![C. 374. M. 144. 1927.1V. ^6 Members of the League.] (C](http://data.docslib.org/img/712c1493023866627172118a68d91be4-1.webp)
'Distributed to the Council and C. 374. M. 144. 1927.1v. ^6 Members of the League.] (C. T. F. E. 3 3 1 .)
Geneva, August is t, 1927.
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
TRAFFIC IN WOMEN AND CHILDREN COMMITTEE
THE EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN THE POLICE.
Note by the Secretary- General :
In conformity with the request of the Traffic in Women and Children Committee of the Advisory Commission for the Protection and Welfare of Children and Young People, the Council of the League of Nations, at a meeting held on June 17th, 1927, decided that a summary of the information in the possession of the Secretariat of the League of Nations relating to the employment of women police in the different countries should be transmitted to all Governments. The Secretary-General has the honour to communicate herewith the summary in question.
I ntroduction .
During its second session (March 1923) the Advisory Committee on Traffic in Women and Children passed the following resolution : "The Advisory Committee, having regard to the useful work done by women police in countries where they have been employed, recommends that women as well as men should be employed among the police engaged in dealing with prostitution."
The Council, when considering this resolution, was unanimously of the opinion that, while the question with which it dealt was of entirely domestic concern, it might nevertheless be of interest to the Governments to know the view of such an expert body as the Advisory Committee, The Council therefore instructed the Secretary-General to forward this resolution to the various Governments. At the third session of the Advisory Committee (April 1924), it was decided that the question of women police should be raised at the next session of the Committee when the decisions reached at the Graz Congress would be known. This Congress, the Sixth International Congress for the Suppression of Traffic in Women and Children, was held on September 18th, 19th and 20th, 1924; it carried the following resolution unanimously: “That, in view of the experience gained as to the benefits accruing from the employment of carefully selected and adequately trained policewomen in dealing with delinquent women and children and in the prevention of delinquency, the National Committees are requested to urge on their respective Governments the necessity for incorporating a sufficient number of women, with adequate powers and status, in every police force. ”
This resolution of the Graz Congress was considered by the Advisory Committee at its fourth session. The Committee adopted the following resolution, which was approved by the Council on June 9th, 1925: “ The Advisory Committee had under consideration the resolution on the subject of the employment of women police adopted by the Congress at Graz convened by the International Bureau for the Suppression of Traffic in Women and Children in September 1924. “ The Advisory Committee is impressed by the experience gained in several countries showing that women can give effective and valuable service in police work, especially in the prevention of certain classes of offences, and hopes that the question of the use of the services of women in police forces will receive the fullest consideration of the Governments."
Publications of the League of Nations IV. SOCIAL 1927. IV. 7. The matter was considered during the fifth session of the Traffic in Women and Children Committee (March 1926) and the following resolution was passed: “The Committee has noted the increasing interest which has been shown in the question of the employment of women in the police of several countries in all m atters affecting the protection of women and children and, as these countries are of opinion that such appointments will largely tend to decrease the evils of the traffic in women requests the Council of the League to instruct the Secretariat to apply to all States for full information on the subject. “ Such information should be classified for presentation to the Committee at its next session."
Thirty-four 1 answers have been received from thirty-three Governments in reply to the circular letters communicating these resolutions of the Advisory Committee. Full extracts from these replies have been arranged in alphabetical order at the end of this report. These extracts are preceded by a tabulated summary. The amount of information given in the answers varies greatly. Some Governments have limited their answers to statements of facts — either that they do not employ women in the police, or, if they do, have only stated the number of policewomen, the character of their duties, etc., without further comment. Other Governments have communicated fully the results of their experience. Opinions vary considerably in the different countries with regard to the suitability of women for police services. The countries favouring the employment of women police speak highly of their work — for example, the Government of Australia states that it has now realised that women police are a necessity; the Finnish Government finds women necessary in the police, and adds that they discharge their duties in an exemplary manner; the Government of the Netherlands states that it is generally admitted to be a great advantage to have women in the police for duties of a predominantly social character. The Argentine Republic considers the employment of women, particularly in the Investigation Branch,“ of the greatest importance ”. In Egypt, women assisting the police are said to “render very great service to the police ”, In Czechoslovakia and Roumania, the work of women police is well reported on as regards the protection of women and children.
The countries which consider the employment of women police impracticable have expressed themselves as follows: The Greek Government has declared that conditions in Greece preclude the employment of women for the purpose of supervising public morals ; and in France it is stated that it is exceedingly doubtful whether women’s co-operation in the work of supervising the suppression of prostitution would be favourably received by public opinion. On the other hand, this is exactly the field where women are employed in the Estonian police, for in Estonia women are responsible for the registering of prostitutes, their medical examination and the control and supervision of the conditions under which they live. The Union of South Africa employed women police some years ago but states that it cannot be said they were an unqualified success and their employment has been discontinued.
S u m m a r y o f t h e P o s it io n w it h r e g a r d to t h e E m p l o y m e n t o f W o m e n P o l ic e .
