Women's Police Service

Female volunteer police officers on parade, during World War I. The women are being inspected by Mary Allen, a former Suffragette who had worked as a salaried Organiser for the Women's Social and Political Union. During the years of the militant votes for women campaign Mary had served three terms of imprisonment for breaking the windows of Government buildings in London and Bristol and took part in the prisoner hunger strikes.
In 1914, Mary joined the Women Police Volunteers and was appointed Sub-Commandant. This was a voluntary unit founded by Nina Boyle, a member of the Women's Freedom League and many early recruits had also served terms of imprisonment for Suffragette militancy. Early work involved 'rescuing' sex workers from the streets. In February 1915 the Women Police Volunteers was renamed the Women's Police Service (WPS) under the new leadership of Margaret Damer Dawson and given official responsibilities by the war time Government. Initially the WPS concentrated its work in the London area. Wearing a dark-blue uniform, they undertook duties such as looking after the welfare of refugees. Although issued with identity cards by the Metropolitan Police they had no powers of arrest and were not part of the Metropolitan Police. In late 1915 Mary Allen was sent to Grantham and Hull by the authorities to deal with complaints of an increase in drunken behaviour and sex workers associated with the local army camps. In 1919 she was promoted to Commandant of the WPS, a post she held until 1938.