A Project of
the San Diego County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls,
the Women's Museum of California,
SDSU Women's Studies Department, and UCSD Women's Center.
Rulette Armstead
2004
Activist
Rulette Armstead, Assistant Chief of Police, is a 29-year veteran of the San Diego Police Department. After rising through the ranks from Patrol Office, she was promoted to Police Captain in 1988. She was the first woman and first African-American appointed to the rank of Captain. In 1992, she was appointed Assistant Chief of Police, managing Centralized Investigations for child abuse, vice, homicide, elder abuse, domestic violence, gangs and narcotics. She is also Chief coordinator for the "Non-bias Based Policing" program.
Armstead developed SDPD's first Equal Employment Office, which gave all Department members a non-threatening environment to discuss EEO problems and to resolve complaints. An expert in the field of domestic violence, she was instrumental in initiating SDPD's first Domestic Violence Division in 1993. The Unit is recognized as a national model for innovative approaches to breaking the cycle of family violence.
Armstead has been an active member of the community and professional organization in San Diego. She has recruited and mentored law enforcement employees for career advancement and trained hundreds of criminal justice practitioners. A recipient of numerous local and national awards, Assistant Chief Armstead recently received a commendation from Mayor Dick Murphy for her role in creating the internationally-known Family Justice Center--a merging of SDPD's Domestic Violence Unit with the City Attorney's team.