(a) Seventeen countries (Argentine, Australia, Czechoslovakia, the Free City of Danzig, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Great Britain, Irish Free State, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Roumania, Sweden, Switzerland, United States) have declared that they employ women in their police forces or employ women to assist the police. (b) Thirteen countries (South Africa, China, Dominican Republic, France, Greece, India, Japan, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Monaco, Siam, Venezuela) do not employ women police. The British Colonies are in the same position. The Governments of the Dominican Republic and of Venezuela, though not employing women police, have expressed themselves favourably as to their utility. (c) Three countries have been placed under the heading of “ Special Cases ” in the summary tabulated at the end of this report — namely: Belgium, Iceland and Poland.
Belgium has stated that there is nothing in the Belgian laws to prevent the admission of women into the local police. It seems, however, from the answer received, that the communes do not appoint policewomen.
Iceland is among those countries where women police are not employed, but the Commissioner of Police in that country has authority to em p lo y women in specific cases where the need arises.
T h e Polish Government states that there is nothing to prevent women from being employed for the purpose of supervising prostitution, but it does not give any information as to whether women police officers have actually been appointed.
1 The British Government having given a separate reply on behalf of the British Colonies not possessing responsible Governments, the number of answers has been taken as thirty-four. Ca t e g o r ie s o f W o m e n w h o a s s is t t h e P o l ic e .
The various replies received indicate a very wide range in the type of woman employed for police duties. Several countries reply that they employ women as constables — namely : D enm ark, Great Britain, Norway, Roumania, Sweden, United States of America. New Zealand empl°ys police matrons who not only perform work at the police station but also supervise public places. In Danzig, a policewoman is described as an assistant in the Criminal Division. As already stated, Estonia employs women as police des mœurs and states that the personnel com prises an inspectress, a woman doctor, a Sister of Mercy and one woman police officer. Finland employs three nurses as well as five policewomen for police work. In the Netherlands, it is mentioned that there are women police with the rank of inspectress in certain tow n s. At The Hague and Rotterdam it used to be found preferable to appoint nurses, but, at the present time, the appointments in these towns are giv en preferably to women lawyers. In Egypt, two European women are attached to the Governor’s Office in Alexandria, and the Governor’s Office in Cairo also employs European women to deal with matters connected with public morality.
Observations o n t h e Co n d it io n s o f W o r k a n d t h e D u t ie s o f P o l ic e w o m e n .
The conditions of work of policewomen seem to differ considerably in the various countries. In New South Wales, the policewomen have all the powers of police constables, but are appointed as special constables, and they do not take part in ordinary police work. In the Irish Free State, the policewomen do not have the power of arrest. The Norwegian Government reports that the policewomen of Oslo serve in the police des mœurs after having taken the three months’ course of training for police constables. Apart from interrogating women and children, they perform the same duties as the male members of the police des mœurs. The Swedish Government states that, apart from special duties incumbent on policewomen, they must in all other respects conform to the regulations laid down for the police force. In the Netherlands, conditions of work are different in the three cities where policewomen are employed ; in one of them they are fully incorporated in the police force; they are on the same list as the men and receive the same pay, and there is no reason why the inspectresses should not attain important positions, as, for example, that of chief of the children's police section. Elsewhere in the Netherlands the women employed are not on the same footing as the men, and receive less pay since they have no night duty and are not exposed to the risks of street duty. In England, the conditions of service of women police have not been standardised by official regulations as is done in the case of men. Particularly full information is available concerning the conditions in the United States, where different forms of organisation have been tried:
1. The creation in the Police Department — in large cities — of a definite women’s division, whose work is supervised by one woman inspector responsible to the head of the department. In some similar cities where there are two or more women, one of them has at times been given the direction of the work.
2. The placing of all women police in an already existing division such as that of the detective or special service division, where their work is supervised by a male officer.
3. The assigning of women police by some directing officer of the department to the different precincts, districts or departmental bureaux, where their work is directed by the officer in command.
Two other plans have been followed in the United States :
4. The Police Department has paid a part or the whole of the salaries of women working under private organisations, and has given them limited police powers; and
5. Police powers are granted to persons called "policewomen ” employed by private organisations, who work in conjunction with the police.
# In most countries where policewomen are employed, their chief duty is the supervision of public morals and dealing with cases of sexual offences, including work in connection with the prevention of traffic in women and children. Some countries emphasise the value of women police when taking statements of a delicate nature from women and children. Women police are employed to a great extent for escorting female prisoners, for searching them and guarding them when in custody and accompanying them into court, etc. The care and protection of children also forms part of this work in certain countries. Thus, women police are employed to investigate the home conditions of neglected children. They are also responsible
s- d. N. 100 (F.), 75 (A.) 3/27 + 575 (F.), 55» (A.), (rev.) 8/27. — Imp. A tar. for the supervision of street traders in certain coufltries. It is further reported that they are used to deal with certain offences, such as abortion and infanticide ; with cases of begging and shoplifts and also in connection with affiliation proceedings. The Argentine police employs women in thé Investigation Branch and has enrolled women in the Intelligence Section to supervise the taking of finger-prints of women and children. And lastly, on the preventive side, some countries report that women police are employed to patrol parks, public resorts and places of amusement, and to deal generally with public order, especially with regard to children and adolescents.
