When Linda Joy Blue joined the Metro Miami-Dade Police Department in 1970, female cops were still called "police women" rather than "police officers."
But Blue never let her gender become a hindering factor in her law enforcement career. Instead, she rose through the ranks to become one of the first female detectives in the homicide unit and an original member of the sexual battery unit. She also spearheaded a campaign to launch the department's domestic crimes bureau, which handles child exploitation, domestic violence, elderly abuse, Internet pornography and missing persons cases.
In the mid-1990s, Blue earned a promotion to the rank of major. She retired from the force in 2000 after being diagnosed with breast cancer. In her spare time, the Miami native founded a Reading Is Fundamental program, and donated quilts she created to shelters housing homeless children.
Blue lost her battle against cancer on June 17. She was 58.
Posted on July 5, 2004 11:49 PMMy heart sanked when I came across this message... For our paths had crossed 28 years ago & I had thought of her freaquently over the years & thinking of searching for her. I had so many questions to ask her and I am sure she had many answers to give that would finally help me to understand what a young and nieve mind could not back in 1977. I now know so much about this life and world... that if I had known then what I know today, my heart would not have been ripped out of me and my sorrow a life-long one. My heart goes out to her Family, Friends, and CO-Workers. God Bless you all.
Posted by ANGELFLIGHT42 on October 13, 2004 7:15 PM