A POLICEWOMAN'S DAY

Evening Star, Issue 18333, 21 July 1923, Page 15

A POLICEWOMAN'S DAY

varied Amo exacting task.

SOME OF HER JOBS,

Among the many positions that have become eligible for woman since she began her campaign of emancipation is that oi a member of the Police iorce (sap to® Melbourne ‘Age’). Conservative Eng and employed women in this capacity lung before radical Australia even thought of doing so, 1917 being the year m. which tho tiret policewoman took up duty in V ic That she is working in our city of Melbourne most .women know, but they are not so certain as to the nature oi _ her duties. “Does she wear uniform? is a common question. So far ; she is at üboi y to express her personality through the medium of her clothes, anct is hoping that, if ever the time comce when that liberty is taken from hor, she will not bo asked to wear a helmet. ~ The policewoman is appointed primarily to safeguard tho welfare of women and children. In tho streets she watches tor young girls who show a tendency to Unsake tho narrow path for the broad, bhe tactfully questions these girls, and. usUtfor their names and. addresses, so that she can make inquiries as to their environment and 1 conditions of living. Sometimes fake replies are given, and the policewoman, who has made a mental not© of the faces of tho girls, makes up hor mind) to seo them again. When tills happens, she escorts the girls to headquarters, and they are eventually dealt with by the couit. This preventive policy has some excellent results. , , „ To do what she can to combat the venereal scourge is another duty of the policewoman. It is good but not always pleasant work, tor_ in carrying it out she must sometimes visit hovels of whose existence the average woman knows nothing. Girls and women suffering from the disease are admitted to clinics, and the policewoman sees that they attend regularly. In cases of indecent assaults against chil-da-on, the victims speak much more frankly to a policewoman than man. Regular attendance at odfart is necessary so that these new _ guardians of the law may become familiar with criminals of their own sex and with men guilty of sexual offences. In connection witly big court cases, a policewoman sometimes spends twenty-four hours a day for weeks guarding a female witness whoso evidence is specially valuable to the Crown. Another duty is to keep women on bail under surveillance, and to csoort women prisoners from one part of the State to another.

To vary her duties a policewoman sometimes has her fortune told, not onoo, but many times, and it is usually an expensive fortune for the teller, because the art of forecasting the future is against the law, 'and the court does not always deal gently with offenders. After a round of fortunetelling policewomen are convinced that the age of romance is not past. They are prosentod with innumerable husbands and lovers of all sorts, sizes, and descriptions, and happiness, tragedy, wealth, and poverty are so mixed up after a number of visits that they can never decide which story to believe. Bogus dentists and doctors are beginning to regret that women have been admitted into the force.

If any woman doubts the existence of slums in Melbourne, she should. ask a policewoman for enlightenment. High rents and bad housing conditions are largely responsible for the fact that whole families are herded in one room. Sometimes it is not merely a question of one room, but of one bed* Sickness, sometimes of both parents, and unemployment are common factors in bringing a family to this pass, and when the policewoman discovers the case eho reports it to some charitable

organisation for the purpose of obtaining re But there are certain cases in which, a policewoman must aot for horself. ne evening not very long ago a woman was .arrested for drunkenness. _ It was discovered that she possessed six children and a missing husband. The matter was one for a policewoman. At 9 o’clock she set oat to a distant suburb to look for the children, and found their homo empty, dark and with little furniture and less food 1 . A neighbor thought the children had gone to the pictures. The policewoman went to the pictures, too —in fact, to more than ono lot of pictures—but, failing to find the children, she returned to the house and kept vigil on the verandah until after 11 p.m., when a little procession came up tho street. Leading it ivas a girl of twelve, with a baby in her arms, and trailing behind her were four other children, all younger than herself. “ Have yon had any tea?” asked tho policewoman “Bread and jam,” raid the girl. Bread and jam for tea* nothing in the house for breakfast, but they had been to tho pictures! Some time after midnight the children were at homo in various charitable institutions, and! in the early hours of tho morning tho policewoman was at home, too. Late in tho evening a telegram may arrive at headquarters. “Meet last train from Ballarat. Girl of eleven travelling aWno.” Tho policewoman meets tho girl, and such an examination as tho following may take place “Did you expect anyone to moot you?” “Yes, my mother.” “Where docs she live?” “I don’t know. She used to live at Carlton, but I don’t think she does now,” “ Who put yon on the train?” “A man.” “What was his name?” “I call him Jack. He’s my undo.” With tide information tho policewoman sots out' to find the mother who need to live in Carlton. Tho girl takes her to tho house where the mother used to live, and after much hanging on the door someone comes and informs them that Mrs Jones has moved away—she may be living at a house down at. tho comer. She 'went there. The house at the, comer is roused. The mother is there, but she refuses to receive her daughtr. When day is very young tho girl is placed in a home, and for the time being the policewoman’s work is done.

Her lot, if not altogether happy, is certainly varied.