T a b l e s h o w in g t h e P o s it io n w it h r e g a r d to t h e W o m e n P o l ic e in Ce r t a in Countries
(Information compiled from Replies submitted by Governments up to February 25th, 1927.J
Countries in which women are Countries in which women Special Cases employed in the police forces police are not employed or employed to assist the police
Argentine British Colonies Belgium 1 Australia 1 (not self-governing) Iceland * Czechoslovakia China Poland 1 Denmark Dominican Republic Egypt France Estonia Greece / Finland India Free City of Danzig Japan Great Britain Latvia Irish Free State Liberia Netherlands Lithuania New Zealand * Monaco Norway Siam Roumania Union of South Africa 1 Sweden Venezuela Switzerland United States of America 1 Women police are employed in five 1 The practice has been discon 1 There is nothing in the law to of the six Australian States. tinued. prevent women being employed in * Police matrons. the police. * The Commissioner has authority to employ women where he finds it desirable.
S u m m a ry o f t h e R e p l ie s r e c e iv e d . Africa, South. The employment of women in the Police Force of the Union of South Africa was tried in Cape Town some years ago. Whilst they were found useful in a way, it could not be said that they were an unqualified success and their employment was discontinued. It is considered that conditions in the Union are not such as to render the employment of women police expedient.
Argentine. The Police of the Federal Capital considers the employment of women in the police, parti cularly in the Investigations Branch, of the greatest importance. It has already, with the best possible results, enrolled a few women in the Intelligence Section, to supervise the taking of finger-prints of women and children who require identity documents.
Australia. The position regarding the employment of women police in the several States of Australia is as follows:
New South Wales. — Four women police are employed. These have all the powers of police constables but are appointed as special constables. Their work is confined to the prevention of certain classes of offences in connection with the traffic in women and the protection of children, and they do not take part in ordinary police work. These women police are considered most effective in their sphere.
Queensland. — No women police are employed.
Victoria. — Four women police are employed. Since their first appointment some ten years ago, they have been of th e greatest use in relieving suffering and dealing with cases in which women and children are involved. They have been very successful in their operations and are now looked upon as almost indispensable. South Australia. — Eleven women police are employed. The usefulness of women police is hown by the expansion of this branch of the police force, which was established in December 1915 ^ith two members. They have full police powers regarding arrest, search, etc., and are on the same footing as men police in respect of remuneration.
Western Australia. — Five women police are employed. Their usefulness is considered to have been amply demonstrated. They have safeguarded the moral welfare of women and children and prevented misconduct which often leads to offences.
Tasmania. — One policewoman is employed and has proved of great use in her particular sphere. It will be thus observed that women police are employed in five of the six Australian States. The results have been entirely satisfactory, and it is now realised that they are a necessity.
Belgium. The Belgian National Committee for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women and Children, which receives a grant from the Department of Justice, has done its utmost to make public in Belgium th e suggestions concerning the employment of women police made by the Advisory Committee for the Traffic in Women and Children. In a letter to the Minister of the Interior the Committee pointed out the advantages to be derived from the introduction of women into the police force, especially as regards the protection of children and the supervision of prostitution. It therefore requested the Department of the Interior to inform it whether there were any legal obstacles to a reform which had already been carried out in several countries. If not, the Committee begged the Department to lay the question before the principal communal authorities in the country and to request them to give it their favourable consideration. The Department of the Interior replied that there was nothing in the law to prevent the ad mission of women into the local police. The Minister for the Interior considered that no action by the central authorities was desirable, as the Legislature had given the communal authorities the widest powers for the organisation of their police. The letter from the National Belgian Committee and the reply from the Minister of the Interior were published in the Revue de l’Administration (No. 8-9, 1925) and were thus brought to the knowledge of a large number of communal authorities in the Kingdom. Further, copies of the letter and the ministerial reply were despatched to the mayors of the twenty-nine Belgian communes which have hitherto maintained the system of regulating prosti tution. The Committee requested the mayors to consider how far it would be expedient in their communes to introduce women police who would be responsible for supervising prostitution and preventing cases thereof. It pointed out the great moral and social value of such a step; finally, it requested the authorities to submit any useful suggestions for carrying out the scheme. Twenty-five mayors vouchsafed no reply to the communication ; four stated that they con sidered the proposed measure useless or ill-timed. The commune of Anderlecht has attached a trained nurse to the public health service and made her responsible for the supervision of prosti tution. This duty is carried out quite independently of the police. In Brussels, there is a private committee, subsidised by the communal authorities, which seeks to persuade registered and even clandestine prostitutes to undergo medical inspection. The committee is assisted by a visiting nurse; its action is entirely unofficial and independent of the police.
China. The question of the employment of women police has been considered by some provincial authorities, but they have not found it necessary to employ women police at present.
Czechoslovakia. The police authorities in Czechoslovakia have for some time been employing women for police duties connected with public morals wherever the staff included duly qualified women with adequate professional instruction and special experience. Their services are most valuable when dealing with children and girls under age, with women coming from hospitals, maternity homes or foundling hospitals and requiring help, with pregnant women who have no homes or occupations, or with girls who have gone astray and show a tendency towards prostitution, if they are not already prostitutes. In these cases, enquiries are made into the cause of the downfall of these girls and also into the moral, social and hygienic conditions under which they have been brought up and are living at the time. In the light of the information thus acquired, suitable steps are taken in agreement with the parents, guardians or chancery courts. The work in the other police branches is not suitable for women and no female staff is employed m them.
