Port Jervis Police Department makes history with first all-female shift
Out of 35 members of the Port Jervis Police Department, these five are the only women currently serving.
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For the first time in the 172-year history of the Port Jervis Police Department, the entire 3 p.m.to 11 p.m. shift was staffed by women.
The team included Sgt. Nicole McGowan, dispatcher Wendy Warnock-Fargo and officers Alexis Barber, Amanda Hulse and Meghan Ede.
“It was a regular night for us,” said Warnock-Fargo. “We just answer calls and respond in the way that we normally do.”
But it wasn’t a completely typical shift. A PBA event left some scheduling gaps, and all five women stepped up to fill them.
“We had a PBA event, which caused some shift openings,” said Officer Ede. “All of the girls actually stepped up and worked the shift.”
From dispatch to patrol, the women handled every call, every stop and every moment of the busy evening.
“Honestly, a really fun, very empowering shift,” Ede added. “It was a very busy night. We had multiple calls and were running call to call.”
Out of 35 members of the Port Jervis Police Department, these five are the only women currently serving.
They all wear the same badge but say being a woman in uniform comes with its own set of challenges.
Still, the officers say they’re proud of the work they do—and are proud of each other.
“I’m so proud of the girls that work for this department because we really—we work hard,” said Ede.
Warnock-Fargo agreed, saying she’d welcome the opportunity to do it again.
“Would love for it to happen again. And if it does, it would be fun," says Warnock-Fargo.
The Port Jervis Police Department says it hopes this milestone will inspire future generations of women to pursue careers in law enforcement.
