Evening star., 1921-10-26
WORK
! OF c|TYFOR GIRLS
Lieut.. Van Wrinkle of Police
Department Addresses
Piney Branch Citizens.

Emphasizing the trials, tribula-
tions and aims" of the woman's bu-
reau Of the police department, Lieut..
Van Wrinkle, its head. addressed a
special meeting of the Piney Branch
Citizens Association at the Iowa
Avenue NJ. E. Church, 14th and Elmer
son streets. last night
Lieut. Van Wrinkle thanked the
members of the organization for tho
invitation extended her to appear be-
fore them, and then detailed the
work accomplished by the bureau
since it's formation four years ago.
She explained the methods resorted
to by the department to protect girls
and young women of the city, ana
gave many instances where first or
tenders had reformed and returned to
useful lives through the help OF those
in the bureau.
Tribute to Police Force.
She paid high tribute to the char
acter of the men Of the District police
force, and said that the body was
the cleanest, most honest ana Ien /"
able of it's kind in the United States.
Mrs. Van Wrinkle deplored the at
tempts of certain persons In WASH
ington" to belittle the work or the
department, and said that to aliude 70
the city as the most crime-ridden IN
the country was not only UNJUST, put
an absolute lie
.If the citizens of the District but
knew the graft, dishonesty and crime
that prevail in many other police de-
,, partments of the country, as do, que
must say to petty politics. they
their city was guarded by such an
honorable set of men, she SAID
She recited the many obstacles sne
| had to overcome to get recognitlon IN
the city. and told of the fight she and
her assistants made to gain posses
sion of the present house OF deten-
ton.
But we got it," said Mrs. Van
Wrinkle, due to nothing else. but the
Influence of our present President at
the time he was senator, and senator
Smoot of Utah"
Strides in Past Year.
The sneaker then gave details of
how the institution is conducted, and
;old of the strides that had been made
in the past year. during whlcn II mas
been transformed from an overcrowd-
ed hole to one of the most up-to- GATE
buildings of the kind to be found In
the United States.
the building, and pleaded support Of
the organization in q movement now
under way to convert the lot ad5oin-
ing the building into a playground
for the young children who are sent
to the institution. we own the
ground" said Mrs. Van Wrinkle. but
there is certain objection to our turn
ing it into a playground
She further asked support OF the
a associat ton in her fight to have extra
women appointed to the force. Our
limitations are many" she SAID. ana
with our duties increasing daily, 1t Is
almost impossible for US to meet the
requirements. Our women practi-
caily work day and night. and with
requests from different sections of
,ba cjty continually coming in we
find it herculean task to cover the
District"
DOmestic Relations Court.
Nrs. Van Wrinkle stressed the ne
cessity of a domestic relations court
in tho District, and said she favored
such an institution rather than
Juvenile Court. In most cases.. she
said, "the parents are more to blame
than the child. and the only way to
get at them is through such court
In conclusion, Mrs. Van "inkle
complimented Maj. Gessford. super
intendent of police, for his splendid
and pleaded with her
auditors to think twice before al
lowing him to be removed from
Office
Edgar B. Henderson, president of
the organization, introduced the
speaker. and following her talk. the
association gave her q rising vote of
thanks Action on her appeal will
be taken at the regular meeting Of
the association in November.