Forty-seven years after the first woman joined the UMB Police Department, the department hired its first female deputy chief of police — but there is still work to be done.
This story is one in a series celebrating UMB Police and Public Safety’s 50-year history, the milestones that shaped us, and the work we continue today.
Three years after the first police officers joined the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) in 1975, Barbara Scott became the department’s first female police officer.
“It was a man’s world,” says William Groh, who has served with UMB Police and Public Safety for over 60 years. “A certain group of officers would really look out for her, and the other group would say, ‘We don’t want a female with us.’ ”
In addition to initial resistance from her fellow officers, Scott also faced practical issues: The department didn’t have a women’s locker room or bathrooms.
“We had to give her her own room to change her clothes,” says Groh. “I think Barbara Scott had a closet.”
Former police chief Cleveland Barnes, who served the department from 1971 to 2009, said it was difficult for the first female officers. “They hadn’t proven themselves to the level that was acceptable to the officers on the street,” he said. “[Officers would ask,] ‘If I call for back-up, is she going to be there?’ ”
Scott started as a night clerk in the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) emergency room, according to a 1978 article in Happenings, UMB’s newsletter at the time. The article says she joined the police academy on a dare.
“It’s sometimes lonesome being the only woman,” Scott said in the 1978 article.
By 1980, the department had added a second female police officer — Mary English. In the article titled “Campus Police Expand Ranks–Looking for More Good Women,” English says she “encourages other women to try it.”
Women Joining the Force
The first female police officer with arrest powers in the United States was hired in 1910. More than 100 years later, the National Policing Institute estimates that only about 12 percent of police officers are women.
At UMB, 12 sworn police officers are women — 16 percent of the department’s police. Three of the 18 sergeants-and-above in the department are women — also 16 percent. Nationally, the number of women in police leadership is just 3 percent. While UMB is above the national average, there is still work to be done.
Deputy Chief Barbara Duncan, JD, joined UMB Police and Public Safety in July. She’s the department’s first female deputy chief, but Duncan would rather let her work speak for itself.
In her previous roles as chief of police for the City of Salisbury Police Department and the City of Mount Vernon (N.Y.) Police Department, Duncan built community outreach initiatives and substantially reduced crime. She uses her experience to teach criminal justice at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, training the next generation of law enforcement officers.
“Community engagement is a cornerstone of safety and crime reduction,” she says. “Gender diversity within policing builds community trust, fosters a culture of collaboration, and improves the relatability of a department. When an agency is viewed as a responsive and trusted resource, community members participate in problem-solving efforts, and this improves public safety outcomes. When an officer feels supported by the community they serve, job satisfaction, officer wellness, and retention increase.”
Changing the Department’s Perception
In the 1990s, Cpl. Shirleen Berry helped UMB Police pave the way into community policing. She was Maryland’s first certified victim/witness coordinator and created the University’s Victim’s Rights Conference in 2000. She and Cpl. William “Archie” Griffin brought Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) self-defense training to UMB — a program still taught today.
In 1999, Berry won Employee of the Year, the Founders Week Award for Public Service, and the Board of Regents Staff Award for Public Service. Groh said she helped change his perception of female police officers.
“She was a wonderful backup,” said Groh. “If you got a call, she was there. She got my respect.”
Following in Her Father’s Footsteps
Sgt. Kelli Blackwell grew up in the UMB Police Department. Her father served the department for 27 years, eight of which he served alongside his daughter.
“I was always fascinated with police officers and police work,” says Blackwell. Growing up, her dad played on the department’s softball team. She says she spent a lot of time with UMB police officers during departmental family functions.
“It was part of the reason I wanted to come to UMB,” she says. “Initially, I wanted to be a state police officer, but UMBPD was like a family to me.”
Changing the Public’s Perception
Blackwell was promoted to sergeant in 2023. As a sergeant, she handles the day-to-day functions in patrol. There are days when she manages administrative paperwork, performance evaluations, police reports, body camera reports, and more. But when an incident happens on campus, Blackwell says sergeants respond to the scene, assess what resources may be needed, and gather information to report to department leadership.
“As a supervisor, I’ve noticed a difference in how the public treats us,” says Blackwell. “I’ve been on several calls as a supervisor and people will try to talk to my male corporal instead of talking to me. He’ll redirect them to me, like, ‘She’s the supervisor.’”
Blackwell says the way the public treats female police officers may be unconscious bias based on historical stereotypes and media portrayal of police as male.
“Seeing more females in uniform and in supervisory positions might help change that perception,” she says. “It’s a dangerous job, but it’s very rewarding. I would love to see more women in uniform and in leadership roles.”