South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-01-21
City Needs Policewoman
According to City Officials

Now" that would never have hap
pened," the lady obviously explained.
Those young men never would have
been allowed to stand there any
length of time and they never would
have dared spoken to an unprotected
girl if "A policewOman had been walk
ing in and out of that station
'Supposing." she went on, that girl
hadn't had so much sense, or hadn't
been a good girl. the incident wouldn't
have turned out as harmlessly."
The next afternoon / was walking
along $. Michigan st. when a prom
inent club woman overlook me.
Doesn't it make you positively ill., "
she said. Just look at those young
girls. the way they are powdered and
painted and the way they are dressed
And they are young, too"
Lets watch them" So we walked
along some little distance behind, but
keeping them in sight. We hadn't
walked more than a hundred feet
nicely dressed man, with grip, pre-
sumably a travelingman. OF course
We couldn't hear what they said.
Man is Disguised.
Those poor deluded girls" said my
companion. did YOU see the look of
disgust on that mans face?"
1--WE may be mistaken, 1 said
Lett just watch them a few min
utes more" SO we walked another
block
A man. nicely dressed, stood along
the edge of the sidewalk. A stranger
1 should Judge, evidently waiting for
car bound toward the depot. They
went up TO him in much the same
manner they had approached the first,
and after exchanging a few words, he
"T told Won 60" said the club
worker. 1--WE certainly need police
woman in this town"
Coming so close together, these in
cidents produced a marked impression
so 1 called up Miss Ryan of the Assoc
ciated Charities the following morn
ing.
do we need a policewoman in
South Bend, Miss Ryan -
Most decidedly we do"
Would you give me some of your
reasons for thinking so. l asked.
There are so many good ones, its
hard to tell you them all Off-hand.'
Then this conscientious worker among
our poor and SHINING, talked long
while Of what a source Of prevention
policewoman would be. "Have you
ever noticed" she said, 1.-The influence
the presence Of good woman has
on the language and actions of both
men and bad women? In cases
concerned, the vulgarity that is so
often accumulated would never be
brought out at all. Where women
are detained and sent TO institutions
they should go in the custody of a
woman. And you can't possibly imag-
inc the girls she would prevent from
taking what Nigh. be their first step
toward an immoral life. the weak
girls would be protected from the
lures of the depraved, not TO mention
the vigilance she would exercise over
children, the amusem they patron
ize and their general supervision on
the streets and in public places.
Women know women she en-
phasized. land a policewOman could
give a word of advice that in many
instances would stem the tide of what
might result in a whole life of crime"
Yes. Says Chief Kerr.
What does Chief Kerr think of a
policewoman?
/ called up the chief DE we need
a pOlicewOman 20 1 asked.
Yes we do
do you think we will get one"
OF course the chief could not say
as TO that. but expressed himself to
the effect tn this would be the time
to make such a request.