California Police Chief- Fall 2013 | Page 24

No Longer a Novelty Women police executives earn top jobs at a record clip in California. Diane Urban was the first female collegiate athlete to throw a discus 174 feet, 11 inches. The daughter of a Los Angeles police officer, she was also the firs t woman in her family to work in law enforcement. At the San Jose Police Department, she was the first female field training officer, SWAT team member, intelligence officer and assistant police chief. Urban has added first female Hayward police chief to her list of firsts. “There have been a lot of firsts,” she says. “I’ve been in law enforcement for 26 years. I’m used to being a trendsetter.” She’s not alone. Urban was the sixth woman to earn a police chief ’s job in California this year. The tally was the highest in state history. Hayward Chief Diane Urban, circa 1984 24 | Behind The Badge