The Mighty Six Ninety
May 20, 2007 by inspectorgadget
I get there in time to see the last few seconds of an incident where Police Response Officers have fought to save a victims life and the paramedics have just arrived to take over.
Police and our ambulance service colleagues working in difficult and hostile conditions. This is the aftermath of a dangerous and volatile situation, officers were outnumbered as usual. Victims and offenders are ‘off their faces’ with alcohol.
Then the empty, blue strobe-lit world we inhabit after these things have ended. The adrenaline has gone, the offenders are locked up in the back of the van, the victim is away with the ambulance and a few of us are left to contemplate the hole in our stomachs. Suddenly you get very hungry. And so much blood.
This morning, those who judge us will pass by here on their way to work. They won’t even guess or know what happened here a few hours before. And so they shouldn’t because this is the business of professionals who (for the most part) care about saving lives and restoring order.
Besides, it’s dark, cold and dangerous. They wouldn’t want to deal with some of the violence, intimidation and grief that we face. That simply wouldn’t do. One lump or two? Now there’s the kind of challenge they relish.
The average age of the first responders (myself and the Paramedic Supervisor apart) to this incident is 23 1/2 years old. I think we can forgive them a low detection rate tonight?
(Originally I posted some real photos from the scene - heavily cropped - but the location was compromised by a crafty reader within a few hours!! I have now deleted the photos to save further embarrassment and my job! Sorry if the post isn’t quite the same without them.)
Sobering pictures Inspector, not that those mighty ones who set performance targets & dictate who is doing their job properly will take any notice, nor will our dear government. But Im sure the person who’s life you quite probably saved would think differently as would his family.
A true reflection of what goes on Boss, we call all those who pass judgement on response cops, “the nine o’clock shudders” cos in the morning SMT meeting it’ s “you should have done that, you should have done this”, without really understanding or caring about the preasures of the moment, I wish I could get me a bag of that “Hindsight” apparently its the answer to all our shortfalls.
Great post
Another wonderful post.Thank you,but remember ,dont let all this interfere with getting the paper work correct.Thats what matters in the long run or so it appears.
I used to get hungry after doing dissection. Surgeons get hungry directly after surgery (so one of my clients told me). Odd, isn’t it?
Great post. Sod the bean counters and remember the man in the back of the ambulance appreciates your efforts (or he will when he comes round)
Yes very good Inspector however I would like to point out the following which I require you to address by means of recording performance review notes or other action where appropriate.
1.) A number of your officers are shown not wearing their Police hats. Please identify those officers, counsel and record this by means of a PRN
2.) Its also noted that one or two seem to be standing doing nothing with hands practically in their pockets, This is not acceptable and does not portray the corporate image we wish to achieve! These officers should be given corrective advice.
3.) It is noted that the pushbike does not appear to have the required lights on for operating in the hours of darkness. Was the user identified and if so confirm if they are to be reported for failure to use lights in the hours of darkness. If an officer was using the bike then consider disciplinary proceedings.
4.) It is also noted that the officers do not appear to be reaching and/or bending down to the victim according to their training on the recent moving and handling course. Ensure these officers are counselled accordingly and record this improper procedure on a Health and Safety admin 1 form to ensure that any officer later attempting to claim back trouble will not be able to retire on ill health grounds.
5.) Did you consider charging the victim and/or paramedic for obstruction of a highway ? Road Policing issues are a force objective I would remind you we are currently below our performance target for minor road traffic offences
6.) Similarly I trust the ambulance was performing a safe 3 point turn as shown in your evidence ? Did you consider reporting for an illegal or dangerous manouvere by virtue of the Road Traffic Act?
7.) Finally can you please confirm that you submit the appropriate paperwork in duplicate to ensure the Council attended in 3 weeks time to sweep away the debris and wash away the blood ? If not please have your officers do so and remind them that failure will result in reminders being sent to their line managers with disciplinary action taken against them if they do not comply.
Your assistance is appreciated, thankyou
Mr I. M. A Nob
Bean Counter & scared to go out Dept
‘community partnership funded, here to serve you!’
Nice post Gadget, thankfully my Saturday night was a little quieter than yours! Thankfully we had the best policeman in the world with us for spilling out time. The RAIN!
Jock - that is brilliant and so true - thanks for that, made me laugh!
Over here in sun drenched NI:
All the emergency services wave as they pass each other on the roads here. We all know who to depend on.
According to one drunk edjit I know:
The ambulance boys ang girls have to know the most,
The fire service have the most kit
And the police always seem to be first.
I have always said in the past how somehow against all the odds we manage to keep the wheel on when it’s all gone horribly wrong in more ways than one.