Free City of Danzig. There is a woman official attached to the police headquarters. She does the full service of an assistant in the Criminal Division and has performed very useful work with regard to the prevention and prosecution of offences against morality. — 6 —
Denmark. The police of Copenhagen employ six women police. Two of these work in the Public Moralit Division ; three work in the division which deals with paternity, protection of children cases, etc^ and one in the Detective Section. The chief duty of this official is to take statements from women and children in cases of sexual offences.
Dominican Republic. The Government of the Dominican Republic is, in principle, favourable to th e idea of employing women in the police, but in the country itself there has been no need as yet for appointing women police.
Egypt. The Bureau for the Supervision of Public Morals attached to the Governor's Office in Alexandria at present employs two European ladies whose duty it is to conduct enquiries in the town with a view to discovering any secret houses, hotels or furnished rooms which are suspected of being used for clandestine prostitution ; to make tours of inspection along the seashore and inspect public establishments (bars, public-houses, etc.) frequented by women of easy virtue. These two ladies report to the Governor’s Office, which refers the matter to the authorities respon sible for these establishments, in order that the necessary steps may be taken against the proprietors These two ladies render very great service to the police ; through them the latter obtain information which they could not obtain in any other manner. The Governor’s Office in Cairo also employs European women to keep a watch on prostitutes (licensed women), women who solicit passers-by and everything connected with public morality,
Estonia. The departments responsible for the maintenance of public security in Estonia have never employed women, and it is not likely that their appointment to such posts will be contemplated in the future. But in the special services known as “ Morals Police ”, which have been established and main tained by the municipalities of the large Estonian towns, women are permanently employed and are responsible for the registering of prostitutes, their medical examination and the control and supervision of the conditions under which they live. The "Morals Police” at Tallinn includes six officials: an inspectress, a woman doctor (who receives women daily for two hours), a Sister of Mercy, and three police officers, one of whom is a woman.
Finland. In March 1907, two women, for the first time in Finland, were engaged to do service at the women’s section of the police department in Helsinki. At present, the number of these women amounts to five, besides which three nurses are employed by the same section. The duties of the women in the police service are as follows :
(a) To take care of all such women as have been taken to the section in question, looking after them day and night; to visit the working places in which these women report themselves to be employed ; to help them in every way and to try to make them return to a regular mode of living; and to assist them to obtain employment and to be received in asylum. (b) To take care of all children left to the charge of the police and enquire into their circumstances — ill-treatment, neglected education, etc. (c) To take care of and procure housing for mothers that are infirm, incapacitated for work or destitute, as well as to take care of the children of such mothers. (d) To visit families living in discord and enquire into their conditions, the development and education of the children, etc.
In the detective department, women are also employed as guards of arrested women. The nurses take care of insane persons, tend the sick and dress the wrounds of those who have been subjected to bodily injuries. According to the experience of the Finnish authorities, wromen are necessary in the police and discharge their duties in an exemplary manner.
France. The French Government is not in favour of establishing a corps of women police for the super vision of prostitution. This view was adopted as the result of two enquiries, the first of which was carried out in July 1924 by M. Hennequin, in consultation with the mayors of the chief towns in France, and the second in August of the same year by the Ministry of the Interior, in consultation with the prefects. The first enquiry, on the occasion of the Congress of Graz, showed that the majority of the municipal authorities were definitely opposed to the employment of women in the police and services of suppression ; at most, they might play an unofficial though extremely useful part in the social hygiene and child protection services. The second enquiry, which was carried
I t in pursuance of the resolution passed by the Advisory Commission at its third meeting at G e n e v a , led to identical results. The administrative authorities responsible for public safety in prince are entirely opposed to women being given an active part in supervising the suppression of prostitution, and it is exceedingly doubtful whether women’s co-operation in this service would be favourably received by public opinion. On the other hand, women can do very good work in connection with the organisations engaged in the moral or material protection of young girls and c h ild r e n , and in actual practice frequent appeals are made to their willing and devoted assistance.
Great Britain. [а) The question of the employment of policewomen in Great Britain has been the subject of enquiry by two Committees, appointed in 1920 and 1924 respectively. Considerable diversity of opinion exists among police authorities on the subject, and both the Committee in 1924 and the earlier Committee recommended that the matter should be one for the discretion of individual police authorities. In the case of the Metropolitan Police Force, for which the Secretary of State is himself the police authority, the employment of policewomen has been found to be productive of good results, and since 1924 their numbers have been increased from 20 to 51. From time to time, representations have been made by various women's societies that the rates of pay and the conditions of service generally of women police should be standardised by official regulations, as has been done in the case of men, but up to the present it has not been considered desirable to adopt this course. Similarly, no action has yet been taken in the matter of the appointment of a woman inspector of constabulary. Police authorities have, however, been requested to arrange, as far as practicable, for the statements of women and children, where sexual crimes are in question, to be taken by police women, as suggested in the report of the Committee of 1924. No policewomen are employed in the police forces of Northern Ireland.
