Finch, Betty Shaneyfelt

BETTY SHANEYFELT FINCH

By Betty Finch

At one time women employed by the Kern County Sheriff’s Department were called “Matrons’ and employed only in the women’s quarters of the jail or as the Juvenile Officer. In 1976, Betty was hired from the same competitive list as male Deputy Sheriffs which entitled her to request a transfer out of the jail and to take promotional tests.

In 1979, Betty became the first female bailiff.

In 1980, she promoted to Senior Deputy and became the first female to be assigned to Ridgecrest Substation patrol duties.

In 1983, she became the first female Homicide Detective.

Interesting side stories include:

Being told by a very overweight male deputy, “You can’t be a bailiff, you might get pregnant and your gunbelt won’t fit.” She never got pregnant. If she had, she would not have needed a gunbelt as large as his!

After discovering she had requested a transfer to homicide, the supervisor in the homicide division said to her, “Women are only good for two things, “x@%&;ing” and frying eggs and I haven’t got any beds back here so there’s no place for you.” The next year, the same supervisor commented, “She’s the best detective I have.”