WOMEN POLICE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3888, 27 December 1928, Page 3

WOMEN POLICE.

“NOT WjORTH THE MONEY.” HIOH OFFICIAL’S VIEW. London, November 13. Sir Wyndham Childs, AssistantCommissioner of Metropolitan Police, in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department, made some interesting . statements regarding women police in his evidence before the Royal Commission. Sir Wyndham asserted that wo- ' nien were of no use to the Criminal Investigation Department, except in cases of watching the passing of cocaine, or in the case of clairvoyants, when they were employed as ■ what he was afraid would be called provocateurs. The fortune-teller might charge a guinea to fashionable people and it did not matter, but when the fortune-teller took to swindling ignorant girls out of half a guinea by telling them of a dark man with flashing eyes who would appear as a lover, then the police took action. He did not wish to be understood as condemning women police in general, but they were not of sufficient use to the C.I.D. to warrant putting them on the staff. The C.I.D. could always borrow women from the uniformed branch to deal with particular cases. The chairman asked whether they would be used in the case of night clubs. iSir Wyndham Childs: I do not know. I have never been to one. The chairman: I am equally ignorant there. But I assume you think they would not look the part, though I suppose not everyone who goes to a night club is particularly attractive. Mr, pick: When you say that you use women do you mean that you borrow women police? •Sir Wyndham Childs: No. We borrow other .women, Who not only look the part but are the part. A POLICEWOMAN WHO ELOPED. Mr. T. Davies, Chief Constable of Portsmouth, giving evidence, said that during the war they had three women police officers. On the whole they were not a success. Lord Lee: Tell us what your reasons are for having given up women police after having once tried them.-r-One serious reason is that one of the women went away with one of my best inspectors and they both lost them positions. You mean they married? —She was a widow and he was a married man. What happened to the other two? —They had to be discharged because of,the Geddes axe. Mr. Davies said he felt that women police were splendid for rescue and welfare work, but not for police officers. Replying to Miss Margaret Beavan, Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Mr. Davies said that in the case of the woman police officer who went away with an inspector her place was not filled. 'Miss Beavan: If a naan had done anything contrary to morals, or law, you w'ould have filled his place? — Yes. Then .there is one law for the woman and another for the man? —I do not agree with you. I had come to the conclusion that they were not worth the. money we were paying them. That is all. ' QUARRELS BETWEEN WOMEN. Mi'. H. H. Sanders, Chief Constable of Plymouth, said that at one time women were employed in connection with the Plymouth police, but he did not consider their services justified the expense*. They quarrelled. The chairman; 'With each other? —Yes. Tell us quite seriously, apart from any .question of economy, in what way did you find them satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Were they fully .sworn police? —No; • ‘ They were not trained policewomen? —One was, because she had been in the Women’s Police Organisation in London. One was the daughter of a clergyman, and the other was a school teacher. You have not felt the need of them since?—No.