THE POLICEWOMEN OF CHICAGO.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1890, 27 October 1913, Page 8

THE POLICEWOMEN OF CHICAGO.

FAIR CONSTABLES ON THE BEAT. THE FIRST ARREST. "Although the newspapers have been disposed to see only the humorous possibilities of the appointment of ton women to tho police force in Chicago, the women have apparently gone at their work in a spirit calculated to bring credit to themselves and discomfort to those whose attitude toward this social experiment has been expressed in gibes about 'copesses armed with hatpins,' .and in such puerility as letting rats and mice loose among the female police," says tho New York "Outlook." "The women were appointed by. Mayor Harrison on August 5,- to hold their position for sixty days, when to retain them they will bo obliged to -compete with others in Civil Service examinations. There were more than sixty applicants for the honour of wearing tho silver star ef Chicago's police, and six married women were among those selected. A committee of three women is in charge of tho movements of tho amazons, deciding such questions as the assignment of 'beats' and the selection of uniforms. The Women In Blue. "The uniform adopted temporarily is a blao suit with the silver police star, and a hat with a blue band. Each 'blueskirt' is equipped with a policewhistlo and a patrol-box key, but. for a while at least, 110 billies or revolvers will bo carried by tho fair enforcers of tho law. Tho women will devote themselves rather to getting information and to assisting the forlorn than to making ■arrests, although tho performance of that function is not discouraged. "Miss Mary Wilson had tho honour of making the first arrest when, on the evening of hor second day on duty, sho 'pinched' ono of her sex for soliciting. At first it was planned to send the valiant ten into tho 'red light' district to combat tho social evil, but the advisory board decided, wisely, wo think, to assign tho recruits to parks, bnthing beaches, excursion steamers, and railway stations, where they aro a source of protection to children and to women and girls unacquainted with tho city. "Other cities may bo expected to folfollow Chicago's example. The work of the police is not confined to making rescues at fires and quelling gunmen, and there is much that could be bettor done by women than men. Wo already havo womin social workers and woinon probation officers, why not policewoman?" asks tho "Outlook."

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