(б) Women Police in Glasgow. — The work of the women police will be divided into four classes, viz.:
Class I. —■ Work which can obviously be more suitably undertaken by women than men, i.e., sexual offences against and all cases involving women and children, such as:
(a) Indecent assault; (b) Indecent exposure; (c) Rape and attempt to ravish; (d) Criminal assault and all other offences under the Criminal Law Amendment Acts ; (e) Bigamy; (f) Abortion ; (g) Concealment of pregnancy; (h) Child murder; (*) Overlying children ; (/) Sudden death of infants; (k) Searching women prisoners; (I) Taking information from female prisoners or witnesses in hospitals or other institutions ; (m) Escorting on all occasions female prisoners; (n) Assisting in brothel cases; (0) Making enquiries as to the circumstances, etc., of female prisoners awaiting trial; and (p) Enquiries for Ministry of Pensions relating to the behaviour of women pensioners.
Class II. — Work suitable for a woman because of her sex, and because, in these particular cases, she would be less noticeable than a man. Such work includes: (a) Taking charge of juvenile cases, such as theft, malicious mischief, street trading; (b) Observations in cases of pocket-picking, shop-lifting, stealing, brothels, shebeens, etc. ; (c) Visiting dancing-halls, picture-houses, theatres, music-halls, etc.; ( Class III. — Work usually undertaken by men, but equally suitable for women. This relieves the men, and fills the spare time of the policewomen. Such work includes: (a) Patrolling streets, parks, open spaces, etc.; (b) Supervising pawns; (c) Supervising servants’ registries; (1d) Visiting railway stations, feeing markets, etc., show-grounds; and (1e) Making enquiries re lost property, pensions, aliens, cases of fraud, cases of common assaults on women or girls, street accidents to women and children. Class IV. — Special work, such as: (a) Attending to female prisoners in the High Court ; (b) Attending at High Court whenever there are female witnesses (judges have frequently requested the help of the women police); (c) Making enquiries re missing relatives, etc. ; (d) Assisting detective officers by typing reports for them when there is aspecial rush of work; (e) Taking observations in the vicinity of schools re molestation of children ; and (/) Reporting children found suffering from venereal disease, in immoral or unsuitable surroundings, in a dirty condition, badly cared for, cruelly treated or mentally defective. In the districts in which there are women police, they attend to their own cases. In other districts, the services of a woman are requisitioned through the Criminal Investigation Department Weekly reports will be sent to Headquarters. British Colonies. In the British colonies not possessing responsible Governments, the personnel of the police forces is entirely male and in the opinion of the British Government, the conditions in those territories are not such as would permit of the employment of women police. Greece. Conditions of family life in Greece and social prejudice would prevent women with the neces sary qualities from engaging in the supervision of prostitution. One would therefore have to employ women who had themselves been prostitutes, and this would not make for success. Greek legislation has therefore preferred to entrust the supervision of prostitution to a special service consisting of picked constables. Iceland. There are no women police in Iceland, but should the Commissioner of Police find it desirable — for instance, for the purpose of personal inspection in the case of women — he is authorised to employ women to carry out the necessary police duties. India. The question of the employment of women police to combat the traffic in women and children was first raised in 1918. The matter was referred to the local Governments for consideration and their conclusion was that the employment of women police in India was not a practical pro position. This conclusion has been reaffirmed by the Central Authority appointed under Article 1 of the Agreement of 1904 for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic. It was found that there was no suitable material in India for the formation of such a force and that such a force, if formed, would be of little value. Irish Free State. Four women police are employed in the Saorstat, all in Dublin. Their hours are normally 9.45 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. except when otherwise directed. Their duties are: 1. Assisting in the investigation of indecent assault cases. 2. Assisting in the investigation of cases of indecent exposure. 3. Assisting in the investigation of cases of concealment of birth. 4. Observation of betting-houses. 5. Dealing with cases of shoplifting. 6. Dealing with cases of mendicity. 7. Dealing with fortune-tellers. 8. Dealing with breaches of Licensing Acts re sale of methylated spirits. 9. Attendance at Children's Court on Fridays from 9.45 a.m. 10. Escort of children to Industrial schools. 11. Escort of female probationers to various reformatory homes. 12. Visiting picture-houses for the purpose of detecting acts of indecency. 13. Patrol of central portions of the city. 14. Supervision of juvenile street-traders. These women police have no power of arrest. They have performed useful work under the above heads. Japan. The Japanese Government has not adopted the system of employing women in the police and has not, up to the present, considered the question. Latvia- Women are not admitted to the police force in Latvia, and their employment is not contem plated — at any rate, in the near future. The activity of the Latvian police in the matter of the protection of women and children continues to yield satisfactory results, so that there is no apparent necessity for increasing the present police staff by the addition of women. Liberia. The Government of Liberia does not employ women in its police service, and therefore has no information to furnish in the premises. Lithuania. There are no women police in Lithuania. Monaco. The Monaco Police Force does not include any women for duties connected with the protection of women and children. Netherlands. Since women entered the police in 1911, the number employed in this force has continually increased. The women employed in the chief towns are as follows : Amsterdam: three inspec tresses, five policewomen ; The Hague : two inspectresses, three female assistants (equal to police women) ; Rotterdam: four female assistants (equal to inspectresses), two female employees (equal to policewomen). Neither as regards the description nor as regards the position of these women in the police organisation does uniformity exist. In one of those towns they are fully incorporated in the police force ; they are on the same list as the men and receive the same pay ; there is no reason why an inspectress should not attain an important position — for example, Chief of the Children’s Police Section. Elsewhere, the women employees are not on the same footing as the men, and receive less pay, since they have no night duty and are not exposed to the risks of street duty. At Amsterdam, it was found preferable to require of candidates for the position of