CINCINNATI — Cincinnati interim Police Chief Teresa Theetge started making history the day she took the job. Now she's hoping to help other women do the same.
When you’re making history, there’s a different kind of pressure and responsibility that comes with that
“It’s about 90% excitement, 10% fear,” said Theetge, “fear that I won’t live up to their expectations because what they think is very important,” she said.
Theetge is the new interim police chief. She's the first woman in Cincinnati’s history to hold lead the department.
“I was like ‘I wanna be the first female chief,' and so that was 31 years ago, and never in my wildest dreams did I ever think it would actually potentially happen,” said Theetge.
In fact, the mother of four says, at first, it really wasn’t a thought at all.
“I got married right out of high school and had children so I kinda put it on the back burner and it kinda left my mind altogether,” said Theetge.
In 1990, she says her brother convinced her to try something her father, brother and sister were already doing; they were working as police officers.
Theetge then took the test, went through the training and got the job. She says being a wife and mother helped bring a different view to her police work.
“I do think by being a woman, being a mother, you bring this maternal instinct that maybe men don’t bring, so you look at people from a little different perspective," said Theetge.
Her instincts helped her move up the ranks. From neighborhood officer to internal investigations to sergeant to lieutenant colonel.
At the same time, her family was growing. Four kids turned into eight grandkids, and an entire police department looking up to her when she took the lead.
“I am ready for it. I find it very exciting,” said Theetge.
It’s part of the reason as interim police chief she’s working toward a goal to have 30% women in the department by the year 2030, and she hopes to pave the way.
“No matter what your family circumstances are, you can do it. You can do this job,” said Theetge.