POLICE WOMEN.

White Ribbon, Volume 31, Issue 367, 18 January 1926, Page 1

POLICE WOMEN.

"The liaml that rocks the cradle rules the world." So the jHK_*t sang, ami generations of bishops, teachers, preachers, statesmen, husbands and fathers have echoed l»o sliuin. But during all the time these same gentlemen liave taken the greatest of care, that the one right the “hand that rocks the cmdle ’ should not hav*, was the right to rule the world or any part of it. Nay more; when earnest women claimed the right to legislate for their children’s safety; the right to exticise their talents as doctors, lawyers, eie., to earn a living for these child* n u the right to a share in the guard! unship of their own children; the right to follow them out into the world, and ;i City Councillors, memln rs of School Hoards, Jurors, Magistrates M.R’s. to still guui'l them, no one opposed thes< lights more than the aforesaid gentlemen. Recognition of these lights is being "on, but very slowly won, especially in some departments, notably the Dejautment of Police, Prisons and Justice. Very insistent lias been the demand for women |K>lice, jurors and magistrates in this Dominion; yet, even in progressive New Zealand, the Act establishing children’s courts provides for a mole magistrate to preside. Even the children cannot Is* left to be dealt with by "omen. Women police have been appointed in U.8.A., Cheat Rritain and other parts, and everywhere their w’ork has been well and favourably reported upon. During the war period in England, in September 1914, women police volun

teers were organised by Miss Nina Boyle, with 'Miss Darner Dawson as chief officer. The first woman patrol organiser liegan work in October 1914, and in November two uniformed police volunteers started work, authorised by the Provost Marshall anil Chief Constable. in 1916 Miss Darner Dawson started the women police service, and Hull appointed tw< policewomen.

In 1916 a provision in the Police. Fac tories Act enabled the pay of a whole time policewoman in England to be chargeable to police funds. In the two

years which followed, the women police service supplied yBS trained women to police factory amis. The? e women were paid by the Minister of Munitions, but trained by the Women Police Service, who also provided their uniforms. In December, 1918, the Metropolitan policewomen i>atrols were inaugurated. In 1920 the Home Office appointed a Committee to report upon the employment of women police. The report stated that "in thickly populated areas . . . there is not only scope but urgent need for the employment of women police.” During Zeppelin iviids women police wire on duty, and remained at tlicit posts when all others were seeking cover. The work of the official policewoman is largely preventive. Miss Darner Dawson says: "It Is :n addition. It is work that a male constable has never done. It is not done unless <i woman does it.” The Metropolitan l'olicew omen had their cycle eon>s, who went alwut over their area. Often would they stop to pick up » lost child and take It to safety. PITIES OF WOMEN I’OIJCE. 1. At tenanted suicide of women or girls. 2. Taking deiMisitions from women and children in cases of indecent or criminal assault. 3. Charges of loitering, soliciting, etc., brought against prostitutes. 1. Conveying women offenders to and from prison. 5. Cases where women are apprebended by the police and have to take

long journeys in charge of a constable to Im‘ brought before the Courts. 6. Cases where women are charged with drunkenness and other disorderly conduct. 7. Patrolling the streets of the town. 8. Assisting with inquiries concerning women and children. y. Serving summonses on women. It). Searching women prisoners. 11. (Aire of women in cells. 12. Attending women and children in Court. 13. Collecting all evidence from women and children criminajly or indecently assaulted, accompanying them to take out warrant for arrest of offender, and giving evidence in Court. 11. Assisting in supervision of child ren’s street trading licenses. 15. Knf >rcing olwervance of licensing laws concerning children. 16. Keeping observation on suspected houses. 17. Assisting at raids on brothels. 18. Finding shelter for women and children who are stranded. lit. Observation work (in plain clothes). 20. Inspecting places of amusement and reporting on the tone of such places. 21. Regular duty at the police station. 22. Reporting bad housing and other abuses to -the Chief Constable.

23. Reporting on cases of cruelty to children. 21. Making the intimate inquiries in connect ion w ith cases of concealment of birth. In giving evidence before the Committee, Sir Nevil Mat Toady said: “If I gel the power of arrest, I am going to put tin* whole of the looking after of

prostitutes entirely in the hands of women.” The evidence of Sir Nevil Macready has been given a good deal of publicity, and some confusion has been caused by the publishes 1 statement that he recoin mended the power of arrest being given to women police. His actual recon. ineiulaition was no* so fortunate. “M opinion is that women should be sworn in and given the (waver of arrest, but that by regulation 1 should limit in th Metropolitan Police Force that power of arrest to cases of people under the ag • of Hi and females over that age.” In .< word, he would like the man protected against an importunate woman, but no added safeguard to be given to a respectable girl against being annoyed by immoral men. The ■Committee recommended that women police Is* employed in “prevention of offences by prostitutes.*' Tin Official Report of Women Police Oi ganisati in makes the following pertinent comment upon this:—“it is regrettable. though perhaps not surprising, that the Committee fall into the old Kid habit of referring to women prostitutes as a class- a habit whleh is largely responsible for the difficulty in getting an immoral woman to go straight. Tt cannot be emphasised too often that men are never labelled in this way. They are just men men sowing their wild (Kits or at the worst immoral men, but

not a different section of society. Manx people forget tlicit prostitutes are ordinal) (>iii< 11 as long as they are considered sub human, they will remain so.” The following eases, taken from him dreds in their report, will show th work done by women police and Ur* grout need there is for such work. At 10.10 sum., at Kdgware Koud Station, one of the policewomen saw a young girl attempt to throw herseif tindei a t min. She held her K'tck again t her will, the girl lugging her not to hand her over to the police. On the police woman telling her she had no such in tention. the girl told her that she was in trouble, and that morning had heard that the man who had promised to marry her had lieen I down up in Finnic. Sln> promised not to make another attempt on her life, and also to communicate with the jHillcewonutn if things proved too much for her. Since then s he has thanked the policewoman, and told her that the shock had prevented

the 1 rouble sin* dreaded. She is going into ai go<xl IVimilj as kitelien maid. The Matron of a Koine ask'd t In* Women Police Service for advice alwiit a respectable married woman who was < xpecting a baby and was horn dess, as her husUind was living in a men’s hostel near his work, ond she was quit' unable to obtain lodgings. .'“’lk* had lieen walking about all one night, having spent two or three nights in a common lodging-house. A situation as temporary cook was foil no for her, and she wms told how to obtain a letter for <t lying-in hospital. Her mistress found her most satisfactory. After her confinement slie came again to Headquarters to say that her husband had apparently deserted her; steps were at once taken to tmeo him and to ob tain assistance for her. The Women police Service are still keeping in touch with the woman in ease she should need further help.