To be purchased directly from H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE at the following addresses: Adastral House, Kingsway, London, W.C.,2; 28. Abingdon Street, London, S. W.1; York Street, Manchester; 1, St. Andrew's Crescent, Cardiff; or 120, George Street, Edinburgh; or through any Bookseller. Price 6d. Net. Cmd. 2224. Appendix. Copies of letters received from The Right Hon. General Sir Nevil Macready, Bt., G.C.M.G., K.C.B., late Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis 15 The estimated cost of this inquiry, including the preparation of the Report, is £109 17s. Od., of which £9 19s. 3d. represents the cost of printing and publishing the Report. WARRANT OF APPOINTMENT. I HEREBY APPOINT The Right Hon. W. C. BRIDGEMAN, M.P., Mrs. ELEANOR BARTON, Sir LEONARD DUNNING, SIR WILLIAM GENTLE, J.P., Alderman R. H. MILLICAN, J.P., and Dame HELEN GWYNNE-VAUGHAN, D. B. E., to be a Committee to review the experience now available in regard to the employment of women police in England and Wales and to make recommendations as to their future organisation and duties. AND I FURTHER APPOINT Mr. W. C. BRIDGEMAN, M.P., to be Chairman and Mr. G. F. PORTER, of the Home Office, to be Secretary to the Committee. WHITEHALL, 12th April, 1924. (Sgd.) ARTHUR HENDERSON. To the Right Hon. Arthur Henderson, M.P., SIR, His Majesty's Secretary of State for the Home Department. The Committee appointed by your Warrant of the 12th April, 1924, to review the experience now available in regard to the employment of women police in England and Wales and to make recommendations as to their future organisation and duties, have the honour to present their Report. 1. We have held seven meetings and have examined 25 witnesses, viz. : Mr. A. L. Dixon, C. B., C. B. E., of the Home Office. The Chief Constables of Lancashire, Gloucestershire, Liverpool, Alderman James Johnson, representing the Association of Muni- Mrs. Wilson Potter and Miss Tancred, representing the National Mrs. Carden, representing the London Council for the Promotion Three representatives from the Joint Central Committee of the Miss Mary Allen, representing the Women's Auxiliary Service. Seven women employed on Police Duties in England and Wales. Sir Nevil Macready, the late Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, who, owing to absence abroad, was unable to give evidence before us, has sent us two letters containing his views on the question. 2. Policewomen are at present employed in the Metropolitan Police District and in six County Forces and in 27 City and Borough Forces, the total strength being 110. In a few forces the employment of women as Police Constables has been discontinued, or the numbers reduced during the last few years, partly for reasons of economy and partly because owing to the change in local conditions, such as the removal of troops from the neighbourhood, the continued employment of policewomen was considered unnecessary by the Police Authority. In a few cases the employment of women has been discontinued because the Police Authorities were not satisfied that their employment had been a success. 3. On the general question of the employment of policewomen there is a considerable diversity of opinion. The representative of the Police Committee of the Association of Municipal Corporations who gave evidence before us stated that, in the opinion of that Committee, there was no general demand on the part of the public for the extended employment of policewomen, and urged that the whole question was one which should be left to the discretion of the local authorities. The County Councils' Association, in a letter addressed to the Committee, express the opinion that so far as County areas are concerned the employment of women is unnecessary. 4. On the other hand, the representatives of the National Council of Women of Great Britain and the London Council for the Promotion of Public Morality urged that Police Authorities throughout the country should appoint a sufficient number of policewomen to ensure proper administration, and expressed the opinion that the success which has attended their employment fully justifies their continuance and extension. WORK PERFORMED BY POLICEWOMEN. 5. For the purpose of reviewing the experience which has been gained since women were first employed we have not considered it Lecessary to call before us representatives from all the Forces employing women, but we have heard evidence from the Chief Constables of Forces which we considered typical. The Chief Constable of Lancashire, in whose force the women are employed almost entirely on detective work, speaks most highly of the services rendered by the women in this branch of the work. They perform exactly the same duties as the men, but are engaged more particularly in those cases where crimes have been committed by or against women and children. At Bristol the women patrol in uniform the quays and the streets adjoining, the open spaces and parks, and the busy streets in the City. They render assistance and give advice to women and children, and keep a watch for young girls loitering or wandering, with a view to giving them assistance and advice and preventing them from resorting to immoral conduct. Some of the women are employed on detective duties, especially in dealing with those cases where women are likely to be successful. They also take or assist in taking statements from women and children involved in cases of incest, and other sexual crimes and offences. The Chief Constable considers that the presence of patrols in the streets has exercised a salutary control over those likely to drift into immorality, and that for this and other reasons the experiment of employing women as members of the Force has proved a great success. 6. Similar evidence as to the usefulness of the work performed by policewomen was given by the Chief Constable of Gloucestershire, and also by the Chief Constable of Birmingham. 7. While is it recognised by practically every witness who has given evidence before us that there is a great deal of preventive work |