This week we are celebrating women in policing It wasn't until 1918 that female officers could join the force, and at this time they had to be 45-years-old. At this time in history, women officers did not receive personal protective equipment and did not have any powers of arrest. Female officers eventually gained the powers of arrest in 1933 and 80 years later female officers account for over 30 per cent of all officers, working in key roles across the force including command teams, the dogs unit, firearms and our response teams.