POLICE WORK BY WOMEN

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28540, 20 March 1958, Page 2

POLICE WORK BY WOMEN

Address By Mrs D. Sergei

A talk on women’s police work was given by Mrs D. Sergei, a Christchurch policewoman, at the annual meeting of the women’s branch of the Christchurch Citizens’ and Ratepayers’ Association yesterday afternoon. Mrs Sergei said that her sympathies were with the younger generation. The youth of today were not loved enough and parents should show their feelings towards their children more openly. She quoted the proverb, “Satan makes work for idle hands,” to illustrate her theory that young persons needed a job to do organising themselves into a club and eventually rebuilding an old building for a clubroom so that it became part of them and their club.

The youth that roamed the streets of the city did it only because they had nowhere better to go, she said. There were thousands of very good homes, but 90 per cent, of juvenile delinquents came from homes where they were no more than lodgers. Mrs Sergei gave aspects of police work and the training that was involved in making a good policewoman. Mrs Sergei was welcomed by the president (Mrs H. E. Radley). Mrs Radley said how sorry she was that membership had decreased during the year and she moved that a new membership campaign be organised. The following officers were elected:—

Patrons, Mesdames J. Mackay, W. S. Mac Gibbon and Miss M. McLean; president Mrs H. E. Radley; vice-presidents, Mesdames A. Kennedy-White, E. R. Rice, E. McLean and j. G. Simpson; secretary, Mrs M. Bailey; treasurer. Mrs C. Merrin; the committee was re-elected with the addition of Mesdames M. Brandt and R. Higgins.