Anna Krejčík: Humanitarian, social worker, and the first woman assigned to police duties in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes

The involvement of women in police work was a pioneering initiative in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (SCS). It was initiated by women' s humanitarian societies under the umbrella of the National W omen ' s Alliance of the Kingdom of SCS. Realizing the importance of preventive work in suppressing juvenile crime, a special section was formed within the Alliance, which grew into the Society for the Protection of Girls (1924). This organization aimed to assist and protect neglected children, war orphans, and female youth frequently at risk of becoming victims of crime. In 1923, the Minister of the Interior of the Kingdom of SCS appointed Anna Krejčík (1870-1944) as a police trustee for the protection and rescue of female youth, serving with the police authorities of the Belgrade City Administration. Her primary responsibility was to help suppress juvenile delinquency among girls through active participation in prevention efforts and the police treatment of minors. This paper explores the role and contribution of women in police work, as shown through the life and work of Anna Krejčík, a social worker, humanitarian activist, and the first woman to serve in a police role in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.