Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-08
Scheme Is Endorsed by Many
Prominent Matrons of the City,
and Will Be Presented at
Next Meeting of Board,
Believed That Such Force Can
Do More Than Masculine Pa
troImen in Hating Girls Start
ing on the Downward Path,

Chief Beavers will work toward the
establishment of a squad Of police
women in connection with the Allan
Ia city police force, seeing therein, he
said yesterday, a potent means Of
combating influences dangerous 10
young women and girls. He informed
Mrs. Margaret McWhorter that he
would bend his efforts toward that
end. and asked the cooperation OF
Atlanta women.
His request for aid met a ready re-
Spouse, and from a dozen of the city's
most prominent women came express
sions of Endorsement OF his course. A
committee of women WI appear be-
fore the Police Commission at its next
meeting. with a petition for a revision
of the statutes that women may be
admitted to police duty, and for the
authorization Of their appointment.
The interest of the chief was
aroused several days ago when Mrs.
McWhorter first talked to him re-
garding the proposition, and Satur-
day. just before his departure for
Washington. he called her by tele-
phone to tell her that he was whole
heartedly favorable to the plan.
Law Must Be Changed.
"I believe it would be a good thing
70 have a few good shrewd women
on the streets to do detective work
more than as arresting officers. OF
course. the law would have TO ne
changed in order to make the course
legal.
There is no doubt but that 1--WE or
civ good women would 90 effective
work. / remember when we had no
notice matron and the Warden ha7
to look after the women prisoners as
well as after the men. l was a pa
tro1nan when Miss Sue Holloway
volunteered to act as matron, and
great many in authority objected. But
now we could not do without one.
81 believe that women on the
streets will do a work that men can
not do They can approach women
and girls. win their sympathy, and
many times prevent their rum.
would gladly welcome the appoint
ment of such officials
Mrs. McWhorter has been active
Gov several days toward securing the
interest and cooperation of repre-
sentative women in the effort to OBJ
tain a corps of women police.
..Tbe wonderful success which has
crowned the work of the iail and po-
Ice natrcn." she said yesterday, has
rroved that womens activities along
.bo lines Of crime prevention and
ar,aIiorat;on may be further extend
Cd The problem Of preventing wom-
on and girls from recruiting the
r.,l,s If the red light districts is of
as serious moment as the problem OF
retaining them from such hideous
life and far more easy, if the work
g.. only begun in time.
Street Lures Women.
.1, f. "a wer-conceded fact that the
brotheIs secure the bulk of their new
inmates from the women and girls
who roam the streets at night in
search Of the pleasure and recreation
which their cramped, poverty-ridden
homes can not give. Numerous times.
these unfortunates become outcasts'
social Iepers. before they fairly grasp
the meaning Of their drifting
She pointed out the work toward
vice conditions which is done in Chi
cago. in san Francisco. and In Kan
sas cities. through the agency Of po-
Hcewomen-
IF there were poIicewomen on the
streets n Atlanta" she said, many
a thoughtless young girl would per
haps remain a decent member Of So
ciety. Atlanta is no worse than other
cfgigs-in many respects its moral
tone is higher-but the verv alarming
fact remains patent 70 all that each
night one may see the streets TEEN
Continued on Page 2. Column 5.
This Section.