I found this clip from the The Daily Phoenix (Columbia, S.C.), May 12, 1871 in the archives of the Library of Congress (https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn84027008/1871-05-12/ed-1/?q=policewoman&sp=1). It tells of gender norms, an admiration for at least one woman who broke those norms, and how those norms align with ideas about police officers. The woman had “extraordinary physical power” in trying to “rescue” her son from gambling and the other sins of a “low saloon.” She was being protective and parental, so perhaps her use of physical force was perceived as more acceptable than if she’d been simply involved in a bar fight. The most striking statement comes at the end, where the author says, “She should be immediately announced a policewoman.” So, here, when she’s broken some norms for women about physicality in resolving conflict, she then becomes a good candidate for law enforcement. She’s enacted physical masculinity, which, for this author, makes her fit to be a police officer. This clip also says much about what traits the author views as good for police work such as physical force to solve problems.