At Pinkerton, we talk a lot about Kate Warne, the first female detective in the United States, possibly the world. We’re fans of her work and how she brazenly walked into Allan Pinkerton’s office one day in 1856 and convinced him that she could revolutionize Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency. She also revolutionized law enforcement.
At a time when women's professional opportunities were limited, Warne's career itself was a pioneering achievement, and our 175th Anniversary would not be complete without recognizing some of her notable firsts:
→ First woman to lead a covert operation: She led a successful undercover operation in Baltimore, Maryland, which is considered one of the first such operations led by a woman.
→ First female executive in a detective agency: Warne took on a leadership position within the Pinkerton Agency, overseeing a division of female detectives, and a few years later, female spies for the Union Secret Service during the Civil War.
→ First woman to play a key role in a presidential protection detail: Warne helped to uncover the famed Baltimore Plot, the conspiracy to assassinate President-elect Abraham Lincoln in 1861, and was part of his protection detail.
→ Pioneer in undercover investigative work for women: Her success laid the groundwork for women in the field, particularly in undercover operations, an entirely new concept for women in law enforcement.
→ First woman to inform the development of investigative techniques: Her innovative methods in undercover work and surveillance informed the development of investigative techniques used by the Agency and, later, by law enforcement in general.
We never sleep.
#KateWarne