inspectress, in addition to special qualifications, the same qualities as those required of candidates for the position of inspectors. At Rotterdam and at The Hague, it used to be the practice to appoint nurses as inspectresses with a view to the application of the decree on adopted children. At the present time, however, the appointments in these two towns are given preferably to women lawyers. It is generally admitted to be a great advantage to have women in the police for duties of a predominantly social character. It is recognised that social work must be regarded as belonging to the preventive duties of the police. Particularly in the section of morality police, often coming into contact as it does with offences in which women and girls of low morality are concerned, the services of women are most valuable. The use of women in the police must be considered as a safeguard against prostitution. The view is held that women should be entrusted with social work, and particularly with the protection of women and children. In practice, their work will chiefly consist in the drafting of reports on children in criminal and civil cases. As a rule, women must not be entrusted with street duty to maintain public order except sometimes for the special supervision of prosti tution. They can also render useful service in connection with offences against decency — for example, by interrogating women or children in delicate cases. Netherlands Indies. — The Government Office for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women and Children, and of the Trade in Obscene Publications, Batavia (Java), constitutes the Netherlands Indies centre at which all information is collected and from which the whole of the work connected with the protection of women and children is carried on. The staff of this office and the police and immigration service officials exercise supervision over incoming and outgoing ships in the Netherlands Indies. In matters of emigration, the inspectorate of labour assists this office. The staff of the office, acting in conjunction with the police and with private bodies (such as the “Pro Juventute ” Association and the Salvation Army) make investigations, more parti cularly in seaports and other large centres, into the traffic in women and the ill-treatment of minors. A thorough acquaintance with the native and Chinese languages, the country and the people, and the laws and customs is an essential requirement for the difficult work of this office. If that work were to be carried out with the assistance of policewomen, special training would in any case have to be provided for these women. It may be doubted whether women could yet be expected to carry out this work in Eastern countries. In such countries the traffic in women and children is mainly in the hands of men (Chinamen and sometimes natives), a cunning, determined and rough type of individual, in dealing with whom enquiries made by women would probably have very little effect. It has been found that women working for the “ Pro Juventute ” Association, and dealing roore especially with the protection of European minors, have frequently found themselves in a disagreeable position and have been obliged to ask their male colleagues for assistance. This would be even more certain to occur if they took up the protection of native and Chinese minors. Once they are assured that they can speak freely and that the authorities are protecting them against their exploiters, the victims of the traffic give a considerable amount of information regarding the manner in which they fell into the hands of their exploiters and the way in which they have been exploited. — 10 — It may therefore be concluded that, in so far as the Netherlands Indies are concerned, the employment of women police in all matters relating to the protection of women and children would not yield the results anticipated in Western countries. Considering the special difficulties encountered in Eastern countries, the results obtained from the present system seem satisfactory New Zealand. There are no women police employed in this Dominion. Police matrons are stationed at each of the four principal cities to attend to women and children who come into the hands of the police. Their duties also include visiting public gardens, reserves, railway stations, theatres and other public places of amusement, with a view to detecting offences against women and children. As there is no traffic in women in New Zealand, the Government has no information as to the effect of the appointment of women police on the white slave traffic. Norway. Women police have been attached to the police headquarters of the following Norwegian towns : Oslo. — Two policewomen have been employed in the police force since 1911. Since taking the three-months course of training for police constables, they have served in the police des mœurs, in which their particular work was to interrogate women and children and deal with their cases, but they also perform the same duties as the male members of the police des mœurs. Drammen. — Since 1912, a policewoman has been attached to the police headquarters of this town. She has to investigate the home conditions of families with which the Child Protection Board (Vergerad) may have to deal, to obtain statements from women and children in certain cases of immorality, to inspect streets and public quays, in order to watch the outdoor life of children and young persons, and, when necessary, to intervene and have women and children taken to their homes, to prison or to rescue homes. She also carries out ordinary office duties at the police headquarters. Kristianssand S.— ■ One policewoman has been employed at the police headquarters here since September 15th, 1910. She has to deal with maintenance cases, the interrogation of women and children in cases of immorality, and the supervision of prostitutes in public thoroughfares. She also has to supervise the application of the tax on tobacco and chocolate, the investigation of cases in which women and children are implicated, and the protection of children. Bergen. — Two policewomen have been employed in the Bergen police since 1912. Their main duties are : Searching for women, enquiries in most cases of penal proceedings against women — particularly in cases of infanticide by the mother — interrogation of children, more especially in cases of immorality, searching of women, bringing of women before the courts of justice, transport of women of unsound mind, transport of women under arrest, the collection of children for the Child Protection Board, the placing of women in rescue homes, and the supervision of prostitutes in public thoroughfares and of the conduct of prostitutes in general. They also have to bring women up for medical inspection for venereal diseases, make a preliminary examination of the bodies of any women that are discovered in the streets or elsewhere, and find shelter for homeless women. Stavanger. -—- From 1910 to 1922, the police headquarters of this town employed a police woman, who carried out, when required, some of the duties allotted to the policewomen employed by the Bergen police. Her chief work, however, related to maintenance cases and accusations of libel among women. This post was abolished in 1922 for reasons of economy. Its abolition was not followed by any serious difficulties. Trondhjem.