Edith Smith (police officer)

Edith Smith
Died 1924
Nationality British
Known for first policewoman in U.K.

Edith Smith (died 1924) was the first woman police officer in the United Kingdom with full power of arrest.

Life

The Women's Police Service was founded in 1914 by Nina Boyle and Margaret Damer Dawson and it was staffed by volunteers.[1] In August 1915, Edith Smith was appointed the first woman police constable in England with full power of arrest.[2] Her duties were to deal with cases where women were involved. She was particularly concerned with trying to reduce the number of prostitutes in Grantham who were attracted there by the nearby army base.[3]

The work in Grantham was contentious amongst the Women's Police Service as Boyle felt that women should not be punished with a curfew when it was the men who were at fault. This led to a disagreement and Boyle left the service and Dawson reformed the service with herself as the new head.[1]

Smith left the service after working seven days a week for a period of two years. She died after she took an overdose of morphia in 1924, five years after leaving the force. Her life is commemorated in Grantham Museum.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 History of Met Women, MetWPA.org.uk, retrieved 31 July 2014
  2. ↑ Kelly, Kay (2012-11-27). "First police women in UK". Grantham People. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  3. 1 2 "Town remembers first policewoman". BBC. 2006-01-13. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
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