Lakeland’s first female police officer was laid to rest Saturday.
- Leila Plaire Gossett died at the age of 97
- She was Lakeland Police's first female officer
- She began as a meter checker before become an officer
Leila Plaire Gossett died in her sleep on March 6 at the age of 97, according to her family.
She began working for the Lakeland Police Department as a meter checker in 1956. Many people knew her as “Lea” within the department.
According to her family, she was promoted to an officer seven years later. She retired as a detective in 1978, after 22 years of service.
“I think her legacy there is she’s led the way for other woman,” said Gossett’s daughter Kathryn Smith. “You know to have the same opportunities that she did.”
According to her obituary, Gossett worked in the juvenile division, guiding delinquents to a better life and assisting in child abuse and battery investigations.
After retirement, Smith said her mother and father Marvin grew award-winning African Violets and Gesneriads.
Marvin Plaire died in 1988. Leila Plaire then married Walter Gossett in 1994. He died in 2010.
In 2016, the Mayor of the City of Lakeland proclaimed Oct. 17 Leila Plaire Day, in honor of her contributions to the Lakeland Police Department and the community.