1957 Female Meter Police with Policewoman and supervisor Mary Reilly
L-R -Kay Ciprianni, Helen Brannon, Unknown, Officer Mary Reilly, Lauri Nash, Phyliss Fergueson, and Gladis Newsom

THE ROCKY ROAD OF POLICEWOMAN MARY REILLY
by Jim Gibbs

After the resignation or retirement of Sarah Brown, it was obvious that Mary Reilly regained her “policewoman” status and replaces Brown as Reno’s only policewoman. She begins to appear in news articles recording her involvement making arrests. While her exact duties are not defined, she appears to be working out of uniform but is occasionally reported using communications, assuming to be a police radio in a police car.

In one incident, Officer Reilly was in a vehicle and observed a car leaving a gas station squealing its tires. She noted the license number and called it in to dispatch. It just so happens that the guy in the vehicle, Lester Tiedeman, was fleeing the gas station after attempting to rob the place. Thanks to Reilly’s broadcast, he was quickly apprehended.

Mary was first hired in July 1948 as Mary Bohorques. She married a Sparks officer named John Macy in 1951 shortly before he quit the Sparks police department. And not long after she their marriage dissolved and she married James Reilly. As mentioned, Mary Reilly and another police woman were demoted in 1952 for budget concerns. Obviously, City Manager Thomas Hilberg did not see the importance in police women and Chief Greeson didn’t have the clout or desire to protect their positions as police officers.

In the early part of 1955, Chief Greeson and City Manager Thomas Hilberg both came under fire by a candidate for Reno City Mayor. Candidate Len Harris criticized both men and indicated if elected, he would fire both the chief and the city manager.

During the campaign season, the city manager created a plan to enforce parking in the downtown area and hired five women with the title of “policewoman” who would walk the area in town with parking meters and ticket the offenders. As it turned out, they were highly successful.

PARKING POSSE IN TRAINING -- Public Relations Work Is Stressed in Classes
The Gazette reported in 1955 that, “Reno's five-woman parking posse is in training and is expected to be on the job March 16. The women began their training on a Monday with an orientation class conducted by city Right-of-Way Engineer Earl Frederickson. Officially designated as "Public Relations Employees" the women were told that they are expected to be neat and courteous at all times.

Included in the class was a short course in how to find points of interest in the city. so that visitors to Reno can he given directions. The parking meters were been divided into four sections, so that each of the women would have a route to follow. Each parking meter route was expected to take about an hour to travel on foot.

On the second day of the class, the women studied he mechanics of parking meter operation. so that they would understand how to free stuck meters and put them back in operation.

Reno police traffic patrolman Leslie McGinnis, a regular policeman, was scheduled to instruct the women on their beats the third and fourth day of the class. Officer McGinnis had consistently scored high in the number of tickets issued per month.

Special uniforms were tailor made locally, and are supplied by the city. The women were directly under the control of City Manager Thomas Hilberg, and were not a part of the police department. It was reported that in other cities which had hired feminine "meter-readers" parking enforcement tickets had risen sharply.

The Gazette reported on March 17, 1955 that “Reno's parking gals went to work this morning, tagging over-parked cars in a thoroughly professional manner. Neatly outfitted by the city in navy blue and scarlet uniforms, the women attracted attention everywhere they walked. "At least you can see them coming, with those red-top hats," one sidewalk observer said as he watched tickets go on one car after another.”

The “snappy” navy blue gabardine uniforms were designed locally by Abe Gunitch of Sun-Ray tailors. They had a straight skirt with a deep pleat for easy walking. Scarlet and yellow insignia reading "City of Reno" was at the front of the billed cap and on the right shoulder. Across the front of the blue cap was a scarlet cord held by brass buttons. The uniform included a topcoat of waterproof gabardine and a large leather bag to carry change. maps—and plenty of parking tickets.

The first ticket dispensed was by Mrs. Ferguson, number 0001, That ticket should be a lesson to anyone wanting to avoid a ticket. It was placed on an over-parked delivery truck owned by Ferguson and Siri, a local office equipment company. A. M. Ferguson, of the company, parked it at a 12-minute meter and he was parking officer Ferguson's brother-in-law.

Meter Mollies, as they were referred issued 483 tickets on the first day.

