WOMEN POLICE

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 26, 1 February 1926, Page 3

WOMEN POLICE

"WORK THAT MEN CAN-

NOT DQ"

, REQUEST FOR EXTENDED

POWERS

(From Our Own Cormpondtnt.) ] LONDON, 15jth December. ! In London at the present time > there are 46 women police^ and ' outside London the total is 85. A deputation organised by tho National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship, and supported by a large number of women's organisations, waited: unon the Home Secretary (Sir W."JoynsonHicks), in connection with the Amending Bill to the Municipal, . Corporation Act, 1882, ::

The BilJ imposes on watch committees of borough. councils . the statutory duty of appointing women police. Among those associated with tho reputation in support of the Bill were Viscountess Astor, Miss Eleanor rßathbone (National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship), Miss Ellen Wilkinson, M.P., Commandant Allen (Women's Auxiliary Corps and National Women's Liberal Federation), Miss Gray (Association 'of Headmistresses), Miss Macadam (National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship), and Viscountess Rhonddal (Six Point Club); Miss Wilkinson's Bill "proposes to amend the 1882 Corporation Act authorising the appointment of lit men for police work by adding the words "and fit women." She told the Home Secretary that it had been found that not many corporations were appointing women police. . The Bill would give the Home Office that legislative backing which she thought they would consider necessary before taking such a step, and it would give women police where they were most needed. She hoped the Government would no.t, put on their Whips against .the .Sil], so that they could have from the House of Commons some expression of opinion that they approved.

Miss Eleanor Eathbone remarked that extremely slow progress had been made to the appointment of women police. Counteracting forces were sometimes too strong for local authorities, and often led them, against; their better judgment, to fail to" introduce women police. "

Lady Astor mentioned that in ono town where the. Chief. Constable was in favour of appointing women police the Watch Committee said he must not do it. There were only a few people, .who did not want ..women police. ' ' .; . .

Commandant Mary Allen inquired whether it was not possible to appoint a woman to the.Home Offico,as,an,inspector of constabulary. Tho , w.omen police did not want to tako^awiy from the men any of the work that belonged to them, but they felt that, they should be trusted with their own work among women and children.

. Sir William Joynson-Hicks did not think it was a question of politics at all; it was a question of what was best to be done. He was not at all opposed to women police. The first thing he did when he became Homo Secretary wm to increase their number. In the metropolis they had 46 women police in active work, and hw had nothing but good reports on tho result of his experiment. . The difficulty was that they had tn'6 committees —-the Baird and the Bridgeman Committees—recommending an extension of ,the women police, but alao recommending that; it shbuld.be left in the hands, of the local authorities. They were asking him to get Parliament to force on unwilling local authorities women police. At present he admitted the experiment had been very ' unsatisfactory. The fact that outs.ide London there were only 85 women police showed that in the minds of the local authorities there was ;» distinct objection to.having women police. Ho could give the deputation a promise that'he would not oppose tho till, and next session he took;jt that several of the members. would ballot for a Bill of that kind, and he hoped there would be a chance of having a full discussion on the matter. The deputation would ; probably find that there would-be a still further increase of women police in the near future. WHERE THE MALE OFFICER IS HELPLESS. 'Miss Wilkinson, M.P., says that objectors have urged that no attempt is made by the engineers of the movejnent "to show that women do in fact perform duties which a real policeman cannot do better." . ■'* ' "We do not want great brawny women particularly," . replied-Miss Wilkinson. "Wherephysic 41.strength is needed the man is, of course, superior. Women officers would bo selected for their other : qualities, and their duties would be'very clearly defined. Where women and children.are concerned the policewomen can work wonders in cases where a .male officer is helpless. Policewomen are not intended to intimidate or to-spy upon the public. ■ They are Jo'work' upon the principle that pre"enl;ion is better than punishment, education' better than repression.' "We Co not specify any particular number of policewomen, and the question of suitability must be left to the Watch Committees." WOMEN'S ADMIRABLE WORK. Lady Rhondda points out that tho need for new legislation arises from the. present position of the law, which leaves in the hands of; local watcli committees the employment of borough constables. Many of these have had no opportunity of testing the adr mirable work' done by., policewomen, and are reluctant to make the experiment. Thoso'-who support the B: , realise that wherever wornon have been employed their work hrs been, admirable, and . that only a more : general experience of their employment is needed to create among local authorities a general recognition of their utility. . Commandant .Mary , All on .writej: "The service, now a fails accompli,'is recognised as a national need by-nicst thinking men and women. , . . If the sexes are equal, as to-day surely, no one denies, why should men abrogate to themselves the right to deal with women alone?" ■."..■ 85, Fleet street. ' ■■>„..•