For the most part, media outlets in Honolulu did not lead with the fact that the new police chief is female.

But outside of Oahu, the headlines about newly named Honolulu police Chief Susan Ballard made it sound an extraordinary thing that, wow, they picked a girl with a gun to talk tough, straighten up the mess, and lead one of the most macho organizations in local government into a new era of professionalism.

“Ballard becomes Honolulu’s first female police chief” was the typical way Wednesday’s announcement was framed. “Honolulu Police Commission selects woman major to be new chief of beleaguered department.”

“Susan Ballard becomes first woman police chief amid Honolulu corruption scandal” was the headline on Patch.com.

Fox news said, “Honolulu PD gets first female chief after predecessor linked to corruption scandal.”

SF Gate, perhaps unimpressed with the scandal part, just wrote, “Honolulu Police Department getting first woman police chief.”

On the one hand, it is perhaps remarkable that in 2017, this is only the first time that a woman is serving as chief of police. Why not sooner, particularly in a place like Hawaii where we tend to be more progressive that some other parts of the country?

Hawaii elected a woman to Congress in 1964, for goodness’ sake. Honolulu had its first female mayor in 1981. Patsy Mink and Eileen Anderson were remarkable in their time, but that was decades ago. Since then, we’ve evolved, right? Right?? Hawaii is in the minority of states that has had both a female governor and a female senator. The male/female ratio of students at the University of Hawaii is 42:58. We’ve seen women run big local businesses and serve in combat in the U.S. military, and girls play high school football. We’ve even gotten used to saying, “doctor” instead of “lady doctor” when we’re talking about the person who stitched up our finger in the ER.

Hawaii gets it. Well, hopefully, Hawaii gets it.

One of the first quotes in praise of Ballard came from a commission member calling her a “healer,” which seems precariously close to the whole mother/aunty/nurturer role that women are still expected to fulfill despite tactical abilities and strategic leadership skills and the ability to kick butt. If a butt needs kicking, it needs kicking, and not necessarily healing or nurturing or “everything is gonna be OK” consolation after it gets kicked. Healing is great, but mothering is not what the Police Department needs. It needs leadership. Leadership is not defined by gender.

At some point, hopefully soon, the chief’s gender will cease to amaze and the focus will turn to Ballard’s managerial decisions and the direction in which she leads the Police Department. It’s great that little girls can meet the chief, shake her hand and know that they too can be whatever they want to be. But today’s kids already know that, particularly in Hawaii. It’s not their generation that is struck by the “novelty” of a woman in charge.

Reach Lee Cataluna at 529-4315 or lcataluna@staradvertiser.com.