The Goshen Police Department is welcoming its first two women officers in the village's history.

Chief Ryan Rich showed News 12 the new women's locker room at the 150-year-old former train depot that has housed the police department since 1986.

Chief Rich said he lobbied state Sen. James Skoufis to secure a $166,000 state grant to help put women's facilities in the building because recruitment of women has been difficult.

The two new officers – Valerie Costanz and Jessica Racioppo – said they have noticed a shift in their field. Officer Racioppo, a Goshen native, just transferred from the New York Police Department. Costanz moved over from dispatch.

"I see progression with us and other departments," Officer Costanz said. "I think that this will maybe show, open eyes to other departments to add more females."

In terms of gender diversity, Goshen lags behind other municipal police departments. Of the local governments who responded to News 12's inquiries, Middletown had the highest percentage of female officers in its police department. Eleven of its 75 officers are women. Spring Valley police reported that six of its 45 officers are women. Beacon's city manager reported four women among its 45-member force.

With the hires of Costanz and Racioppo, the Village of Goshen Police Department has about 5% percent female officers. The department has 39 officers.

"This is a very old agency, and It's been a long time coming," Chief Rich said.

He said the department is far behind because historically the department has not valued diversity enough. He said that for certain cases that would be better handled by female officers, the department would request assistance from another nearby agency that had women officers.

The locker rooms are one part of a larger plan, he said, to update the department.

Chief Rich said he plans to review policies on conduct, uniforms and equipment to ensure they are up-to-date and inclusive.

"We shouldn't have to tell them, 'Look, you have to come to work dressed, you have to use the public bathroom,'" Rich said. "We're in 2024. It shouldn't be this way."