Evening star., 1922-06-24
IEUT. NINA VAN WINKLE.
head Of the woman's bureau.
pnlica danartment has heen af.

II lEUT. NINA VAN WlNkLE,
head Of the woman's bureau,
police department, has been at
tending the convention Of the
chiefs of police, meeting in San
Francisco. and a report she delivered
there is ono of the outstanding fea-
tures Of the deliberations Of that
body. Mrs. Van Wrinkle. in addition
to being the head Of the first wom-
ans bureau in Washington and one
Of the first In the United States, Is
becoming recognized an authority in
branch of police work which Is
rapidly developing all over the United
States
A few years ago the idea of a
woman cop" was scoffed at. I'm the
near future" Mrs. Van Wink1e says,
'tt will be just as inconsistent to
Its woman's bureau as 1t Is today to
think of the department without a
detective bureau or a traffic bureau"
\ X X \
The Importance of the woman's po-
lice work as an asset to community
welfare and protection is ono of its
own. I'VE believe we can make clear
tho meaning Of policewomen to the
community and to police administra-
tors by keeping as close to their
methods Of operating as Is possible
with two distinctly different lines Of
activity" Mrs. Van Wrinkle says.
'There Is a real difference, and there
always will be. Not only is legal
case work practised by the police
women. in which evidence is secured
to build up i. case for the prosecution,
but social case work also. in which
evidence IS secured to throw light
on the individual problem and to
build up character through facts OBJ
tanned regarding all the human re-
lationships in family, home. neigh
borhood. friends. employment. school.
church, mental and physical health
and everything that enters into the
life of the individual, with the pur-
pose OF assisting her to adjust her
self to society by re-establishing all
the relationships which have been
broken and establishing new contacts
where there have been none.
THE work OF policewomen IL as
logical and as necessary as that OF
the traff1c bureau or the detective bu-
reau. The wornan's duties differ lust
as radically from these two bureaus
and from other work of the police
department as the traffic bureau Diff
fers from the detective bureau. Not
withstanding the fact that differ
ent program is necessary for wom-
ans work. the same disciplinary
measures laid down by the police
manuals for policemen apply equally
we'll to the polcewomen."
+ Il 4
Mrs. Van Wrinkle declares the pri-
mary functiQ7 Of the policewoman is
to deal with all cases In which wom-
en- and children are involved, either
as offenders or victims of offense.
Crimes by or against any females,
irrespective Of age, and boys up to a
certain age should be the special re-
sponsibility OF the policewoman. She
believes the woman police should dis
cover. investigate and correct anti.
social circumstances ana conditions in
Individual cases and in the commun-
ity, deal socially and legally with all
delinquent women and children, give
or secure social treatment calculated
to result in reform, supplement the
work Of the policemen in securing
evidence and convictions in special
cases that will aid In correcting evil
conditions.
From her experience in Washing
ton. Mrs. Van Wrinkle asserts the
best results in woman's bureaus are
obtained when a woman is at the
head Of the organization. with no