ATLANTA — In honor of Women's History Month, the Fulton County Sheriff's Office is recognizing the first Black woman to become a deputy at the agency.
Major Johnnie Ruth Bussey paved the way for many women in law enforcement in the metro.
She first got her start in 1969 when the previous chief requested she apply to watch over female deputies at the old jail. Bussey's application was first denied, but the chief insisted on hiring her.
Many women at the office were hired as a matron, a deputy that did not have arresting powers. They would strictly take care of female inmates.
Soon Bussey would climb the ranks just a few years later, where she became a deputy sheriff in the early 1970s.
She served with Deputy Judy Guest, where the two were the first women on the Honor Guard.
Major Bussey rose through the ranks where she was a Captain and was promoted to major upon her retirement.
She currently lives in Fulton County and can still recall her historic journey.
The agency will honor her at a breakfast for women's history this month.
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