There were some interesting moments such as the irate motorist who returned to his car parked on Lake Street and found it ticketed despite the fact that there was still three minutes left on the meter. He complained loudly to a policeman standing nearby, but the officer merely pointed to a Meter Mollie who was half way down the block. "We don't handle these things anymore," the officer explained. "Go talk to her." The motorist did as suggested and chased after the Meter Mollie. Voicing his complaint loudly and with gestures as he approached the woman in uniform, she turned and said, "Well, I saw it was about to expire and I didn't want to wait around. We'll go back and fix it." So, they started back to his car together, but as they approached the car in question the three minutes had elapsed and the flag bounced up. "See," said the Meter Mollie "You're in violation now." And with that she went her way leaving the man with his ticket.

Despite the title of “policewoman” the “Meter Mollies’ were initially assigned to the City Manager’s office under his direct control. However, as mentioned, a candidate for mayor was not happy with the city manager or the chief of police. Len Harris did win the election but just before Harris was sworn in as Mayor, both Chief Greeson and City Manager Thomas Hilberg, to avoid being fired, resigned.

After a serious issue between the new Mayor and the City Council as to who would be the next chief of police, Assistant Chief of Police Ted Berrum was given the position as chief of Police and the Meter Mollies were then transferred to the police department.

The city's feminine meter cops were highly praised by councilmen. The newly hired City Manager Ira E. Gunn asked permission to pay the five women from the city's meter fund. although the women were under the police department. Councilmen approved the payment from the meter fund, since the women logically come under the heading of traffic and parking improvement, and can thus be paid from the fund, which is earmarked for traffic and parking improvements only.

It was thought that the women may easily win a pay raise in the near future since councilmen agreed that they should he listed as policewomen. All present agreed the women do a good job and should be paid more. The "meter mollies" started at a salary of $200 a month and as policewomen they would receive more than $300 a month. However, being classified and paid as policewomen never occurred.

In August of 1955, Mayor Len Harris instructed the Meter Mollies to ticket government owned vehicles with “EX" exempt plates" tickets. Chief Berrum made it clear that if he was on duty and answered a call to a fight in a club, he would not stop to put a nickel in a meter. How the issue was finally resolved, was never clear. I assume the Mayor came to grips with the meaning of "exempt" and the ticketing of government owned vehicles stopped.

By 1957, the Meter Mollies were clearly under the control of the police department and the supervision of Policewoman Mary Reilly. While there is no indication the Mary Reilly ever tested and was promoted above the rank of policewoman, she is referred to in several news articles as Lieutenant Mary Reilly.

In 1958, Mary Reilly was asked to fill in as a PBX operator to cover a position which suddenly become vacant. Having been demoted from policewoman to PBX operator in 1952, Mrs. Reilly was obviously distressed by the request. She refused to take the position and resigned.

From the beginning of the City of Reno in 1903, political interference with the Reno Police Department was common. The late 1950’s proved to be no different. An article written in December 1960 would reflect back upon the fact that during the previous two city elections, that the newly elected city councilmen and mayor had been guilty of interfering with the operations of the Reno Police Department. The meddling had led to the removal of Chief Greeson in 1955 and suddenly Chief Ted Berrum found himself unpopular with councilmen in 1959. It seems councilmen were more interested in promoting Reno as the place were “anything goes” than enforcing the law. The City Council expected the police to go light on tourist and when they didn’t their displeasure was focused on Chief Berrum and he was fired.

There seemed to be little thought to women in law enforcement other than the “Meter Mollies” who were raking in far more money that it cost to employ them. The appointment of William Gregory as Chief of Police to replace Berrum struck many as political and it only took a year for the Washoe County Grand Jury to accuse him of protecting prostitutes and fixing tickets. His short time as Chief of Police would also be marred by a group of police officers that were accused of burglary which would tarnish the Reno Police reputation for years.

With the departure of Mary Reilly in 1958, there appeared to be no policewomen at the Reno Police Department. At a meeting of the Community Service Council in March of 1959, a Reverend Clyde Mathews gave a report on the progress of obtaining a woman matron at the Reno City Jail. Rev. Mathews said that women employed at the police department as dispatchers had been "elevated to the status of policewomen”, enabling them to serve as matrons when needed. Mostly likely, the women were just asked to report to the jail to process a female prisoner whenever one was arrested.


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