The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-05-18
POLICEWOMAN NO
LONGER 4 JOKE
SAYS OFFICER
Mrs. Alice stcbbins Wells. of
Los Angeles Tells Of Growth
of Movement Throughout
the United States.


Baltimore, Md, May is.-A police
woman, Mrs. Alice Stebbins Wells, OF
Los Angeles. Calf. was given close
attention By a special section OF the
national conference OF charities and
correction here today when she told
OF policewomen's work.
Fur a long time past, she said. the
woman policeman has been a fig
ment Of the imagination. held up TO
rldlcule as the acme Of the absurd
and impossible. but though the last
echo OF derision stu reverberates,
there has ~ ,wn a policewoman move
ment as great In strength and size
as any recent humanitarian move
ment has attained in equal time
"A the latest list OF cities which
have added regular -pOllcewomen as
an integral part OF the police depart
ment for outside work, she named
Chicago. as leading with 90; Loa An
gcies, Baltimore and Seattle with 8
each: san Francisco and 81. Paul ,
each: Topeka. Minneapolis, Dayton
and Toronto. 2 each; Vancouver,
Fargo. Grand Forks, Rochester. n. y.
Ottawa, Auorra, san Antonio. SYRIA
Nuhf. btHNtAs MuAlNAtg 10AuAaau
Springs. Superior, jamestown, n. y,
Fort Wayne. Ind. Racine, Wis, and
hPoenlx, Ariz. one each, She also be-
lieved that loux city Ia, Beatrice and
Omaha, Neb., Boston n Salem,
Mass, Bellingham. Wash, and Ithaca
n. Y, we're to be included In the list
and she named Poughkeepsie. n. Y,
and Des MOlnes, Ia, a. places where
a p-olicewoman was paid from private
funds. with approval OF the chief.
In addition there were numerous cit
les which employed police nations.
She had found upon investigation
that the United States led In this de-
parture, for Notwithstanding reports
OF the employment of policewomen In
foreign countries she had been unable
to learn that they were officially en-
ployed abroad except In Norway; and
In England In IA voluntary way.
The need OF women on the police
force has arisen, she said. from the
fact that Industrial and social energy
no longer conferred In the home, but
has given us an age In which men,
women and children, eat, sleep. work
and play together as never before in
n NOfldH history.
Mrs. Wells was tho first policewo-
man In Los Angeles. the post being
created upon her initiative. Il had
charge OF this work" she said. and
/ know two thingE: That girls and
women In trouble have a right TO the
sympathetic help OF women officers;
and that men officers have a right TO
exemption from what may be a con-
slant temptation to the weak, and
from enforced and unnecessary associ-
alton with those who. u %rescntful,
may cast "A cloud upon the reputation
OF tho most exemplary. The best Of
ncers are the most reluctant TO I'M
alone the handling OF girls,
and will sometimes resign In prefer
oncc.'
Mrs. Wells told how the police
woman's work took her into the home
to talk 10 mother and daughter as no
man could hope to do. and OF m
Gus other police activities In which
ONE engaged.
Il would not give the impression
she said. that the policewoman's
work Is a silver lining or an orna-
mental fringe To the very darS
clouds of law enforcement for which
a policeman stands In the average
mind. She Is an integral part OF the
department and stands for law en-
forcement. but her largest and best
work Is to prevent, for the securing
Of obedience TO law Is the very best
form OF law enforcement.
Does the policcwoman make ar
rests? u a question asked. Indeed she
does-but as few as possible. and
those In keeping with the spirit of
the work. She does not try To do the
traditional WORK Of the policeman on
the street, but when "A girl Is 10 he
brought in and held for any reason, It
Is right for the p-olicewoman TO go
and bring her in. II she has to sum
mon to our the proprietor OF a place
OF amusement, she does so. Thess
constitute arrests, yet are no more
spectacular OF unwomanly than the
work daily performed by other Gus
mess and professional women"
Concluding with an advocacy of the
extension OF state police Mrs. Wells
saw still further work Tor poiiceWo-
men. She believed they would some
day be mutually exchanged between
the large cities OF any one state, trnv-
cling from one % the other. ~incognlto
fashion, and be able to reveal In the
strange cities hitherto unsupported
conditions.