty the meticulously groomed Reno policewoman reports to the briefing room.
●  Here with reporting police, she is briefed on the preceding 24 hours given assignments or investigations. shown mug shots of criminals at large and alerted to expected duties.
●  In each of three shifts. a policewoman is on duty to book, search and handle all women prisoners.
●  She is her own secretary, keeping charts of conduct and cell checks
●  She speaks with kindness. authority and yet remains feminine in her line of duty.
●  Expert in Judo disarming and searching for weapons, she is gentle in voice.
●  Having passed with high honor the civil service exam, her Intelligence and integrity are only part of why she has been chosen.
●  She has an innate understanding of people, sits not in judgment nor condemnation of her fellow man's problem in society.
●  Her compassion shows, only, in her voice and to her fellow officers.
●  Her sense of humor is the equalizer to her job and her love of people, her tranquilizer.

The mid-sixties saw total control of the “Reno Meter Policewomen” in the hands of City Hall, their numbers grew but they were still referred to a “meter mollies” and other than authority to issue parking tickets, they had no police powers or authority. None the less, in March 1968, the Reno Civil Service appointments refer to the women as Meter Policewoman.

Public announcement of names and numbers of women working in the jail as policewomen seemed to disappear from the news. However, In August 1968, there was an arrest made involving the work or a policewoman. But it was a California undercover policewoman named Loretta Ellen Gerler who was on loan along with a couple male counterparts from Northern California. Tom Benham, head of the Reno Police Departments narcotics division, offered little information other than a drug sales operation was conducted using an out-of-state policewoman.

In another curious article a woman named Veda C. Gardner, sued the City for injuries which she received working as policewoman. The woman was injured in March 1968. The location where the injuries occurred was on Chevy Chase Street in Reno, which at the time was a fairly up-scale residential area. There is no other mention of Gardner or her employment status with police department nor if her request for compensation was rewarded.

In another case, a small news article declares that a Reno Auxiliary Policewoman Clara Szitas “Makes Narcotics Case”. That was on December 12 1968. No other information can be found regarding Szitas.

A couple of, trials and at least one case which was appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court involving Reno "undercover agents" makes one wonder who and what the Reno newspapers, and maybe even the Reno Police Department were describing as a "policewoman"

During the trial of two men charged with narcotic violations in which a Sheila Summers had been involved as an undercover agent. Summers was described as a pretty go-go dancer with long blonde hair. She was asked by defense attorney, Sam bull, if she had ever lived with Reno Police Officer Robert (Duff) Fairbanks. Mrs. Summers denied she had lived with Fairbanks, but said that she thought a good deal of him. When Bull asked if she would do anything Fairbanks told her to do, she replied "Nothing against the law. Bull said he would prove that Mrs. Summers "was an unmitigated liar and perjurer."

Previously in the trial, the head of Reno's narcotics squad, Sgt Jess Williams was asked about the compensation which agent Summers had received. He explained that they compensated her by paying for auto repairs, telephone bills, groceries and other personal items. Williams said that they spent about $400 a month on Summers.

Mrs. Summers testified she had been involved in some 80 narcotics investigations in Reno. She said she worked without pay and the police department paid only her expenses, such as telephone bills and rent. She said that she had never received an official check from the city.

Not only were there accusations of perjury, but of drug use by the agents. The trial of the two men would conclude equally as strange as the testimony with one man convicted and one acquitted.

On a lighter note, In November 1969, Police Chaplin Robert Garlock performed a wedding in the Reno City Jail of two inmates who had been arrested together. The bride was soon to be released but the groom was facing extradition to the State of Washington for other crimes. Policewoman Carolyn Carlon who was a jailor and Lt. Bob Cavakis, who was in charge of the jail served as witness.

Also in 1969 kidnap victim Dean Petersen from Las Vegas was brought to Reno by his abductors. During the negotiations for his safe release, his sister, Faye Johnson flew to Reno and was then escorted and protected by two unidentified “Reno policewomen”.

With the controversy about the agents in the drug arrests, news of Reno policewomen seemed to disappear until 1972. The only two exceptions were a woman arrested for robbery May 21 1971, who refused to identify herself, and refused to eat. Jane Doe was under the worrisome care of Policewoman Gladys Newsom in the Reno City Jail. The other mention was a series on “Women in Crime” published in December 1971 which featured Reno Policewoman Rita McCall and her duties in the Reno City Jail.



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