Never go out on foot patrol during the day in our town centre. It panics the population. They think that there is some major incident happening. Adults run out into the street and ask if their kids are safe at school two miles away. Shopkeepers ask if there has been an armed robbery. Even the local vicar appeared and asked if he could help with anything. A man approached me and said “I am a doctor, do you need me?”. People search in vain for thier
old “protect and survive” leaflets, assuming a national disaster. An old lady asks me “are you one of those Specials dear?”. I give her the stock reply that my mother thinks I’m special. I have gone and upset the status quo in our town
again. Police simply do not exist unless you call them, or there is a local MP on a fact finding mission around.
Meanwhile back at the Nick everyone is complaining because the Duty Inspector is nowhere to be found. “We tried everywhere” they accuse, “you were not where you should have been” they bleat.
Actually, I was absolutely where I should have been. And the probationer I was with now knows that I still know the best places to park up out of CCTV range to have a crafty tab!
We do foot patrol every day in our town centre boss! Think its because we are on the town centre team. Also we have a large amount of tourists that visit, they are always stopping us in the street and saying “that’s a rare sight to see a copper walking the streets”. My reply is always the same “you’re not from round here are you”.
Most annoying to be honest
Gaffer, it could be worse. After I decided I’d dealt with enough bollocks for oneday I took it upon myself to go home. I didn’t go home early my shift was due to finsih at 0100 I left at 0115. The next day I was “punished” for this. My punishment? Walking the beat!!!! (and here was me thinking that was part of my job!)
Good post guv. To be honest, when I do see a cop in our city centre, I do a double take, simply because you don’t them on foot very often. When you occasionally see a cop walking where I live, they are usually marching along with a big folder in hand. I guess they are on a way to take a statement and have that ‘don’t stop me, I’m busy’ look on their faces.
‘PC South West’, not in Bath are you by any chance
If you see one walking round in our force area it normally means their patrol car has been nicked. Ho hum.
Bergerac, you may have the right force but wrong town.
I know that on’t stop me look, I have also mastered that one. They usually stop you to ask a daft question anyway.
I tend to wear the good old radio earpiece – if you look like you are concentrating on the radio and start eyeing people up like you are looking for someone matching their description, or like you know they are up to no good, it freaks folk out and they leave you alone I find.
Please, the only time I see a Polis-man/woman down my road at work si when we have shoplifter under the control of the security guard.
None the less, kudos for finding the smoke corner, can you please be my gaffer in a few years time, preferably somewhere in Scotland?
Cheers much
Craig
Unfortunately, the UK is not the only place in the world where the sight of a police officer is an indication of something gone wrong. I wish personally that the sight of a police officer should tell the public that everything is OK.
It was a really nice weekend once (as in nice and hot) so we had about 6 officers walking the town centre (shocking!!!) and people thought that something bad had happened. Why is it they complain when we are not about, but when we are they moan too. Perhaps its something to do with my lovely hypothesis! – http://extraspecialpc.blogspot.com/2006/09/hypothesis.html
I once asked a friend of mine if he was ok with going for a walk round with his inspector at the end of his 10 weeks tutoring. His reply ‘If he’s good with his fists.’ ‘Nuff sed.
As a beat officer I get the old “Ooh, it makes a change to see a policeman out on foot” line every damn day.
I’m out there every day you sods, it’s not my fault you don’t notice me!
As a serious point, if people don’t notice when their local beat officer is out on the streets then of what value is high visibility policing anyway?
A few years ago every Friday night, for months, several of us Pc’s and Specials mounted an operation to walk the youth disco lot down to the village chip shop to try and prevent them from tearing the village up. Every time we encountered a MOP we always got the same “we never see a copper” comment. I realised then that unless we stand between them and their T.V in a bright florescent coat they never see us, i came up with a solution to this, permanently drive around all the streets with your siren on, they soon know you are there and phone up to complain!
I don’t know if this is a new policy thing, but recently there have started to be police on trains. The first time I saw it, I admit I leant out my chair to watch the policeman go down the train (v bored). Until the second one came up right behind me and murmered in my ear “we hunt in pairs you know”.
I did wonder, is it a terrorist thing? Are they looking for someone? I guess people just aren’t used to seeing policemen ‘on the beat’, anything out of the ordinary suggests trouble.
Hey there
Thanks for this great post it was just the missing info that i needed for my study
I have bookmarked your site in the hope that you will bring more of this great stuff to the table
Greets
Wilco Breens