CLAREMORE, Okla. -- History was made recently at the Claremore police department. They just named their first female lieutenant.
Lt. Jamie Starling started her career in law enforcement in 1992 as a dispatcher and has never looked back. It's a job she loves.
"Everything…it’s always different it’s always changing," said Lt. Starling.
On recent change includes making history.
"The fact that I’m the first female I’m very proud of that but it’s not something I expected a lot of attention out of," said Lt. Starling.
But she does get it from young girls who now know they too could have a future in law enforcement.
"I have little girls all the time when I’m driving through neighborhoods they’ll go 'look mom that’s a girl' then they see that we can do it," said Lt. Starling.
The blue line runs in her blood. She's the daughter of an OHP communications officer, and the great-great-granddaughter of a deputy.
"My great-great-grandfather was a Rogers County deputy, he was shot and killed in the line of duty in 1934," said Lt. Starling.
The Claremore Chief of Police was not surprised that she's paving the way and making a name for herself in the department.
"Her passion for this profession is one of the things I admire about her most," said Chief Stan Brown.
A career in law enforcement is no cake walk, male or female. Every officer brings something to the table, but Chief Brown says female officers offer something special to law enforcement.
"The females deal with certain situations that we encounter better than they do because they have that female perspective," said Chief Brown.
Lt. Starling says she is going to spend plenty of time mastering her new position before she thinks about climbing the ladder to Captain.
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