The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-11
ENGLANDNEEDS
POLICEWOMEN
Largely Increased Number Of
Female Workers Leads to
Needed Supervision.
THEIR WORK PREVENTIVE
SO Far Those Appointed Have
Shown Great Capacity
for Service.
THEIR WORK PREVENTIVE
Special Correspondence 10 THE stS.

LONDON, July 27.-Policewomen are
moment. The director of the Training
School for Policewomen and Patrols says
that at present she is obliged to refuse
| more than half the applications for
trained workers which come to her, SIM
ply because women in sufficient numbers
do not realize the vital and crying need
of police and patrol work, both as war
work and as a permanent profession.
Policewomen are not needed. as some
people seem to imagine, In order to reg
ulate vice. but for the healing. upholding
and preventive work of women for wom-
ell wherever women are unfortunate
enough to come into contact with the
criminal law.
Sir Leonard Dunning. H. NJ. Chief In
spector of Constabulary for England and
Wales, has devoted more than half his
latest report to the work of police
women and to the many developments it
may take. For in the last three years
policewomen have been tested and their
great value amply proved.
In ALL 1874 policewomen have been APP
pointed, and are working in seven coun-
ties and twenty-four boroughs. Thirty
one are on special duty, forty-three on
ordinary duty, eighty-nine on office work
and they are employed and valued at
such important places as Bristol. Bir.
mingham. oxford. Reading. Sheffield
Gloucester county and Somerset county
War Increases Need.
The war has deepened the need.
though there we're only some half dozen
policewomen at work before the war be-
gan. Before the war women employed
in Government and local government
work and in public institutions were be-
ginning to demand that women officers
should have some regular means of APP
preach to women who came within the
! arm OF the law.
Their purpose is prevention and not
punishment. and who can gainsay that
such prevention among the young at any
rate. is best performed by women of
tact and experience? But let II he chiefly
understood that polcewomen are not in
tended to take the place of policemen,
but to assist them and supplement their
work. They must be well educated and
naturally obserVant: they must have
enough courage to keep their faith in
human nature without blinking the facts
with which they will have TO deal. Per-
sonality and character count for much
In their work.
What is Rat work" Roughly Il may
be divided into four heads: I. Investi-
CATION of cases and reporting on them
., inspection: 2. taking depostions: 4.
street patrolling
In all these things a woman candI-
date has good and practical training at
the school. Educated and experienced
women from - to A., with good sight
bearing and general health. and who are
over : feet 3 inches in height. are asked
to apply to the director for such train
ing. which as a rule takes three months
hut varies with the needs Of individual
candidates and Of appointing COM
mttees. The course includes practical
instruction in police work by attendance
at police courts. patrol work and classes
IN report writing. and instruction on the
various acts connected with women and
children.