Polissystrar

– pionjärer i gränslandet mellan polisiärt och socialt arbete

Abstract

- Police sisters, the first women in the Swedish police, were first employed in 1908. These officers were trained nurses and worked exclusively with tasks related to women and children, like searching women in custody and taking care of lost children. They had full police powers but were unarmed and wore a nurse dress rather than a police uniform. They performed duties within both law enforcement and social work. During the duration of the 50 years the occupation existed, their work became more and more qualified. Eventually, the title was abandoned, and female police officers got the same ranks as their male counterparts. The employment of women in law enforcement was a hot topic in many other countries during the early 20th century. In Sweden, however, police sisters flew for the most part under the radar of public debate. Controversy only arose when the first women entered into uniformed police service in 1958. This article argues that female police officers were tolerated because th