—- ■ The police headquarters of this town did not succeed in obtaining authority to appoint a policewoman until 1915, after several applications had been made at the time of the preparation of the annual budget. This policewoman is attached to the detective department of the police des mœurs, and her principal duty is to interrogate women and children who are lying under a charge or are witnesses in cases of public immorality. She also carries out the same duties as her male colleagues in the police des mœurs, both on indoor and on outdoor service, i.e., the supervision of prostitutes in the public thoroughfares. A great deal of her time is also spent in dealing with cases coming under the Child Protection Board and maintenance cases. Poland. The supervision of prostitution is exercised in Poland by the district medical officers, with the assistance of the Government police authorities, who are specially trained for this purpose; there is nothing to prevent women being employed in this service. Roumania. The Roumanian Government is entirely in favour of employing women in the police for questions concerning the protection of women and children; and, in view of their extreme utility for such purposes, it proposes to increase the number of women police, who are at present but few. — II — Siam. The Siamese Government have given and will continue to give the matter the most sympa thetic consideration. As yet, however, it has been felt that it would not be wise to employ women in the police force in Siam. Sweden. According to present police force regulations in Sweden, the women detailed for police work — called “police sisters ” — are responsible for: 1. Guarding and looking after women and children brought to the police stations for misdemeanour; 2. Searching, if need be, women detained at the police stations; 3. Conducting, if need be, to a general or lying-in hospital women arrested by the police ; 4. Looking after destitute and homeless women and children who have come or been brought to the police stations, and helping them as far as possible ; 5. Looking after children who have been brought to the police stations, or who have come there because they cannot find their homes; 6. Taking the necessary steps when they have observed women or children begging in public places ; 7. Women police must in all other respects conform to the regulations laid down for the police force. At present, Stockholm is the only town in which there are women police, but it is proposed to establish three stations for women police in Gothenburg. There are at present six women police in Stockholm, but their number may be increased to nine, which would make it possible to employ women police to a larger extent in the outdoor work, i.e., the protection of women and children. It should be noted, however, that in several other Swedish towns certain police work (parti cularly the searching of arrested women) is carried out by women. Switzerland. Women police play a very small part in Switzerland. Four women are employed as police assistants, being engaged in social rescue work in connection with women and children. They escort repatriated women or women who are to be placed in rescue homes back to their native communes or to suitable institutions. They also take steps to find employment for them and give them their protection. The need of employing women in the police in order to suppress the traffic in women and children is not felt in Switzerland, where the police are very rarely called upon for assistance. United, States of America. The United States Government has, through its Legation in Berne, transmitted amongst other publications a book entitled Women Police, by Chloe Ow in g s (New York 1925), from which the following is taken : The number of women police in the United States is by no means static •— it is continually changing. Some cities discontinue their services ; some add to the number already employed and other cities are instituting their services. Different cities apply different titles to women employed on similar duties, and at times women performing widely divergent duties are designated by the same title in different cities. For instance, in New York City, the name “ policewomen ” is applied both to women who are assigned to definite matron duty and also to others who are discharging law enforcement, patrol and special service functions. Quite frequently the same descriptive terms are used in several cities to denote work which in reality differs greatly. All of these factors and others render it difficult, if not wholly impossible, to present at any given moment absolutely accurate and true information on the women police movement in the United States. In order to present facts concerning the numbers of women police and matrons, a request for information on this subject was sent to the police departments of a great number of cities. Replies were received from 268 cities, which show the following facts : Fifty-eight cities employ no women in their police departments. Two hundred and ten employ women in the following capacities : 22 employ one person for both matron and women police duties; 65 employ matrons only; 52 employ women police only; 71 employ both matrons and women police. The 210 cities employ at least 355 police matrons, 395 women police and 22 women, who perform both functions in police departments. Of 100 large cities, no information has been made available from four. Of the remaining 96, the following facts are reported : four employ no women in their police departments; two employ one person — matron and policewoman; 24 employ police matrons only; ten employ women police only, 56 employ both matrons and women police. In the United States, police functions, with few exceptions, are exercised by individual municipalities or States. Further, no community resembles another either in its delinquencies or in its organised facilities to cope with them. These two conditions render it nearly impossible at present to propose one programme for women police which can be universally applicable. Venezuela. Up to the present time, women have not been employed in the police of Venezuela, and the Government has therefore no opinion as to the desirability of employing them, but it presumes that women police would be useful in order to prevent the traffic in women, and would also be helpful in connection with the protection of children. — 12 — ANNEX THE EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN THE POLICE. R e p l y from t h e Ge r m a n G o v e r n m e n t . 