WOMEN POLICE

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 78, 1 April 1916, Page 9

WOMEN POLICE

DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER.

' A number of women representing the T.W.C.A. Conference held a few'weeks ago waited on the Hon. A. L. Herdman, Minister in charge of the Police Department, to urge the appointment of

women police.

Miss Birch, secretary to the conference, voiced the views of the conference, to the effect that there is at the present time ani.army oE girls, working in the cities and'towns, many of them replacing men who have gone to the front, and that women police would have a better understanding of them, and exercise more moral suasion than "young men constables/.' and, that they would be more capable of leading girls into places where wholesome companionship could be found. It was also urged that if women were-appointed some of the male police could be released for active service. . The conference, she added, represented about 4000 members.

Mrs. A. R. Atkinson said the Chief of Police in London had testified to the good that women police were able to do. Women police had been appointed in a great many centres, including London and Manchester. She was told also that in Sydney women police were "in full swing," and she knew, that South. Australia had made every arrangement to have a considerable number of towns policed by women. She thought that women police could do a great deal of good in area adjoining camps. There were also certain cases heard in the Courts where the presence of a woman policeman would be highly desirable. Suitable women were obtainable, and some were fully capable of capturing a burglar. "There are women who have dons it," she added. They asked that the experiment be tried in the- four centres. .■

The Minister said he had not forgotten the representations made to him by a deputation about a year ago. Enquiries had been made by the Department on the subject, particularly in regard to America, and he had received some very valuable information. The war had to some extent been responsible for, the delay in fully considering the suggestion then put forward, but he would be glad to submit the deputation's representations to the Government. To carry them out would, he thought, need an alteration of the law. Also, he would endeavour to get into communication with the authorities in England on the subject. He would be glad to snpply the association with any information that he obtained on the subject. „■'".