Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-09-25
Circulation Every 1OcE0
Evening Yesterday L AAOOO
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1918.
Women on the Police Force

Women on the Police Force
A. = meeting Of the Womcn's Com
nnttcc OF the State Council OF Defence
Monday afternoon. Mrs Charles u.
Miller and other women urged upon
the Policr Commissioners the prOpriety.
even necessity, of appointing some women
"a the city pohcc force. With quite
number OF vacancies on the forcr. 10 MI
which with capable men the Police Com
mission is experiencing great difficulty,
tho opportunity surely IS at hand tor
Wilmington To test tho efficiency and
usefulness of women peace officers
Thus far the only women members
ot the Wilmington police force arr the
two matrons ~ the police station. and
although objections wcrr urg~d when u
was first proposed 10 have matrCns, bong
wears OF useful service have demonstrated
that they src necessary adiuncts ct ponce
detail at the police station. A proposition
at this time 10 dispense with them would
hc howed down bv the community
They are Indispensable IN dealing with
women offenders arrested iy the pohor
The brutality Of man-handtng oi women
prisoners, even IN the most humane snd
easy manner possible. would not Ire
tolerated TODAY IN any community. There
nrr police, matrons IN all cities of any
municipal importance.
The first suggestion Of women p"hcc
officers Is naturally wpuenant. The
average male unnd easily inclIncs to the
conclusion that 1T will not do That
women arc not fitted for the rough and
dangerous service that al any hour may
confront policc officers And this seems
,,smahlc
R,It tho experiment. has hccn tired m
.thcy cities ard everywhere has proved
>rcct.- t~ Mrs Miller So effectively
r0infcd n0 II NoniaN afternoon i
cotrg gbcf. are conditions IN tins cltN
hat oan bo n.ct mach more effectively
women police ot GERS than hy men.
spcaalk ( thus the case in respect Of
The TOO many places. according fo com
mon report of hquor saloons where
Young women arc permitted 70 enter
and indulge IN intoncantS Here i
where women police officers would be
Valuable
Mrs. Coleman du Pont also gave prac-
tical information IN tho form of personal
observations she had ample opportunity
nf making during recent visit to Ing
and and other countries Of Europe In
England she had seen pohcewomen at
work. and told OF the good service they
rendered Miss Fst her l4ape Of the Coun-
cil Of War Organization, New York City,
gave further practical testimony by
telling of the inc work done hy the five
r.olicevonen who have hccn actively
employed in that city for several months.
General | Pnscv WickerSham. prcsl-
dent of the Board of Police Commission
ers. expressed his favor Of the proposition
to employ some capable women III police
service, but was doubtful whether the
law. as II now stands. would allow the
apr,ointment of women 10 the police
force.
II is hoped this legal difficulty does
not exist With the need of the services
of capable women III police work Sc
apparent. there is no reason why the
CITY Of Wilmington should not venture
upon the project. The results secured IN
other cities from the employment OF
women II police work prove that the
project has passed the experimental stage
1t has worked well elsewhere, and there
is no reason to fear il would not work
equally well in our clty II Is hoped the
Police Commissioners VIZ give the sub
Jet careful consideration and flll . few
of the alarmiDgly large numbers OF exist
ing vacancies on the police force by th'
appointment. Of capable women. Shoulc
The law actually prohibit such appoint
rnents, il should be amended as soon q
possible after the assembling Of the mex
Legislature