Evening star., 1922-06-11
IN SOCIAL FIRST AID.
Mrs. Van Wrinkles Job One
of Many Duties.

| to the many duties that are general!
| social service" few realize the I'm
portance and responsibility of the
work done by the policewoman O.
today. This is a rather recent pro
fession for women, especially in the
United States.
The first organized womens bu.
reau was established in Washington
during the fiscal year 1919, although
the first suggestion for such an or.
ganization was made in the majol
and superintendent's report for 1915
Since then similar bureaus have beer
established in Indianapolis. Detroit
Portland Ore; Seattle. St. Louis
Los Angeles. New York. Petersburg
Va; Richmond. Va, and York. Pa
Throughout the United States other
cities-about 900 in all-have discov-
cred the advantage of having at least
a limited number Of poIicew omen tc
work in connection with the regular
forces In handling certain Kinds OF
cases which are brought to the at.
tention OF precinct commanders ol
headquarters. Chicago has the largest
number of policewomen. having be-
tween 20 and 100. but they are no,
organized into women's bureaus, as
in the other cities listed. and SO can.
not function as single unit. bui
are detailed to captains in the vari.
Gus precincts.
Women to take the place OF
men in police service were intro
duced in large numbers in the cities
OF Great Britain during the war, and
in many of their cities We're used faI
more extensively than in any city
in the United States. When Lad!
Astor was in Washington she told OF
some of the work done by the Brit
ish policew and even gave ex-
amples of similar work in which
she herself had engaged during the
war in helping American boys as
we'll as the British Tomrnies and the
girls to keep to the right. safe an(
sane ways Of living.
Germany and Austria have thriv-
; ing police forces of women Italy
is successful in the experiment Of
employing policewomen and Russis
| and France are also organizing sim
liar forces.
The greatest opportunity for socia
service lies in police work because, il
| the ordinary course OF events, th'
girl or boy. woman or man who VIC
| lates the law comes first to the police
| Social workers can readily lnterpre
the Importance of social first ait
| work" The police never sleep. The.
, are the law enforcers. guides to th'
proper relief and constantly obliged
to diagnose cases and make decisions
; of vital Importance to the individual
i and to the state.
Where police departments hav,
| trained workers who engage in thi
constructive social service thos
| communities can dispense with som,
of the many private social enterprises
that are needed only when the pub
! lie agencies fail In their responsible
| ties. Policewomen have as a pri
| mary duty the development OF CO
/ operation between social workers ant
| the police.
Policewomen may be engaged II
! protective, preventive. corrective
constructive or general police work
| Their duties include: Constructive
| follow-up work for women and girls
| the securing Of employment: improv
| ing and changing Of an environ
| ment that causes delinquency; vol
| untary probation: voluntary commit
ments to institutions where there
are inadequate laws: survey and su
| pervision Of dance halls and motor
| pictures: the detection of crime anc
| apprehension of criminals; locating
missing persons, and many othel
duties.
Conspicuous among these worker!
! is Mrs. Nina G. Van Winkle. director
| of the woman's bureau In Washing
| ton. She was born In New York city
| and lived there with her grandmother
until she was twenty-five years old
She received her education in tn,
| schools of that city and later wen
| to her parents home, in Newark
N. ]. She took the position as heai
-
| ark City Home. division for girls
and stayed there nearly three years
She was one of the active worker
| for the new cottage system that wa!
established there. She next tool
an active part in the fresh-air worl
conducted during the summer months
! from June through September, fo
| the children of the great metropolis
! She was superintendent of the Fresl
! Air Home. which received fifty chill
! dren every two weeks and gave then
a taste of wholesome country air
The home was under the auspices o.
| eighty churches.
Mrs Van Wrinkle (then Nina Ginger
took special social service training ant
was a graduate of the first class in thu
New York School of Social Work
graduating in, 1905. She returned tt
Newark and worked with the bureau o.
associated charities for about two years
she met Abraham Van Winkel, whom
she married in 1906. Mr.. Van Wrinkle
was director Of the bureau. After hel
marriage Mrs. Van Winkle continued
her social work and acted as Chairman
of the Infant Hygiene Society. She
was president OF the New Jersey Suf,
frage Workers and the Women's Politi
cal Union Of the state. After her nus
bands death. in 1907, she went witt
friends to South America, where she
studied social conditions which. she
says, are Intimately worse than in this
country.
Upon her return to the United Statei
she took a position in the United States
Food Administration, and was one o.
the many dollor-a-year people WHIT
helped the government keep the wheels
going around in the chaotic days O.
war time. In 1918 she took position
in the women's bureau. under Mrs
Marion o. spingarn. wife Of Capt
Arthur spingarn. and first director Q
the bureau. Early in January. 1919
Mrs Spingarn had to return to New
! York and Mrs Van Wrinkle was ap
pointed her successor.