I was in fact wrong in my imaginary comparison! The wheel always comes off at some point, it’s just we manage to drive with only 3 wheels!!
Gadget, read your blog for a number of months and really enjoy it.
Now I feel a bit special as I live ten minutes from the photos. Such a nice town on the surface until you meet some of the “families” from those areas around the main town. You’d never guess how many syringes were picked up from that big building site near the gas works before we started(you’ll know where I mean i reckon.You’ll love the design for when chasing the locals.)
Knowing where that is I expect you’ve arrested the people who did it before.
Do you know if our MP reads this? He really should.
Its odd to think I might have seen you on a night out in town after reading your blog for so long……..
Iv tried to be careful not to be too location specific I hope iv succeeded.
Keep writing, Im going to get the book.
Tom
[...] The Mighty Six Ninety Another weekend. Here we see the last few seconds of an incident where Response Officers have fought to save this […] [...]
Looks like you had a typical weekend Gadget. Just a quick question…do you get a mop and bucket as standard issue? It just seems that you guys aren’t actually doing anything, other than cleaning up other people’s messes.
Hope you found a kebab shop open after that mess.
Just interested to know who arrived on the skis in the first picture ?
It never ceases to amaze me how detached from reality people become the further up the ladder they go. But, surely at some point they must have been in the situations, felt the frustrations and got hacked off with the issues and have wanted to change them. Straight talkers, with a genuine interest in improving things above Inspector level are rarer than rocking horse sh*t. 11 Years and the people have changed (in most cases have reduced) but the game remains the same. In my area we’ve had a major shopping centre open, enormous redevelopment housing regeneration, SRN’s widened and capacity increased and yet we have the same basic 4 call signs on each shift as when I started all that time ago. If we come in on nights / lates or earlies to crew up a car or two depending on how many of us there are, maybe six call signs.
So there you have it, no extra resource over 10 years, reduced resource at the busiest times (cost control - cos no one goes out on a Bank Holiday Monday do they?) and appraisals for the sake of appraisals because everyone’s moved around so often that no one can own anyone elses development and ensure they get what they want and need to improve. So its all up to you.
As you say, you couldnt make it up!
and thats aside from our area rennovating the custody area last month at some considerable expense when there’s a brand new all singing all dancing nick opening april next year! (From the livery of van gadet, I think you could get where in the county) But do we need some more vehicles or perhaps some vehicle mounted ANPR or maybe some enhancement to refs areas? Nah, lets redo the custody, we need to spend the money! Madness!
Great site and I love your writing. I have to caution you on the use of photos though. I am afraid you are getting to comfortable and will accidentally end up letting folks know who you are. Please be careful.
When I joined I bought into the dream, really busy on shift, good arrests, assisatance shouts,good mates, good times and bad.In the late nineties I tried for promotion for the first time, it was an ambition to be a good skipper and beyond.I got knocked back twice,not enough strategic awareness, not looking at the wider picture, not considering wider issues. I came off the streets and began “working” in a very trendy diversity type office environment staffed by warranted officers who chose not to encounter angry men, stinking bodies,or destroyed people. They still all cary a high stress/inability load, some are part time remedial working,all 9-5ers.I have stayed within this area since leaving the streets, the irony is I have now “achieved” more than one promotion and still more to go.How do I live with myself? Very well actually, considering I paid my dues for over 10 years as a PC. Gadget and all the other good coppers, you really should realise that you will get zero for doing the real job, except grief from the likes of me if you ever make a mistake, especially one that may have a negative effect on the confidence of the community or go against diversity.I hardly ever wear a uniform and although should be 9-5,usually finish at about 3.There being enough snivelling brown nosers looking for a good PDR who happily do most of what is required. Would I return to the streets? Go figure.
I believe that Home Office crime reduction targets are devisive and detract from the real issues that affect people’s lives.
The trouble is it’s these warped statistics that are being driven into everyone’s working practices. Sadly we’ve no choice when a decent appraisal is so important to any promotion or selection process.
The only answer is to kick these targets into touch and get back to doing the basic stuff, helping people and catching the bad guys. I pay Council Tax and it’s what I want the Police to do, but then again if the Government had asked me I might have told them!!
Great pictures Gadget, and equally good blog, makes very interesting reading.
Another great blogg guvnor. Wish I had your wordcraft.
Got some memorabilia you and the young gadgets might like. Get in touch if you can tell me the means to get it there.
[...] The Mighty Six Ninety Here you can see the last few seconds of an incident where Police Response Officers have fought to save this victims […] [...]
Emma here just testling…..
