At first, it was difficult to be accepted as a female officer. Some people in the community called her names. Some refused to be arrested by her. She recalled when she tried to arrest a man for a traffic violation, and he began jumping on the hood of her car and screaming. The man told her she wasn't a real police officer.

''She had a rough time in the beginning, but she proved herself to be a good police officer, doing the same things that the men did,'' said Mike Croye, a retired North Miami lieutenant who supervised McCue at different points in her career.

''She paid a lot of attention to detail, and she worked well with other people,'' said Croye, who retired to Ocala. As an officer in the juvenile division, ``she carried a case load that was probably double what most of the detectives carried.''

She started a number of programs in the department, among them the juvenile division and family violence unit.

The juvenile division investigated crimes committed by those younger than 18. The unit was later expanded to deal with child abuse, and she co-chaired Miami-Dade's first task force on child abuse in the '70s.

North Miami's family violence unit dealt with crimes committed such as elderly abuse or domestic violence.

She brought on a psychologist to help deal with family problems and to give officers a better understanding of how to respond to the community.

STAYING ACTIVE

After retiring in 2000, McCue continued her community service, a legacy of her Silver Knight. She helped lead a two-year grass-roots campaign to lobby Tallahassee to reform homeowner windstorm insurance rates, capping increases.

She also led the movement for the incorporation of Cutler Bay and for three years wrote and edited The Old Cutler Bay News so residents were kept abreast of changes in the area.

Croye remembered that McCue listed winning the Silver Knight on her resume when she applied to the department.

The award remains on her resume to this day, she said.

''It's something I've always been proud of, more than any of the other recognition I received,'' she said.

Along the way, her Silver Knight trophy was damaged, the victim of moves and hurricanes.

About six years ago, one of her sons got her a new one as a Christmas present.

She still keeps it on her dresser.

''My kids have all known how important to me the Silver Knight was and is,'' she said. ``And they've seen it all their lives . . . the Silver Knight was kind of like a cornerstone.''

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