1 Berlin, May gth, 1927. \Translation .] The German States have sent the following replies to the requests for information on the employment of women in the police with a view to combating the traffic in women and children : Prussia is not in a position to express an opinion, based on practical experience, on the question of the employment of women police to combat the international traffic in women and children. When paragraph 276 of the new Penal Code of the Reich (1925) comes into force, it will be possible to employ women police with good results, especially for the protection of children, young girls and adult women who are exposed to moral perils (preventive measures, observation, protective detention of persons in moral peril, and taking evidence of women and children). Even in this sphere, however, it will not be possible to replace male officials entirely by females in the criminal police force (Kriminal Polizei) ; it is, however, already quite clear that policewomen can exercise a very beneficent influence in the sphere of relief and welfare work. In Bavaria, there has existed for some twenty years past a police relief and welfare office for the special benefit of women and children exposed to moral perils. The work is carried on by women welfare workers, who rank as officials. Their duties are chiefly preventive and have been attended with good results. But these welfare workers, although acting in close and constant touch with the police, are not entrusted with regular police duties. It is not, however, disputed that a regular force of women police, properly trained in their duties and capable of sober judgment, might render good service in relief and welfare work among those in need of moral support. We must, however, await the results obtained in the various States where women police have been employed as an experiment. Women do not seem well adapted, if only for lack of physical strength, for regular criminal police work in the suppression of the traffic in women and children ; for those engaged in this service have to pit themselves against the most cunning and unscrupulous male criminals. Policewomen would require to be protected by male police officers. Furthermore, women lack the necessary qualities of mind — above all, resoluteness and clearheadedness in situations calling for immediate action. In the work of the criminal investigation departments, where grave offences are concerned, women can, at the most, be usefully employed in such auxiliary work as observation, searching of arrested women, espionage, etc. The campaign against the traffic in women and children is greatly hampered by false reports and exaggerations on the part of individuals and private organisations, especially women’s orga nisations. So long as these women’s organisations allow themselves to be ruled by other considera tions than those of sober reason, this circumstance must be regarded as proof of a lack of aptitude in women for this particular department of police work. In Saxony (Dresden), a few female police officials are at present employed as an experiment. These officials, of whom there are six, have only just finished their training, which included measures for combating the traffic in women and children; we must therefore wait a little before expressing an opinion on the value of women police. In Württemberg, women welfare officers attached to the police, who work in close touch with the criminal police, look after women, girls and children who seem to be exposed to moral perils. The question of traffic in women and children is of no practical significance in Württemberg, and does not, therefore, afford grounds for altering the organisation of the police services of that State. In Baden, no case of traffic in women and children has been observed for many years. It does not appear necessary, therefore, to adopt special measures to combat this traffic in Baden. In Thuringia, there is no need to employ women in the police for combating the traffic in women and children, but no objection of principle is raised against such a measure. In Hesse, no need for the employment of women in the police, for outside duties, has so far arisen. 1 This document was received too late to be considered by the Traffic in Women and Children Committee. — 13 — Hamburg replies generally in the affirmative to the question whether women can be success fully employed on police duties. In 1919, the City of Hamburg created a welfare office which a ss is ts the campaign against prostitution both in the matter of relief and welfare work. The □ u e s t i o n is now under consideration as to whether it is possible to employ women for regular police duties as well as for welfare work, and, more especially, whether the work of the criminal police force (Kriminal Polizei) could be assisted by the services of women police. We are, however, already able to state that women can only be employed in combating the traffic in women and children in particular cases, and only in such parts of the work as they are specially fitted to undertake. Mecklenburg-Schwerin holds that there is no occasion to employ women in the police. The suppression of the traffic in women and children and the protection of such persons is satisfactorily assured by close co-operation between the police and the female officials of the district welfare offices and the members of the Mecklenburg Women’s Friendly Association. The State of Brunswick wishes to develop the organisation of preventive assistance on the part of the police with the help of the railway-station mission and other welfare associations. It is proposed to appoint a woman police assistant for that purpose. No case of actual traffic in women has as yet been observed in Brunswick. Oldenburg does not employ women police, and cannot, therefore, make any suggestions. Anhalt has no practical experience in the employment of women police officials for combating the traffic in women, for no women have been so employed. In Bremen, circumstances are not such as to call for the employment of women in the police force for combating the traffic in women. The State of Lippe-Detmold has no female police officials. It is not, therefore, possible to say how far their employment might assist in combating the evils of the traffic in women. In Lubeck the question of the employment of women in the police for combating the traffic in women has not arisen, for there is no reason to believe that this traffic is carried on either in or through Lubeck. In the State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, traffic in women is practically unknown. The question of the employment of women in the police does not, therefore, arise. Waldeck considers that the employment of women in the police is desirable on all grounds connected with the protection of women and children in large towns. No practical experience has been gained in this matter, for the Waldeck police does not employ women, nor will such appoint ments be necessary in the future. Schaumburg-Lippe informs us that there is no need in that State for the appointment of women as police officials for the purpose of combating the traffic in women. The German Government is of opinion that the employment of women in the police service may in itself be attended with good results, but that they can only be entrusted with special and partial duties, more especially in the sphere of welfare work on behalf of women and children exposed to moral peril. Owing to lack of practical experience at the present time, the German Government is not in a position to express an opinion as to whether the employment of women in the police wrould be of material assistance in combating the traffic in women and children.