Katoomba will host the first leg of a statewide baton relay on Tuesday, July 7 in celebration of 100 years of service by women in the NSW Police Force.
And it's a deserved choice of venue for the relay launch, given the relatively large number of female police officers that work in the region.
There are 42 women currently working for Blue Mountains Local Area Command (LAC) out of a total of 110 personnel - and many of them have progressed to the rank of senior constable or higher.
Blue Mountains Police's education officer said the percentage of policing staff in the Blue Mountains that are women had reached almost 40.
"That's well above the state average of 28 per cent," she said.
"It's an LAC where a lot of staff live within the region compared to others, so that probably appeals to female officers.
"I think this LAC is increasingly a good place in general to work in for women, it's family-friendly and supportive.
"And now there are new subsidised childcare arrangements for shift workers, like police officers [introduced in the 2015-16 federal budget], which will only help."
A custom-made NSW Police baton will make its way around the state during the next six months.
Blue Mountains residents are encouraged to go to Echo Point Lookout from 9.30am on July 7 where the relay will start. Police officers will run and pass on the baton on a 4km journey through Katoomba. It will be carried on the Scenic Skyway and down to the Jamison Valley floor and back in the Scenic Railway, before being taken by runners along Cliff Drive, Katoomba Falls Road and Katoomba Street.
It will pass through a guard of honour in front of Katoomba Police Station. The relay will officially finish at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre with a civic reception.
With the theme 'Celebrating Compassion, Courage and Strength', the baton relay marks a huge journey that began with only two female officers, Lillian Armfield and Maude Rhodes, who were employed as 'special constables' chosen from 400 candidates in 1915. Today NSW Police boasts 4,542 female sworn officers, 2,581 female unsworn officers and generations of achievements by women in LACs and specialist policing units.
