Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-20
P0L|CEWOMAN DESCRIBES
HER WORK IN Los ANGELES
Mrs. Welps Given Close Attention by
Ono Section OF Charities and Cor
rectiOn Conference.
MANY CITIES IN MOVEMENT
United States Leads In This Depar-
ture, and Women Now Are Into
grail Parts Of Police Departments
for Outside Work.

BALTIMORE. MD, May ia po-
liccwoman. Mrs. Alice Stcbbins Wells.
OF Los Angeles. Cal, was given close
attention by a special section of the
National Conference of Charities and
correction here. when she told Of po-
liccwomen's work
For "a long time past" she said. the
woman policeman has been n ngmcnt
OF the imagination. held up to ridculc
AS the acme of the absurd and impos-
sible. hut though the last echo of de-
riSion still rcvcrbcratcs, there has
grown a pOliccwoman movement AS
great in strength and size any re-
cent humanitarian movement has at
'hlncd In equal time"
AS the latest list of cities which have
ADDED regular pol!ccwomcn as AN in
tegrai part Of tho police department for
outside work. She named. Chicago. as
leading with twenty; Los Angeles. Bal
tiinorc and Seattle. with five each: san
Francisco ana ST. Paul. three each: To-
peka, Minneapolis. Dayton and Toronto,
two each: Vancouver. Fargo. Grand
Fork. Rochester. y. Y. Ottawa. Au-
Iora' san Antonio Syracuse. Denver.
Munci". Colorado Springs. Superior.
jamestown. y. T.; Fort Wayne. Ind;
Racine. Wis. and Phoenix. Ariz., one
each. She also believed that Sioux City,
Ia: Beatrice and Omaha, Neb.; Boston
and Salem, Mass; B"llingham, Wash.
and Ithaca, y. Y. were TO be included
in the list, and she named Pough-
keepsie. y. Y, and Des Moines, Ia. as
places where a policcwoman was paid
from private funds. with approval Of
the chief. In addition there were nu-
merous cities. which employed police
matrons.
UNITED STATES HEADS
IN THE DEPARTURE
She had found upon investigation
that tho United States led In this de-
parture, for. Notwithstanding reports
or the employment OF policewomen in
foreign countries. she had been unable
70 learn that they were Officially en-
ployed abroad except In Norway. and
In England In voluntary way.
The need OF women on the police
force had arisen, she said, from tho
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
;he worlds history"
Mrs. Wells was tho first policcwoman
In Los Angeles, tho post being created
upon her initiative. II had charge OF
this work" she said. "and l know two
things: that girls and women in trou-
bic have right 20 the sympathetic
help OF women officers: and that men
officers have n right TO exemption from
what may be n constant temptation to
tho weak, and from enforced and un-
necessary association with those who
II resenttul. may cast n cloud upon the
reputation OF the most exemplary The
hest officers are the most reluctant to
undertake alone the handling Of girls.
and VIII sometimes resign in prefer
cnce"
Mrs. Wells told how the policewom-
ans work took her into tho home 10
talk 10 mother and daughter. as no
man could hope TO do. and of numcr-
Gus other police activities in which
women engaged.
j would not give the Impressions"
she said, that the pol!cewoman's work
IL silver lining or an ornamental
fringe 70 the very dark clouds of law
enforcement for which policeman
stands In the average mind. She is an
integral part OF the department and
stands for law enforcement 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 pol!cewoman make ar
rests? Is question asked. Indeed she
does-bu' as few as possible. and those
IN keeping with tho spirit of the work.
she does not try to do the traditional
work Of the policeman on the street
but when girl is TO be brought in and
held for any reason. IL is right for
tho policewoman TO go and bring her in
II she has 10 summon TO court the pro
pr!etor OF place Of amusement, she
does so. These constitute arrests. yet
are no more spectacular or unwomanl,-
than the work daily performed by other
business and professional women"
Concluding with an advocacy of the
extension OF State police Mrs. Wells
saw still further work for policewonen
She believed they would some dav be
mutually exchanged between the large
cities OF any one State, travelling from
ono 70 the other, !ncognito fashion. and
be able TO reveal in the strange cities
hitherto unsuspected conditions