In 1920, as women secured the right to vote and the department rebuilt following the 1919 strike, Governor Calvin Coolidge signed legislation allowing women to be appointed to the Boston Police Department at the discretion of the Police Commissioner. After a civil service exam with 94 candidates, six women were appointed on April 25, 1921.
Irene C. Lynch, Sabina J. Delaney, Lillian A. Taylor, Irene McAuliffe, Margaret M. McHugh, and Agnes J. Callahan became the first women to serve in the BPD.
Highly accomplished and more formally educated than many of their male counterparts, these trailblazers brought experience as a nurse, social worker, librarian, telephone company supervisor, and even a police officer from Washington, D.C. Several were also military veterans.
Though granted full arrest powers, they were not issued uniforms, weapons, or vehicles. Armed only with their badges, determination, and resilience, they relied on their skill, intelligence, and each other.
Initially assigned cases involving women and children, including patrols in dance halls and undercover work in speakeasies, they quickly proved themselves as capable investigators.
• Margaret McHugh became known for recovering stolen property, including a diamond ring once gifted by President Roosevelt.
• Irene McAuliffe traveled across the country pursuing fugitives.
• Irene Lynch Bombach placed second on the sergeant’s exam but was never promoted due to her husband also being a patrolman and the Police Commissioner feared causing “discord in the home.”
During Women’s History Month, we honor these six trailblazers and all the women of the Boston Police Department – past and present – who strengthen our department and our community every day!
These photos show five of the original six, the Commissioner’s Records show the appointment of women, and the ledger shows their signatures after taking their oath. It was administered by BPD Captain Thomas Ryan, a veteran of the Civil War.
