If the police departments had their way they would have maintained the requirement however like everything else in the politically correct world of today the courts saw it differently... The battle was even harder fought with the NYC fire department where fire "men" are pulling people out of burning buildings and down several story ladders.
Liberals seem to always use the courts to get their way. Maybe when someone told them when they were little that "You can be anything you want to be when you grow up" they took it far too literally. Some of the little boys took it to mean "Ok I'm going to be a woman then" and some of the little girls said "I'm going to be a fireman!" There are some traditionally male industries in which women are capable of performing just as well, but there are some that women are just plain inferior in performing in. It's not sexist to say that men and women are different.
I think feminists tend to be some of the most anti-female people around. Consider that over 50 percent of the general population are female. Then factor in that police, firefighters, and the military will now be less effective due to women and limp wristed men being put into positions for which they're not qualified. That means that more women will die or be hurt because the services that are there to help protect the population have been weakened.