Sept. 1, 1973: Police protest female head of crime unit
Shawna Grimes became Edmonton’s first female head of homicide last April, the first female staff sergeant to serve in that role. The milestone has gone largely unremarked, which the 22-year police veteran says is a good thing because it emphasizes skill, not gender.
“Every little baby step we take we get closer to that point where it actually, truly, doesn’t matter your gender or ethnicity or sexual preference. It’s all about can you do this job or not and are you qualified,” Grimes told the Journal last month.
That Grimes’ promotion wasn’t protested was a big step up from 1973, when the police association filed a grievance after Eileen Finlayson’s appointment as temporary acting staff sergeant in charge of the criminal investigation division, the first police woman to work in that area. The job put the 19-year police veteran in charge of 16 detectives with 18 to 20 years’ experience, relieving two other staff sergeants on their days off.
The grievance by the executive board of the Edmonton Police Association was lodged with Chief Constable (Police Chief) Fred Sloane after Finlayson’s appointment was announced.
One detective told the Journal “morale in the division has hit rock bottom,” since Finlayson’s appointment. “I have never seen it so bad.”
Another detective said the “higher ups” who made the decision “just slapped every detective on this force and said you’re incompetent.”
Staff Insp. C.W. McNicoll, head of the criminal investigation division, explained Finlayson had been next in line to be made a temporary acting staff sergeant and that “the executive didn’t go to the 14th or 15th in line and promote.”
The story said that several sources commented that although Finlayson may have been on the list since 1970 when she passed the exam to become a staff sergeant, she had never done the practical work the experienced detectives had.
Since joining the force in 1955, Finlayson had worked mainly in the juvenile and morality branches, with some work in fraud, patrol and traffic.
Finlayson said that policewomen shouldn’t have to be confined to one area and should have the same opportunities as detectives.
She added that she knew when the department got around to implementing some of the new rules — the Individual’s Rights Protection Act which went into effect Jan. 1, 1973 — “there would be an explosion around here.”
Although she had heard many comments, secondhand, that had been made about her promotion, she didn’t think there was anything really personnel to them. The grievance, on the other hand, “was discriminating against her as a member and also discriminating against her because of her sex,” the story said. One detective said he could foresee some problems with Finlayson’s appointment but “It will iron itself out.
“The men have to accept that she’s a staff sergeant,” he said.
Forty-two years later, law enforcement is still dominated by men and Edmonton has one of the largest gender gaps in the country.
Of 1,810 Edmonton police officers, 376 are female. Sixty-five women hold a rank higher than constable. czdeb@edmontonjournal. com
Morale in the division has hit rock bottom. I have never seen it so bad.
DETECTIVE IN 1973