In the early 1970s, the Metro Nashville Police Department had no women working patrol. Valerie Meece was one of the first two women to step into that work — even if there were no women's police uniforms available at the time. And while there were plenty of men on the force who didn't think women had any business doing police work, she was undeterred. And she found allies, working her way up and retiring as an assistant chief after a decades-long career.

This being Music City, maybe it's not too surprising that becoming a cop was not what initially drew Valerie and her sister to Nashville. They performed around the city for a few years as a country duo called The Meeces, and they didn't fare too badly. But as someone who grew up fascinated by police work, Valerie didn't need much convincing when a recruiter encouraged her to apply to join the MNPD. She definitely had some close calls, but very little in the way of regrets.

Guest: Valerie Meece, retired MNPD assistant chief, one of the first women to work patrol

Host: Demetria Kalodimos

Producers: Steve Haruch and Andrea Tudhope

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