Valeri Redshaw, 79, author of Tact and Tenacity, an eye opening account about her years spent as a pioneering policewoman, said the industry had "changed beyond recognition" since she joined in 1962.
The only female in training during her year, Ms Redshaw was posted to Auckland Central at age 24, after working for three years at London's Metropolitan Police.
"In the 1960s there was still a degree of resentment about policewomen and a lot of men said we were too weak and had to be looked after.
"I went to Auckland and was told by an inspector I wasn't to arrest a man without having a constable, a man, with me.
"It was frustrating because in London, I'd made literally hundreds of arrests."
She said at the time, protocol also prevented her from attending the gym alongside her male counterparts, unless she had a chaperone.
"And, in those days though, when you got married and had children, you were out of the door."
After three years with Auckland police she went on to have six children, before eventually reapplying for a job in the industry in mid-1970, while living in Tauranga.
"I received a letter back saying they didn't employ women with children."
Having eventually regained a policing position in 1984, "by which time things had changed", she reentered as a training officer after a career in education.
"In those days, when you applied, they were only allowed to ask you one question of a personal nature and fortunately they didn't ask me how many children I had, because I wouldn't have got the job.
"Instead, they asked me what my husband thought of me applying for the job."
Ms Redshaw spent 16 years in her training role, taking people including current Kapiti Mana area commander and inspector Paul Basham under her wing as a recruit.
"Twenty-five years ago there were no woman dog handlers, women in the dive squad, as launch masters, or above the rank of chief inspector.
"The development between the 1940s and 1960s was big, but it's nothing like it is now."
Marie Storey, who accompanied Ms Redman as guest speaker at the ceremony, entered the police force as an enthusiastic 21-year-old, joining the third female wing at the Wellington Training Depot, in 1943.
"As women, we had to wear proper attire including a dress, stockings, hats, handbags and gloves," she said.
"Somebody once asked 'do you carry a brick in that handbag?'
"Really we needed something for our handkerchief, lipstick and notebook.
"We were armed with notebooks."
Now 94 and with many policing memories still fresh, Ms Storey often reflects on her time in the heavily male dominated 1940s policing world.
"The fact we were named the Temporary Constable's Women's Division speaks to me in hindsight, saying that a lot of the men didn't expect to have the women among them for very long."
Today's younger generation of police also took their time to acknowledge the industry's pioneering women.
Porirua based Amy Campbell-Hayward, 27, was among them, her position in the Kapiti Mana division stemming from a childhood dream of "wanting to be nothing other than a police officer".
"It seems a lot different now, even in something as small as us all dressing the same," she said.
"I can't imagine jumping fences in a skirt.
"Now we have more respect and get dispatched to the same jobs as the boys.
"We get treated just the same, as equals.
"And, why shouldn't we?"
