GIRL SLEUTHS' COUPS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 136, 11 June 1927, Page 23

GIRL SLEUTHS' COUPS.

NEW PERIL TO EVIL DOERS. BRAVE AND KEEN. Baker Street, London, is once more the home of the private sleuth. It is not Sherlock Holmes with his faithful and ever-puzzled Watson who has returned to solve the problems that baffle Scotland Yard, nor has Sexton Blake, with his loping bloodhound Pedro, stepped out of the pages of fiction to open up business in this famous highway. But Baker Street has become the headquarters of a score of mere girls, who, under the training of the leadership of an ex-policeman, are putting the fear of the law into the hearts of criminals, from the shoplifter to the bigamist, and are assisting the official police in hundreds of other ways. For many difficult missions it is cer-! tain that a woman detective stands a greater chance of success than a man. In cases of shoplifting so prevalent at the big London stores, to take only one example, a woman detective is less easily recognised, and is far more likely to bring the culprit to book. I Mr C. H. Kersey, who served for 25 years at Scotland Yard and Marylebone Lane Police Station, and who originated the novel scheme to train girls as detectives, told the "Sunday Chronicle" that, in his experience, he had rarely known a woman detective to fail in case* that had often baffled astnte men. "As a rule," he said, "they have considerable powers or intuition, and are consistently brave and resourceful." He gave an instance of the kind of work these girls are doing. Overheard Plans. One of his staff was standing outside a big Oxford Street shop when she overheard a woman remark to a companion, "I'll do the basement of So-and-So's, and you do the shop here." Unobtrusively the girl detective followed the two women into a public house, ordered some beer, and listened to the women's plans as they revealed them in conversation. The result was that a smart capture was made. "I have members of my staff in most of the principal stores," said Mr. Kersey, "and their presence has meant that hundreds of pounds' worth of goods are saved from being stolen. "Of course, London is not the only city in which the girls work. I am cqpstantly being asked to send my staff abroad, and at the present time there are several employed on various missions on the Continent." "No matter how long they have been in my service I put them through an hour's training every Friday morning if they are not on duty away from headquarters, and, of course, I do not neglect the art of self-defence, for at any time the girls may have to cope with physical violence. "Only the other day a member of my staff saw a woman suspect come out of a big shop. The girl detective walked up to her and said, "Would you mind returning to the shop with me for a few minutes?" For answer the suspect gave her a jab with an umbrella and pushed her away. The detective grappled with her and was dragged halfway across the road, but succeeded in getting her arrested. i "Race meetings are covered by my girls, who are constantly on the look-out for the pickpockets who infest the courses. And banquets and weddings, at which valuable jewellery and presents are exhibited, also come under their scope." i