Need for Women Police

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 23, 28 January 1937, Page 11

Need for Women Police

From time to time the question of women police for our cities and larger towns has been agitated by thoughtful and progressive women, but so far it does not seem that much progress has been made. The reason for this is probably two-fold. First, the general public is so ill-informed on the subject that it is not yet awake to tho particular value of police-women's special work. Secondly, New Zealand is so far behind the times in its recognition of women’s part in the community and so 4 ‘ virocentric" in its general mentality (including, of course, the Government) that any innovation involving the employ ment of women will have little chance of consideration until it is backed up by a strong public opinion.

In. these circumstances tho Civi< Groups of the Townswomen's Guild’

could do valuable educative work in obtaining information, holding debates and discussions and securing good lecturers on the subject for Guild monthly meetings.

A writer on “Women Police” in England says, ‘‘There are still personages in authority who do not yet realise all that these women—armed with nothing more formidable than their moral force —have accomplished and are accomplishing, time and the facts of the case are on the side of the Women Police.” He continues: “The work of these lad ies who carry no truncheon, includes the patrolling of railway stations and of streets generally, and it has been proved that the protection of girls and women, from a certain type of man and of men from a certain type of girl or woman can be effected by a police woman where tho heavier intrusion of an ordinary constable might have quite the opposite effect. Tho reports of the Women Police contain abundant evidence of the tact and success with which these duties are being performed. They have, in countless cases, not only frustrated folly and vice but checked roughness and fighting, prevented beg ging, gambling and theft, stone-throw-ing and destruction of property, traced lost children and restored them to their homes, checked unpunctuality in closing public houses and the sale of intoxicating liquor to children under age, secured punishment in cases of cruelty to animals, and generally, wherever they have been employed, made the streets fitter for decent people. It has, of course, to be borne in mind that their work is not that of making a moral people. That lofty task still stands committed to the churches, the schools, and, above all, the homes and tho fathers and mothers. The aim of police-women is not education but prevention. Tho present writer had opportunities during the war, of observing something of the work of members of the corps of Women Police in London, trained under Miss Darner Lawson, commandant, and was greatly impressed by what she saw. It is noteworthy that the ordinary London policeman, far from belittling them, welcomed their presence on the streets and acknowledged that they could often handle a situation satisfactorily whero a policeman’s intervention would have led to an appearance in court. A.E.J.S.