Norwood Resident Anne G. Marino Determined to Succeed as Boston Police Officer-October 20, 1973

A Dedicated Path to Law Enforcement-October 20, 1973

For Norwood resident Mrs. Anne G. Marino, embarking on a career in law enforcement is the culmination of years of focused preparation rather than a sudden whim. Sworn into the Boston Police Department alongside eight other women, Officer Marino began a rigorous three-month orientation and training period leading up to formal instruction at the Boston Police Academy at the end of the year.

Her dedication to the field runs deep. Officer Marino holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Northeastern University. While she has a brother currently serving as a police officer, she noted that she submitted her own department application more than a year before he started his career.

Her husband of four years, Bill Marino, admitted he felt a bit apprehensive at first but is now 100 percent supportive of her decision. “The only problem we’ve had so far,” Bill joked, “is from a few of our friends who have asked me if she could fix a traffic ticket for them. Why, she can’t even do that for me!”

Rejecting Preferential Treatment-October 20, 1973

Prior to joining the force, Officer Marino worked as a field interviewer for a research firm and as a part-time model, experience that helped shape her pragmatic outlook. She acknowledges that police work is exceptionally demanding, but embraces the challenge. “I love work. The more I work, the happier I am,” she said with a smile.

When it comes to her duties on the force, Officer Marino insists on absolute equality and zero special treatment. “You belong wherever you are most effective,” she stated. “If I’m teamed up with a man on the beat or in a cruiser, he shouldn’t have to feel that he’s there to protect me. If he has to jump over a fence in pursuit of a criminal he can expect me to be right there to back him up.”

While acknowledging public perception, she remains focused on professionalism: “Right now policewomen in Boston are a novelty. However, after there are more women on the streets I think people will hold them with the same respect they have for male officers.”

“I want to always keep my image as a woman,” she added. “But whether you are a woman or a man, you must always remember that you are first a police officer. Whatever situation arises you must react as a police officer rather than as a man or woman.”

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger