The Washington times., 1920-03-27
DC.POiiCeUOMen
HOuD They Work
Told By Their Chief,
By FRANCES DE SALES RYAN.


-HE director OF the woman's
Police Bureau Is particularly
Il enthusiastic when she speaks
of the plans that will be actusltzed
when the bureau and the House OF
Detention are merged In one build
ing-the old Emergency Hospital
building at Fifteenth street and
Ohio avenue, which IL now being
fitted up for it's purposes.
The plans that Mrs. Van Wrinkle
has made have the Endorsement,
she said of the War Camp activity
workers, the District Commissioners
and the Federation OF Womens
Clubs.
On the first floor OF the building
will be the main offices OF the bu-
reau. the application and complaint
departments. the kitchen and pan
try. a room equipped with shower
baths, a receiving room for waros'
and a. series or small rooms Ideally
suited for private heart-to-heart
interviews with girl offenders.
The second floor will have a
recreation room. "A school room, a
dining room, the superintendent
office, a psychiatric clinic, a social
emergency rooms for dependent or
stranded women or girls over seven
teen years old.
The other floors will contain
bedrooms, recreation and occupa-
ton rooms, dependent children's
rooms, separate rooms for female
wards over seventeen years old. a
section for colored wards, and many
provisions that will aid In carrying
out the program arranged by the
director OF the Woman's Bureau.
- Hour. a Day.
THE new arrangement" said
Mrs. Van Wrinkle, will be con-
ducive to much good for our wards.
the courts, and the bureau itself.
Investigators will be on duty TWEEN
ty-four hours a day, thus enabling
the officers to present their cases
in better form to the courts. A
large number Of case combinations
that cause expense and waste OF
time to the courts will automatic
ally be avoided. 1t will. give the
woman's bureau necessary space
and enable 1t to organize it's work
into divisions covering missing
girls, case work, patrols. court
and general police work. These
groups will be separated In small
offices on the first floor OF the new
buildingS
One Of the most interesting fea-
lures Of the new arrangement VIII
be the psychiatric clinic. 1t will
be in charge of a stafr Of psychia-
trists composed of men and women
specialists in mental diseases,
who will be prepared to apply the
most scientifically devised tests to
demonstrate the intelligence. quick
ness, judgment, resourcefulness,
alertness, physical sensitiveness
and other qualities Of women and
girl offenders who show signs OF
abnormality.
The first idea of the psychiatric
clinic, explained Mrs. Van Wrinkle,
was based on the universally
acknowledged influence OF mental
defects in the preparation OF GRIM
inal acts. The results of the ex-
aminations made by the psychia-
trists, she said, will enable the bu-
reau to apply proper treatment 10
certain cases where otherwise IN
teIligent help could not be given.
Under a rule Of the bureau. now
ever, the psychiatric examination
will never be given in any case
unless the girl or woman offender
gives full consent to 1t.
Needs Of Bureau.
after we, shall have moved into
our new building" said Mrs. van
Wrinkle, there will remain seven
urgent needs which I hope Will
soon be met. These needs are:
First, a reformatory for girls
over seventeen years Of age.
Second, quarantine law, includ-
ing venereal disease wards or
suitable hospital for venerealized
cases.
Third. jurisdiction of the Juven-
lie Court over all girls up to the age
of twenty-one. This would result in
reducing the overcrowding in the
Police Court and would remove the
girls from the influence of vicious
criminals, degenerates and so forth.
Fourth, an institution for feeble
minded women and children.
Fifth, a law prohibiting children
from attending movies unless ac-
companied by parent or guardian.
sixth, dance-hall ordinance.
Seventh, a law to make physical
and mental examin atoms obligatory.
won't you put these needs be-
fore the great family Of readers OF
The Washington Times. so that the
noble minded women of the Capital
may be prompted to cooperate with
us?"
(Tomorrow, Mrs. Van Wrinkle tells