Early Police Social Workers and Implications for Today

Summary The policewomen in the US were the forerunners of police social work in the early 1900s. Many policewomen were grappling with the same issues that the profession is still critically examining today. Growth in police social work positions across the U.S. provides an important reason to study the earliest police social workers, despite divided views within the profession. Finding social work's appropriate role in public safety is crucial to address current social, racial, and economic injustices. This historical textual analysis investigates the apertures and barriers for police social workers in helping vulnerable populations. A 1924 Library of Congress bibliography is utilized as a framework for qualitative historical textual analysis. Over 22 primary-source texts were obtained, from early police social workers and cultural sources. Texts were analyzed related to alignment with social work, advocacy, training, and challenges. Findings Findings revealed that the policewomen's work aligned with social work, involved multisystemic advocacy, was subject to misunderstanding, and lacked standardization and preparation. Applications With the right training and role clarification, the social work profession has the opportunity to decriminalize social needs. Findings revealed that the policewomen's activities and values were rooted in social work, that schools of social work may need to become more involved in training, and that social work curriculum should emphasize advocacy. The study adds new context and recommendations to the current debate about the next era in public safety.