MORE WOMEN POLICE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 84, 20 January 1930, Page 8

MORE WOMEN POLICE.

127 PUPILS A YEAR.

SOLID BASIS OP EXPERIENCE

LONDON, December 5

So strongly is detective work appealing to the modern women that a "trainer of lady detectives," Mr C, H. Kersey, late of Scotland Yard, has had 127 pupils through his hands this year. According to an article in the "Policeman's Review," they come from all parts of the country and from all ranks of society, and are trained for general detective, work or for posts in shops. For general detective work a six months' training is necessary, but for a post as detective in a shop 10 or 12 lessons will fit a woman for her work. Theory is followed by practical study in courts and stores. Instruction is given in ju-jitsu and the art of selfdefence. It is claimed that women have an advantage over men in being able to disguise • themselves with greater ease, an important point in the detection of shop thieves. On December 2 the Home Secretary (the Right Hon. R. J. Clynes) received a. deputation organised by the National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship and the National Council of Women of Great Britain, and expressed his sympathy with the demand of women's' organisations (representative of 10 bodies) for the appointment; or more women police. The Secretary for Scotland at the. Home Office was with tb? Home Secretary.

Deputation's Demands

The deputation was introduced by Miss IPicton-Tuberyill, M.P. In particular the deputation urged: (1) That the Police Acts should be applied universally to women: (2) that regulations should bo made clearly defining the duties of policewomen and that regulations standardising the conditions of their recruitment and training should bo submitted to .the" Police Council.: (3) that a woman inspector of constabulary should be appointed at the Home Office; (4) that a woman or women should be appointed on the Police Council; (5) that in the Metropolitan Police District th«re should be a considerable increase in the number of policewomen, and that the conditions relating to their employment should be restored to the position which obtained before the Geddes cut in 1921.

Sympathetic Response. Mr dynes said that he not only sympathised with the views of the women s organisations on this question, but he hoped to be able to meet at any rate some of their claims. The idea oi employing women police was comparatively 'modern-, and the failure to make rapid progress was not due to any lack of svmpathv, but to the desire to gain a so'lid basis of experience as to the use of police-women in actual practice before embarking on any stereotyped organisation. . So far as numbers were concerned, the position was that outside the Metropolitan Police District the local police authorities were responsible, and the question' was whteher they should be compelled to employ policewomen. As Home. Secretary he doubted whether he could exercise compulsion in a matter of this kind. The deputation s claims would receive his full and sympathetic, consideration, and he hoped that he might be able to induce local authorities to view the appointment oi policewomen more sympathetically. In ondon where the Secretary of State was the police authority, a substantial addition to the numbers of policewomen had already been authorised. The deputation had put before him some new aspects of the problem which were worthy of the closest consideration, and lie promised that he would "ive the earliest attention to the matter. So far as he was concerned lie would approach the question with an open mind. The Secretary of State for Scotland promised that.'so far as Scotland was concerned, he would examine carefully the whole position in the light of the information which had been given to him.