The White Ribbon For God and Home and Humanity. FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 1915. WOMEN POLICE.

White Ribbon, Volume 20, Issue 240, 18 June 1915, Page 9

The White Ribbon For God and Home and Humanity. FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 1915. WOMEN POLICE.

It is not sufficient to make good laws; they must be enforced. In the eighteenth century there was a law fori idding robbery, and yet highwaymen flourished. The old constables and watchmen charged with the enforcement of the law were feeble and corrupt In 18_rcj Sir Robert Peel abolished tin* watchmen and organised the police force as we have it at present. In the light of fuller knowledge we are beginning to see how unjust it i> that men, and men only, should be enlisted in our police forte. Considering that more than half our population consists of women, girls, and young children, should there not be women police to safeguard their interests? This Dominion is lagging behind th * older lands in the matter of

women police. United States and Canada have women polite; Kngland has women patrols at military camps, and at least one full policeman whom h.is the honour of having on its police forte. Germany has had women police for eleven years, and though we detest the German militarism, we must admit their great administrative ability. In these lands the appointment of women I oliee is beyond the experimental stage. Los Angelos was the first city in U.S.A. to have a woman policeman. Mrs Wells, a noted so- < i.il worker of Xcw York, went to Los Angelos. One hundred of the < hief citizens petitioned the Mayor to appoint Mrs Wells to the police force, and he did so. Mrs Wells has now several assistants. She attends to all cases of women, young girls, and children, also deserted wives. She is charged to see the Curfew Law enforced, and young children are not c. \ the streets late at night. She also watches advertisements and guards young girls from falling into the traps of the White Slaver. The Sheriff of the city says: “No matter how depraved a young girl is, she dislikes to unfold her tale of woe to a man.” The chief of Los Angelos polite: force says: “The best policeman on my force is a woman.” He also bears this testimony: “Through women police crime has been considerably reduced.” Pittsburgh has four women constables. Toronto, in Canada, has two women police, who were appointed at the request o! the local Council of Women. They were specially appointed to protect young girls in parks and public grounds, also to stop young women being annoyed by bad characters on their way home from work. It is a crime for a worn.in to “solicit,” and the man who is annoyed has only to hand the worn,in over to a constable, but it is no crime for a man to solicit, and young girls are often annoyed by evil men on streets and in parks. What girl likes to complain to a policeman of undesirable attentions of this kind, and how slow a man, even a policeman, is to notice them. Hut wonmn police are ever on the alert to prole t girls from persecution of this kind. In Great Britain the massing of young men together in military camps and the attention these excite from the fair sex has frequently resulted *n disaster to the youths and ruin to the

young women. I'he Women’s Freedom League, by permission of the Home Secretary and Commissioner 01 Police, have appointed women patrols to watch districts in the neighbourhood of camps, and paid organisers sup rintend voluntary workers. Glasgow has some 2 5 patrols. Miss Darner Dawson is the chief office* in London, and she received the following testimonial from the General commanding the nth Division: — “To the Chief Officer, Women Police, —1 und that there is some idea of removing the two members of the women police now stationed here. 1 trust that this is not the case. The services of the two ladies in question have proved of great value. They have removed sources of trouble to the troops in a manner that the military police could not attempt. Moreover, I have no doubt whatever that the work of these ladies in an official capacity is a great safeguard to tin moral welfare of young girls in the town.” (Sgd) F. HAMMKRSLFY, M.G., Commanding nth Division, Grantham. South Australia i> petitioning for the appointment of women police. Is it not time some effort was made in this direction here? We have our military camps here. W e have had camp scandals. It is common talk the number of young women who have strayed from the path of virtue* at the request of the Boy in Khaki. Should we not have women patrols, who could warn girls, and guard them from moral shipwreck, and who could also shield the boys from older women, those harpies who get the boy into the'r toils, and ruin him me rally and contaminate him physically. if the* authorities will not appoint women patrols, cannot our women's societies do as they arc* doing in England? Surely the Defence Minister would follow the* precedent set by the Home Secretary, and sanction, if he will not appoint, women patrols. \Ye are not voteless, like our English sisters. Let us vote for the members who will press for the appointment of women police, women Magistrates, women jurors.