Penny Harrington was the chief of the Portland, Oregon Police Bureau in the mid-1980s, becoming the first woman to lead a major U.S.
city’s police department.Harrington joined Portland’s police force in 1964, at a time when there were few women working in law enforcement.
As she repeatedly sought promotions and was denied them, Harrington helped organize a successful unionization effort. Advocating for her own career, she got promotions, becoming the department’s first woman detective, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain.
In 1985, she was appointed police chief. Even as she made history and successfully piloted a neighborhood policing program, Harrington met resistance at every step.
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