Evening star., 1955-10-14
5 5POIiceWoInen
Resign Laurel
Posts in Huff
By JAMES 5. RowLANp

| - AAANS9 ANAA5Ae~ssAteA - NNAees-A
police officers In Laurel Is slow
ling criminal investigations and
lwill leave school CROSSINGS un-
guarded after today.
The Prince Georges County
Icommunity's five women officers
resigned yesterday In protest
lover q Town Council resolution
taking away police powers which
lenabled them to make arrests.
The Councils action Monday
WAS taken over the objections Of
Police Chief Jack L. Larrimore,
twho previously had appeared be-
fore the Council to fight such q
move.
Women Criticize Council
The women, In resigning, said
THAT without full police powers
they did not feel they could
lefiiciently maintain police pro-
lection In the town. The resigna-
ton letter. signed by all i've and
sent to the Mayor and City
Council. criticized the body for
mot telling the women Of the
proposed resolution before its
passage. It stated:
you have had the rudeness to
spread our fate all over town
without even showing us the
common courtesy Of ofIicially in
forming US Of your action"
Upon the restoration Of police
lpowers. the women declared they
would be ready and, willing to
Iresurne their duties.
"These women officers have
been Q tremendous help to US ia
investigating juvenile, arson and
Ivice cases. /" Chief Larrimore
said. Their loss win slow our
work considerably.
Il just don't know why the
action was taken. I've never
known Of q cIearcut complaint
against any one Of them"
Complaints Reported
In the past councilmen have
informed him Of complaints re-
Iceived against some Of the wom-
Ien officers. Chief Larrimore said.
But the chief added he was given
no details Of the accusations
when he told the council he
would do all he could to correct
any wrongdoing.
i've heard indirectly there
were some complaints against
Jus, but they were never pre-
scented to Chief Larrimore. : said
Mrs. Rose Mary Walker. one Of
the fiye.
They tthe compiaints1
started several months ago
when we tthe wornen1 were
doing some vice investigations, :,
she added. Il never considered
the work was endangering my
personal safety z
Il recall hearing Mrs. Walker
lin court and remember she had
done an excellent Job. 3 was the
Enthusiastic reply of Trial Mag
Iistrate Grover Il. small, when
asked 10 comment cn the
iwone1ss efficiency. Judge Small
hears the towns cases.
Six Weeks to Train New Guards
1T win take i month to sir
weeks to train new crossing
guards the chief added.
aI;d rather leave the CROSSINGS
unguarded than have unframed
personnel trying TO watch them.
IThere'd be more danger Of ac-
Icidents II persons were put there
with no experience
Chief Larrimore noted that
three Of the women have re-
lceived certificates from the Law
Enforcement Institute at the
University Of Maryland at cost
Ito themselves. and the two others
were undergoing local training.
Removal Of police powers from
women officers was one Of i've
provisions contained In Mondays
resolution aimed at improving
THE police department.
The women are not paid for
lofice and crossing duties. but
receive . salary for investigative
land parking meter work assien-
Ifnents which Is considerably less
than that received by their fellow
male officers, Chief Larrimore
said.
Others Identified
Others in the feminine COM
lponent are Mrs. Gladys Allen.
Mrs. Clara Tester, Mrs. Marjorie
IHagan and Mrs. Mary Wesley.
The resolution affecting the
police department also calls for
the hiring Of q man to tend
parking meters and q clerk typ
list for the police office.
y have some applications now
for the meter man who win work
I60 hours q week on 200 meters
for 5000 annually" the chief
said. II won't be able to hire
the clerk-typist until the coun-
lcil sets q salary"
|Guming Charged