The Washington herald., 1922-05-07
new POLICE ORDER
CURBS SPHERE OF
WOMEN1S BUREAU
/ Made Subject to Order of
ALI Precinct and Other
Executives.
BIG POINT IGNORED
No Mention Made of Important
Preventive Work of Van
Winkle Squad.
BIG POINT IGNORED

Restrictions ALMOST to the point
OF obliteration marked the general
order from police department head
quarters yesterday to govern the
women's bureau. whose duties and
scope II was intended to define.
1T makes the women's bureau
squad of women subject to the or
der of all officers in command of
precincts. bureaus or headquarters.
or acting in their stead" said one
high police official after seeing the
contents
The only specific duty left the
bureau which it can feel is its own
is that of investigating and pre-
pairing for investigation all cases
of sex offenses committed by per-
sons under the age of II years
where such females are detained at
the House Of Detention"
order Is Result of SquabbIe.
The order. which grew out of the
recent trial of Lieut.. Nina c. Van
Wrinkle. head of the women.s bu-
reau. on charges of insubordina-
tion. was prepared by a committee
recently appointed by Commits
-sioner James F. Oyster 1t was is
sued by Mai Daniel Sullivan, su-
perintendent of police, after having
been approved by the District Com
missioners.
Last week the Commissioners had
declared their faith in a women's
bureau and their intention of ex-
tending its powers as rapidly as
possible.
The preventive work OF the Du-
reau. which has been regarded by
sociologists as its most important
problem. is not mentioned in the
new order. All its functions Will
come into operation only after the
crime has occurred.
Would Prevent Friction
The order was intended largely
to prevent further differences be-
TWEEN the women's bureau and the
detective bureau as to procedure In
cases concerning women. Sucn an
instance of trouble occurred some
time ago and led to the trial OF
The part OF the order intending
to state when and where the
women held at the women's bureau
shall be interviewed opens IN sup
port Of the position OF Lieut.. van
Wrinkle that the interview take
Place at the women's bureau. Sue
ceedfng paragraphs. however. nulil-
fy its provisions. The part follows:
Provided. that when member
of the police force desires to inter-
view a person held at the House or
Detention. such interview shall
take place at the House of Deten-
tfon in a room provided for the
purpose and at such time as Will
not conflict with the rules OF the
House Of Detention relative to the
hours of meals and sleep
Outside Control Allowed.
And provided further. that when
such an emergency exists that the
officer in charge of the precinct
or bureau for which a person is
detained deems that the public in
terests will be best subserved by
interviewing SUCH detained person
at a place other than the House
of Detention. such, detained person
shall, upon the request Of the Of
fcer in charge of such precinct
or bureau. he immediately. con-
veyed to the place designated for
such Interview"
A curious paragraph in the new
order is that pertaining to the sur
render Of lost or fugitive children
held at the House of Detention on
word from outside. the District.
This part follows:
Where such children are from
other jurisdictions they shall be
surrendered Immediately to such
person as may be- designated by
the police authority Of the juris-
Ciction from which they may be
fugitives."
Bureau Under Evans.
This outside control over the To-
cal police procedure is creating
much discussion in District gov
ernment circles.
A copy Of the order will be sent
&c all police precincts and bureaus
today. All previous orders are
rescinded except that putting the
bureau under the command and
supervision Of Inspector Evans.
The Drafting committee con-
sisted Of Inspector H. G.. Pratt.
Capts. c. P. NJ Lord and W. S.
shelby, Assistant Corporation