Women in Blue

Minneapolis Police Department Chief Janée Harteau, the department’s first female chief, works to remake the MPD by getting rid of corrupt police officers, re-training the rest, and demanding accountability. As part of her reform efforts, she also recruits more women and promotes them into leadership at every level. Women in Blue follows three of these police women from different ranks, each committed to reimagining their profession. Cmdr. Melissa Chiodo, tapped by Harteau to be the first woman head of Special Crimes, handling domestic violence and sexual offenses; Sgt. Alice White—who grew up in a black neighborhood suspicious of the police—now leads procedural justice trainings, teaching cops fairness and respect; and rookie Officer Erin Grabosky who, at 22, navigates a night patrol of bar fights, suicide attempts, and domestic violence.

When the fatal shooting of an unarmed woman by a police officer stuns the city, Chief Harteau is forced to resign. The new male chief appoints only men to his top brass, threatening the gains in women represented on the force. With a city already on edge over police misconduct, the women of the MPD fight for gender equity, convinced that it’s one key to reducing police violence.