Arizona’s First Female DPS Officer
Sedona AZ (October 19, 2018) – The Sedona Heritage Museum is hosting the next in its Living History speaker series on Wednesday October 31 at 10:00 a.m. at the Museum when Kim Thompson will present her first-hand experiences as the “First Female Patrol Officer in the State of Arizona”. Thompson became the third woman to graduate from the Arizona DPS academy, but the first female patrol officer.
Looking back, Thompson reflects on how lucky she was to be assigned her first duty station in Sedona in 1974. She knew she would be assigned a small rural town or area, but Sedona was a surprise. Only later did she learn that a Sedona leader met her before graduation and worked behind the scenes to see she came here.
Living and working in the community brought Kim in close proximity with Sedona’s old-timers and more contemporary “colorful” characters. During her talk, she will not only share her early experiences in this previously all-male job, but will tell about staying in Sedona after leaving DPS to start Sedona’s first security business and working in the community during the next formative 40+ years.
This is a free event and open to the public.
Every year, the Sedona Heritage Museum presents a series of Living History talks. Speakers include descendants of pioneers, long-time residents with historical stories to share or other story-tellers about history. The Museum is located at 735 Jordan Road in Jordan Historical Park in Uptown Sedona and is open daily 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For more information, call 928-282-7038.
