WOMEN POLICE.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 April 1916, Page 8

WOMEN POLICE.

DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, April 1. A deputation representing the Young Women's Christian Associations of New Zealand Waited upon the Hon. A. L. Herdma.il, Minister in charge of the Police- Force, yesterday, for the purpose of Vrrgmg him to appoint women police and women patrols of the kind already -familiar in other countries. The ladies forming the deputation were introduced to the Minister by Dr. Newman, M.P.

Miss Birch said the subject had been discussed at the recent Y.W.C.A. conference in Dunedin, and a resolution had been adopted in favor of policewomen, who could do invaluable work in the cities. The request that was being placed before the Minister arose from a study of present conditions as they affected women. Very many girls and young women were working in.the cities, many of them having taken places vacated by the men now in the military tones, and there was a danger that these girls would find their friends in undesirable quarters. They tended to get out of touch with home associations, and it was obvious that the ordinary .'policemen were not in a position to offer them advice or assistance. Policewomen, on the other hand, could warn or advise as might be required. They would be in touch with women's organisations, and they would lie able to bring influences to bear. The system was already in successful operation in other countries. A fact worth attention was that'if women could undertake some share of police duty, men at present in the police force might be spared for services at the fi out. Mrs. Atkinson said the matter had been brought under the notice of Mr. Herdman about a year previously, and on that occasion a good deal of information hud been placed before him. Volunteer women patrols had then been at work in Great Britain, and the system had since been developed. Women police, recognised as part of the ordinary police force, were now doing effective work in various parts of the Mother Country, and the system had been extended to Canada and Australia. It had proved entirely successful in the United States. Women patrols bad proved most useful in the neighborhood of military camps in England. The women police would be very valuable in connection with the '■Having of court cases involving young girls nnd children. One of the cities of Canada had women police and also a woman magistrate, who could hear evidence in cases where it was undesirable that a girl should have to repeat her story in a courtroom filled with men. Mr Herdman said that since the matter had been brought under his notice on a previous occasion he had collodled a good deal of information with regard to the work of women police and -patrols. The pressure of business arising from I the war had presented auytlilng being i'Qone uj> to the present tlmj,

Mrs Atkinson said that in England the war lincl been the principal factor in bringing about the appointment of the women police. Mr. Herdman said tliat lie wo"'d be very glad to place the representations of the deputation before t.l'.e (iovcriiment. He thought that an alteration of the law would have to be made before women could be admitted to the police force. He c.vjld'iiot promise that any-, thing' wonld be done in the direction suggested, but he would ascertain what had been the result <of the experiment in the United Kingdom and place the facts before his colleagues. The reports he had received from America were favorable. He did not think that the policewomen in the United States had power to arrest. Mrs. Atkinson said that the English policewomen pad full police powers. Their patrols in the neighborhood of the camps were recognised by the military authorities. The Minister assured the deputation that he would give his attention to the subject.