AMERICAN POLICE WOMEN

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4433, 12 September 1939, Page 4

AMERICAN POLICE WOMEN

RUSH OF CANDIDATES

Why do girls want to be police women? For the first time in five years New York City is reviewing women candidates for the -police force, and taking its pick of thousands of girls who want the jab. ' Paul Kern, president of the Municipal Civil Service Commission, says that they represent “ the, finest group of young women we’ve ever had on any examination.” Teachers and lawyers, nurses and librarians, newspaper women and office workers were among the 315 candidates who competed in the physical and medical examinations recently held at the Municipal Building or will compete in mid November in cases where tests were postponed by request. These are the top-ranking applicants, who passed the written examination last spring. They are blonde and brunette, trim of figure, with smart hair-does and manicures, and requiring a minimum of rouge and lipstick to enhance the bloom of sweet two-and-twenty. For these prospective police women are all young. Most of them are in their early twenties a score or so competing are between 18 and 20, although they cannot be appointed before they roach 21—and none of them is over 29. They want to be police women for various reasons, chiefly because they want a good, steady job. The salary and its security is the greatest attracsiou. A police woman’s lot seems a happv one when it starts at two thousand'dollars a year, with increases up to three thousand dollars in five years, offers permanent employment, and retirement at half pay. Most of the girls say. too. that they are interested in social welfare work, and in crime prevention, and some say that they want “ to work with children.” One girl, just turned 21, says that she has wanted all her life to be a police woman because some of the men of her family are on the force. More than 5,000 young women made application when the new civil service list was announced early in the year. Upwards of 3,000 turned up to pay a 3 dollar fee and to take up the written test later. Thev all know that only 29 vacancies exist on the uniformed force. But the initial advertisement held a promise of other jobs: “This list will also be certified as appropriate for other positions requiring women of a high degree of physical ability and mental alertness. Persons receiving permanent positions as a result of such certification will be removed from the eligible list for police women.” The announcement of “ supplementary lists for permanent or temporary special detective work ” was another drawing card. One brisk little girl who ronfped with ease through all the dumbbell and high jumping, knew before she } started that, at 4ft lliu, she’d never wear a blue uniform with brass buttons. The minimum height for a police women is sft 2in. But if a girl is disqualified for height, or in some other minor particular. she may go on the supplementary list, provided she has rated 80 per cent, or better in her written test. The nature of this “ special detective work ” is not specified, but it is no secret that when Thomas E. Dewey was special prosecutor in charge of racket investigation, he looked in vain for a qualified operative who could double as a hat-check girl in a night club. The story "got around, and may account for the presence of some of the professional dancers and musicians who have been registering the strength of their grip and jumping a rope, along with the owners of college degrees and nurses’ diplomas. They came by relays to lie fingerprinted for identification, and changed into gymnasium suits for the series of six physical tests, then reported back the same day for medical check-up on vision, hearing, and soundness of heart and 1 tings. P. M. Brennan, examiner in charge, says that, while the physical examination serves to grade comparative strength and agility, it is designed to j eliminate only the “ grossly weak and j unfit.” If a" girl cannot lift a 251b j dumb-bell in one hand and a twenty- j pounder in the other—one at a time, of j course—and raise them alterately at j arm’s length upwards from the shoul- j dcr, site is wasting her time trying to get on the police force. Mast of them can do this with ease. But the test is competitive, and Die better they do the better they rate. The closer to the top of the list the nearer to a job. So the girls rested for a moment, took deep breaths, wiped their palms on the sides of their shorts, and tried the 30-35-pounders and the 35-40 weights. “ Take your time,” the judges encouraged them. “ you’re allowed two failures.”

The good-natured atmosphere had its calming effect, even on the most excited girls, who said later that they hadn’t slept a wink all night. With cheerful grins they took turns holding down each other’s feet for the abdominal muscle lift test, which they all called the “stomach stretch.” And thev wore good sports. On the whole thev got on well. Seventy per cent, is the passing average on the physical tests, and no mark was lower than 8-1 on tin l first day. most of them ranging from 90 to 98 per cent.