The White Ribbon. For God and Home and Humanity. WELLINGTON, FEB. 18, 1919. “ON THE BEAT WITH THE LADY COP.”

White Ribbon, Volume 24, Issue 284, 18 February 1919, Page 9

The White Ribbon. For God and Home and Humanity. WELLINGTON, FEB. 18, 1919. “ON THE BEAT WITH THE LADY COP.”

(\n a 11 ic It* from the “New \ orb rribunt.’*) 0 4 I lie policewoman is not a passing •fd ; she is not an experiment, she is *>t even a war measuie; she is simply fbe logical solution of one of our ;Teatest problems, the proper care and protection of our women and girls.

and sly* has tome to stay. She stands before you as a permanent and an cxtremel) important addition to the met ropolitan police force, and she demands your respect and co-operation. There were eight c»r tc*n of her sitting around a long table, each busily wrP ng a rejiort of her work of the previous day. Nice, motherly, middleaged women they were for the most part, with the exception of two who had the appearance of successful stenographers. I hey were all well dressed, n clothes that were decidedly feminine, and there was nothing about them that suggested in am way that they were guardians of the law. I here are vventeen of these lady cops working under the direct supervision of our woman l)e,out> Comm ssioner, Mrs Kllen O’Grady. They are almost without exception women who hive had long experience in the same sort of work. A goodly number have erved as pol’ce matrons, and the others have done detective work and invrstig ition of differ* n* kinds lor the department.

“ Tlic work of these women is confined almost ent'rely to the* protection of women and girls. I hey believe that rn oune * of prevention is worth a \ear in a reformatory, and so for the most nart they leave the punishment of offences to the men <>f the force and devote all their energies to the work of protection and prevention. And it is a really remarkable work that then are doing.

“K\?t> moni'ng (lie seventeen wo r men who com’xise Commissioner (M»rad>'s present squad assemble in the Depute Commissioner s office feu an hour’s instruction b\ theii chief. Plans arc discuss'd and questions answered, and in thi> wav the Deputy Commissioner keeps in close touch with the work xvh'ch the' women n<* doing She knows the «'<*».»»l of all the cases on which tie \ are working, and she often interviews the wrongdoers hers ‘lf. It a girl is reported as in need of employment, the Commis seiner finds hei a position; ;f marri age* is indicated she arranges for tit s. She furnishes food and < lothing and arranges temporarv loans where theie is need for sue h help.

44 Through the courtesy of Commissioner O’Grady 1 accompanied one of her police-women one evening last week as she made her rounds of the parks.

‘ While these policewomen an th*le gal protectors of women and girls of all ages, it is the younger girl-, girls from fourteen to sixteen years c»l age, to whom they are devoting the great c'st care and attention. It is the most vital problem for the moment and one who h it is extremely ditto ult to han dir, for the* heads of these susceptible young women have become completely turned by the glamour of khaki and blue serge, and it is extremely difli cult to differentiate between the' innocent and ‘he harmful friendships of the se young girls and their soldier and sailoi friends, and the situation often requites very tactful handling. “So many have asked the question, lust what does the policewoman do when she finds one* of these girls in tlv park?’ She- begins lur peregrin* tions in the early evening, sauntering slowly through the more* secluded portions of the park, where a more timid woman would not dare to go alone, hut the pol'tewoman is apparently fearless. She is unarmed, and her badge is usually in her handbag ; her only weapon is a police whistle. As she walks along she keeps a sharp look -out on cither side. There may be a black mass just ahead that looks like a roc k in the distance, but as she reaches it it moves and separates into txxo masses silhouetted against th«* skx, a soldier and a girl. The police uonan s»ieaks to th** g rl in a pleasant tone.

“ ‘Good evening, my dear, she sa\ > ‘lsn’t i‘ late foi you to be out here in this lonely spot.' I am a police\xoman, and i‘ is my business to t *kc • an.* «*f young girls. I would like t»» talk to xou for a minute.’

“The girl is usually very amen able, and the* policewoman takes In i out of the* hearing of t*'e young man and asks her questions cd all scuts, hei age, hei occupation, fanvly conditions, etc., and then she* conies to the subject of the young man, and aftei finding out all the particulars concern mg the i acquaintance, il the g ; rl G young she accompanies her to h'* i home and she has a conference xxi’h the* mother. She is alxxaxs c areful not to speak of the girls’ shortcomings be fore the father or brothers, for this might cause a family explosion. From th’s time on that girl is watched ova and urotected by the policewoman It she is out of employ me nt, xvork is found for her. Her name is giv'-n to the Big Sisters of the creed to which

she belongs, and they, too, look after her welfare. It is this personal campaign and the conscientious following up of the cases that aie bringing the improveme it whic h is so noticeable among the women and girls. “I have dealt .it some length on this particular branch ;f the work of the policewoman, but cio no. think loi

.i minute that this rovers the ac tivities of C oniiniss oner O'Gridy’s office. Not by a good Heal. Missing j»irl:> are found by the women of her j t • tt, men who have insulted the r stenographers arc trapped by one of the younger women s* nt ostensibly to seek employment, and are brought to justice, and the Commissioner has complete!) changed the old-fashioned methods of dealing with illegal practitioners, a feat of which she is particular!'. proud. In fac t, there arc* mam jobs for wlmh the* policewoman is far better fitted than a man, and these women are daily proving that

their app<* ntment to the service was

not a mistake.”