WOMEN POLICE.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 5 December 1916, Page 2

WOMEN POLICE.

HOW THEY SAFEGUARD THEIR OWN SEX. In view of Hie movement recently initiated in Auckland for the establishment of women police in New Zealand to deal with the cases of women and children where tact and resource are essential, the following description of what is being done in England in this connection will be of interest. The adaptability of women to successfully fill posts hitherto occupied by men is one of the outstanding facts that has come to light since the start of the great war. This is emphasised in an interesting interview with Miss M. Darner Dawson, the chief officer of the Women’s Police Service, whose headquarters in Westminster are with in a bow-shot of Scotland Yard. Policewomen (she remarked) arc rather new to this country, although they have been officially recognised in the United States for some years; they have also been employed on the Continent. Semi-official approval was given to the Women’s Police Force in England in the autumn of last year, and rapid strides have been made in the movement. As an amateur corps, these valuable keepers of the law and order had been at work in Grimsby for a year. They are now officially recognised there, and paid out of the rates. Hull, too, has an official service, and Folkestone has made application for one, which is about to he supplied. “The woman in blue” has a natty and very serviceable uniform from top to toe. Strong, laced brown boots reach to the knee, where they are met by blue cloth riding-breeches, which

are covered by a useful and not too long skirt and tunic. This skirt has “push” fasteners at the front and back, and can be loosened for riding, or discarded altogether for freedom in running, scaling a ladder, or helping at a fire, as was the case at the Zeppelin raids “on the East Coast.” The pay of the policewomen starts a little higher than that of a policeman, as she is drawn from a higher class in life, and has been accustomed to hold a position which fits her for a duty where tact , and resource in dealing with women and children are very essential.

The men generally start at about has, and the women at 30s, and the Chief Officer asserts that she is “well worth her money.” Her spheres of activity are very varied, and consist, among other things,' of patrolling attendance at police courts in regard to cases dealing with women and children (and this is done in plain clothes) domiciliary visiting, supervision of music-halls, cinemas, and public dancing halls, and inspection of common lodging-houses.

During a Zeppelin raid on the East Coast policewomen who were workingin the town were instructed by the authorities to patrol the streets and do their best to prevent panic. On coming upon a knot of very excited people at a street corner, including some almost hysterical mothers, the policewomen assured them that there was no further danger, as the Zeppelins had gone, and that everyone could return home in safety. Some men remonstrated, and said it was “cruel” to ask the mothers to take their children home. They pointed to a light in the sky, which they declared „o be a bomb dropping. The policewoman canned them, and explained that what thle men saw was no bomb, but the planet Venus rising in the sky over the chimney-stack and causing au optical illusion, and at last persuaded the crowd to disperse quietly and the parents to take the children home. The other side of the picture is the rescue of girls who have been decoyed away from home by the glib words and false promises of scoundrels, and in many cases before it has been to.o late.

For instance, two policewomen on duty at a London railway station were accosted by two drunk men ; whom they had observed annoying several women and girls. They warned the men and saw them out of the station. At one police court they looked after a “dangerous gang” of little more than infants—five tiny children—who had cleverly robbed automatic machines of Pennies, and the excuse of the children was that they took the money “to go to the pictures. ‘Ome’s a ’ell.” The policewomen succeeded by moral suasion in getting the “hell” ameliorated.