WOMEN POLICE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 288, 5 December 1935, Page 15

WOMEN POLICE.

WORK DONE IN ADELAIDE.

Miss Cox, who has recently retired from tho position of head of the women police at Adelaide, after having held the position for over 20 years, told a gathering of representatives of women's societies in Wellington recently about her work. Miss Cox touched on the early days of policewomen in England, and of tho pioneer workers there, with appreciation of what was done. South Australia was the first place in the Empire to have policewomen, and later New South Wales had a small force. A Labour Government was in power when the policewomen were established, and Miss Cox was the supervisor. This was in war time, when a great deal of work was done by women in keeping the camps clear of undesirable women. Miss Cox spoke or tlie post-war problems, of the new liberty which some young women allowed to develop into licence, and showed that the women police had done a great work in checking and helping those who were inclined that way. She was proud to be able to say that largety by their efforts the white slave traffic was kept in such close check that no young women were now "missing" from their city. She alluded to the cases mentioned in new > papers of these missing young women and girls from other parts who came to tragic ends through their ignorance and folly in leaving safe homes and towns where they had friends. She spoke with plainness and sincere conviction on the subject of the necessity for _ women to be the ones to take evidence in cases of assault and sex cases, and urged this particularly in the case of children. The greatest care should be taken, she said, that a child's mind should not be more hurt in these cases, and they needed the care and understanding of a woman to ensure this. It was impossible to get away from the fact that it was far more difficult for this kind of case to be spoken ajbout between opposite sexes. Miss Cox had a good word to say for the girls of to-day, although there were some who misused their liberty, but she liked to think that when the restraining effect of the opinion of "Mrs. Grundy" went out of fashion that then the policewomen came fashion. A good deal of trouble, said Miss Cox, ca.me from a certain class of dance halls, and it was a fact that over-indulgence in drink and loose conduct at these led to> many a suicide. The patrolling of wharves was a very necessary part of the work done, for the policewomen saw to it that there were no stowaways on board the overseas ships, and looked out for the "tramps" in particular, as they were less easy to get into touch with if anyone was missing. The women police "were sworn in as police constables after training, and had full power as had the men, but their work was confined to women and children. They took great part, too, in assisting people in domestic trouble, and saved many households from separation and other unhappiTiG«s. The policewomen worked entirely under the direction of their principal, and she was responsible to the Commissioner of Police. They did not wear uniform, and Miss Cox was of opinion, from her experience, that better results were obtained by wearing plain dress and not uniform.