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Aruna Miller honors women pioneers of Maryland State Police
The recognition came during Women’s History Month and included officers whose service spanned more than five decades of change.
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Malvika Choudhary - Sat, 28, Mar 2026
- 11:35 EDT
- 16
Aruna Miller honoring Maryland State Police / governor.maryland.gov
Maryland Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller joined state police leadership on March 20 to honor women who broke barriers in the Maryland State Police and helped expand opportunities for women in law enforcement.
According to the lieutenant governor’s office, Miller presented citations to seven women and recognized six others in absentia for excelling in a profession historically dominated by men.
Also Read: Maryland Lt. Gov Miller calls for gender-neutral language in constitution
“In 1974, six women stepped into the Maryland State Police Academy and changed it forever,” the lieutenant governor said.
“They didn’t just claim their place — they transformed what was possible. Today, we honor every woman who became a ‘first,’ and the lasting impact they’ve had on every young girl who can now see a future in uniform, every recruit who walks into the academy knowing they belong, and every community made stronger by leadership that reflects the people it serves,” she added.
The recognition came during Women’s History Month and highlighted a chapter of Maryland law enforcement history that began in 1974, when six women entered Maryland State Police Academy Class #72 — a significant step at a time when policing remained overwhelmingly male across much of the United States.
Among those honored were four members of the “Original Six,” the first female troopers to graduate as part of Class #72: Detective Sergeant (Ret.) Diane Kulp, Trooper (Ret.) Donna L. Whiting-Stallings, Sergeant (Ret.) Virginia F. Kincaid Lewis, and Trooper First Class (Ret.) Margaret L. Scott Edge.
Trooper (Ret.) Susan V. Topper and Trooper (Ret.) Jane E. Denby, also members of the pioneering 1974 class, were recognized but were not present.
The ceremony also honored several other women who marked key firsts within the department, including Major (Ret.) Anita L. Allen, the first African American woman to attain the rank of major; Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Cynthia Smith, the first woman to reach the rank of lieutenant colonel; and Senior Deputy State Fire Marshal Helys Valles-Alicea, the first Latina and highest-ranking Latina in the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
Additional pioneers recognized in absentia included Major Dalaine Brady, the first woman to serve as acting superintendent; Lieutenant (Ret.) Maryann Pang Foxwell, identified as the first Asian American female trooper; and Trooper First Class (Ret.) Jacqueline Ringgold-Johnson and former Trooper Maria Barnett, the first African American female troopers in 1975.
Miller was joined by Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Michael A. Jackson and Lieutenant Colonel Rosemary Chappell, chief of the Support Services Bureau, who said the women honored helped pave the way for future generations within the department.
“I am proud of the many women who have chosen law enforcement as their profession,” Jackson said. “As a statewide police agency, we are building our recruitment strategy to offer more opportunities for all those who seek a career in public service.”
Following the ceremony, the honorees were also recognized on the Maryland House and Senate floors.
Miller, who made history in 2022 as the first woman of color and first immigrant elected to statewide office in Maryland, framed the recognition as part of a broader effort to honor women who opened doors in public life and public service.
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