Evening star., 1912-11-20
POL|CEW0MEN NEEDED
IN LARGE CITIES, SHE SAYS
Mrs. Wells of Los Angeles De-
scribes Work They
Should Handle.

Reasons why every large city should
have one or more policewomen were ex-
planned to a large audience which gath
cred at All Souls Church, 18th and L
streets northwest, last night by Mrs.
Alice Stebbins Wells, a member of the
Los Angeles police force. Mrs. Wells be-
came a member of the force two years
ago and it is claimed was the first
woman in this country to be appointed a
police officer in a large city.
Mrs. Wells address was delivered at
the invitation and under the auspices OF
the Committee for Social Betterment OF
the District of Columbia, Of which Mrs.
Henry F. Blount is the president. She
was Introduced by Commissioner Rudolph.
Mrs. Wells began her address by stat
ing that of all municipal departments the
police department is the least understood
by the average citizen.
Facts Are Not Known.
Il doubt if there are twenty people in
this audience who know the hours po-
licemen are required to work in this city
and how much vacation they are given
each year. Neither do you know their
salary" said Mrs. Wells.
Even though you depend on the police
to protect you day and night you give
little thought to their work. The police
man is without companionship. If they
are not socially ostracised they are So
cially neglected. Their lot is by no means
an easy one, for they are constantly as
sociated with criminals.
''The average citizen has not studied or
even become slightly acquainted with the
work Of the policeman and therefore can
not at first appreciate the need for the
policewoman. But there is a crying need
for such officers Of the law. They are
best fitted for certain lines of work. One
or more policewomeR should be connect
ed with each police department for the
sole purpose of receiving complaints
from women. If for nothing else. Women
hesitate to go to a policeman for infor-
nation and advice. This is easily under
stood, and, as result, 1t behooves every
municipality to provide woman officers
who can render help in many ways
where man is almost entirely power
less.
Fitness for Duties.
4"The policewoman is particularly adapt
ed to preventive work. She is the best
fitted to handle juvenile offenders, for q
woman has the motherly instinct that
enables her to accomplish wonderful
tasks. ! believe that every city should
have a woman attached to it's lost per-
sons bureau. She is Of great value in
tracing missing persons who have be-
come separated from their families.
have had considerable experience in this
line in Los Angeles as head Of the lost
persons bureau and know just what can
be done.'
Mrs. Wells described her work in Los
Angeles and told at length her expert
ences with the violators of the laws of
that city preventing the sale of tickets to
moving picture theaters or any other pub
lie amusement to children under four
teen years Of age unless accompanied by
adults. Many arrests were made as the
result of her Investigations
Mrs. Wells said that the policemans s
work and that Of the policewoman is
greatly hampered by the refusal of
many people to appear in police courts
as witnesses. She severely criticised we'll
to-do people who shirk the responsib.li-
ity Of going into police court to assist
the police in cleaning out crime and bet
tering social conditions.