Ok that works, for some reason wordpress won’t let me post comments….now I have forgotten what I was going to say….but I can get through now so I will be back..xx
What I was initially going to say was it amazes me how these things all get cleaned up as if nothing ever happened, especially after all the carnage it can cause..xx
I used to say in my blog, Sensible Policing, “My only performance indicator is the public I serve”.
I’ve finally been drawn in to post and what I’ve got to say is in response to what ‘Superduper’ has said several comments up. Please read it before continuing.
From their username and contents of the post I’m assuming he/she probably hold the rank of Superintendent. I’ve read their post several times – Am I right in concluding they agree with Gadget’s views on modern policing, society and the real issues of inequality within the police force but are defending their own migration away from the front line work using the “if you can’t beat them join them” argument. As much as I respect Superduper’s candidness I have to question their integrity.
They are getting an annual salary of 50K+ (more like 70K if indeed they are a super) for 9-3 weekday shifts. That would pay for two or three student officers. There’s no doubt in my mind who I’d prefer to have. In fact, given Superduper’s self appraisal I’d settle for one student officer instead of him/her.
They then mitigate themselves by telling us how they were knocked back for promotion when they were on the front line and infer they are really a proper cop because they spent ten years as a PC. I’ve got nearly double that, all at the sharp end in cities and towns but couldn’t justify to colleagues, family, friends and myself putting my feet up for even the final ten let alone Superduper’s potential 30 years they could achieve. If I’ve read your post right you’ve just confirmed everything that this blog and others like it aim to expose; what a waste of money, station space, uniform (oh, I forgot you wear your own clothes now) and real officer’s time senior officers often (not always) are.
Perhaps they are just ‘flaming’ in which case they hooked me, but just in case they’re for real I submit this post for their consideration.
Sgt South West, I too read ‘Superdupers’ comments and s/he also hooked me, however, if s/he is a super-nintendo then I wonder how in this day and age they can sort out their work/life balance to the degree they have.
Having no time generally for todays senior management - not that i had much time for the red necked drunkards that use to pass for an SMT years ago - this person will have done well to progress with a laissez-faire attitide as indicated.
Most SM’s are only too pleased to contribute to the culture of ‘present-eism’ by working stupidly long hours and being plugged in via Blackberry’s and PDA’s even when on holiday. They love nothing more than looking at and/or discussing issues, doing a ‘piece of work’ ‘around’ whatever pants has been run up whatever flagpole and hoping to get a soundbite in he press, local or national. They normally undertake activities that advertise they’re sad little world and thus their perceived worth as they can’t shout “ME, ME, ME”
I know that I couldn’t cope with all that as it bores me stupid and most of it is about being busy doing nothing at all. - So people who attain such rank these days have to be ’special’ in that way.
To be honest I don’t know what i think about the individuals attitudes, other than the Job’s f****d so why should its employees be any different
A couple of years ago, 0400, fatac and the duty chief inspector turns up. I’m covered in blood, my driver is covered in blood and the paramedics are working on one of the 2 survivors from the 4 up car. I say ’situation is driver and front passenger are confirmed, one of the rear seats are critical and the other is walking but in a bad way. Road blocks are in and the van crew are setting up the cordon tape, traffic are 5 mins away’ he says ‘where’s your hat?’ Tosser.
I have some good viseo footage that I have taken while wearing a head cam, but just know it would bite me in the arse!
The cruelest irony of them all is that those who the Police are there to protect could not give a flying F*** about detections etc. We just want to see proper front line coppers out there doing what the do best. The decent people that pick up the cost of policing (and i include coppers in this- last time i looked Police pay was not tax free) want the Police to do their jobs as unhampered by red tape and other rubbish as possible.
As for the bean counters, well let’s keep em locked up in their ivory towers, spouting the piffle that they do.
I am now intrigued. I have been brought into this by Joe P. Super Duper has achieved many promotions. Is this a wind up! I haven’t met an honest middle, senior ranking officer that can lie straight in their own bed, that’s because they are always in someone else’s’.
The point is I have not met an honest Senior Officer. So to come out like this if it is true is surreal. The only other thing I would like to add is this type of person is the direct idiot that damages race relation’s. They use lies to move up the ranks.
One more thing, take a look at my last blog, take that! And Sir if you are reading, that is all I have to say. There’s more but I would not repeat it here. You and people like you use tokenism and incompetent Black officer’s, (“freshies”), to your benefit. You and your type of ranking tiffins are fools without any ounce of integrity and a danger to policing.
Another great post & thanks everso for the link.
Permission to swear Sir?
Inspector G my comments are aimed at Super, not you!