New York Times - July 24, 1909

TO "MOTHER" THE CRIMINAL
Dr. Anna Howard Shaw, the eminent suffragist, would enlarge women's sphere of usefulness by putting women on the police of large cities to "mother" the criminals. Criminals will generally applaud the suggestion. "Mothering" is a word that will sound well to them. They all like to be "mothered," which we infer is equivalent to being coddled. It never occurs to the criminals that people of their sort, in this sentimental country, are coddled too much for the public good, because no criminal ever gets too much "mothering" for his comfort. The criminals can stand a great deal of comfort.

It would be useful in this particular community if the women who are anxious to do police work could help discover a few of our missing criminals. So many crimes of violence have lately baffled our police that it might be well to employ some of the female detectives whose alertness and ingenuity are so effective in farce, romance, and the service of the Custom House. If we could always be sure of catching our criminals, and putting them where they can do no more harm, we might regard with complacency the spectacle of one hundred policewomen mothering them. But until the women can suggest a way to make our Police Departments more efficient it is hopeless for them to try and infuse more sentiment in police methods.