by Harry Nankin
“I certainly can,” said Jack.
“When I was a young officer I came upon a vehicle with an expired Road Tax disc upon it. I noted the details, when a lady, the driver returned. Telling her she must produce her driving documents she asked me if her husband could produce them for her. I asked who her husband was and she said it was the Commissioner.”
There were gasps and laughs.
Jack replied, “That is the story of my life. I realised what she meant. I was nineteen and still on probation, no radio, no one to ask, it was my decision, did I book the Commissioners wife and thus him as he was the owner of the car and risk getting into trouble or should I let her off possibly save myself trouble or possibly not, depending how the Commissioner took it. I was either a shit to be rid of at the end of my probation for booking him and his wife or negligent for not doing my duty impartially.”
“What did you do?” asked the questionnaire.
Jack looked up and replied. “I put her in the book of course. When I arrived back at the police station I was told to submit my report immediately but not to record it in the process book. I did as I was told. I heard no more of the case but my conscience was clear. This is the rule I have followed since that day. Straight down the line.”
He looked up, The Chief Constable was now smiling and someone later said she was seen checking the excise licence on her car as she left.
Jack continued.
“The point is small but later in life as detectives it is vital to remember the world of the courts is small. The Magistrates, the Judges are few in number, please recall the saying, a good name is easier lost than won, an ill wound is cured but not an ill name.”
“It is vital as detectives you know the law and any defences so that in your investigations you not only seek evidence to put to the court but you consider any defences that might be put forward. It is your duty as a detective to negate these defences initially.”
“You must be open and above board with your questions to prisoners and accused persons and also witnesses. This business of pulling down curtains, confessions on the way to the police station and perfectly worded statements supposedly made by those who may be illiterate or near will prove in the long run to let you down. There are no easy fixes.”
“Before my friend at the front asks I will give an example. I was recently speaking with a well known criminal defence lawyer and an old retired Magistrate. The lawyer said that since my day officers attended courts ill prepared, didn’t know the law and quite frankly came across as untruthful.”
He added. “In your day as soon as my clients said there was police evidence against them I advised them to plead guilty and hope for a lenient sentence. These days the more police evidence there is the better I like it. The Magistrates are amazed at the lack of officer’s knowledge of the law and quite frankly they have made it known they no longer believe police evidence. To be frank Jack, these days when the Crown Prosecution solicitor prosecutes and the witnesses in cases are police officers for me and my colleagues getting a not guilty verdict is like taking candy from a baby.”
“The old Magistrate smiled and nodded then said, “he is telling the truth I have just retired, in the old days one could rely on the police but these days, well that is all I will say but just visit any court and see what happens.”
Jack saw a few sniggers as he continued, “You see ladies and gentlemen you are being judged not only in your daily lives but when you appear in court. Your performances will follow you. Bear in mind the victim, the person relying on you to get the offender dealt with according to law. You are supposedly the expert not them they are the victims. If you fail them you are failing justice.”
A policewoman put up her hand. Jack smiled and said, “Yes?”
“What comparison would you give with the working conditions of detectives these days from your time especially with regard to police women?”
“Well,” he said, “in my early days there were no women detectives, what female officers there were made tea, did station duty, typing and simply dealt with offences relating to women and girls. They sat in on child abuse, rapes and similar cases, often taking statements from attacked women and witnesses. I recall one ex police woman who informed me she was made to resign having married and became pregnant, such were those times.”
There was raucous laughing, several pushes on the shoulder of the questionnaire.
Jack permitting the nonsense, as he was thinking, to subside, he continued. “Since then things changed and female officers became detectives, they operated the same as men that is my recollection. I would however point out a different point, that is the hours worked. In my day all detectives commenced duty at nine every morning and finished at five in the afternoon.”
There were now smiles around the room; he came back however before being shot down.
“Having finished at five all detectives returned to police station at about eight o’clock in the evening and worked until around ten or eleven at night, every night, except on their days off.”
There were heads shaking and as he could lip read he saw the words, “Not me I have a family and private life.”
Continuing his story he was about to throw in a big one. “In addition they were on call at night for serious cases. There was no such thing as paid overtime not even time off, not in those days. A detective spent a vast amount of time in the police station, little at home. It was all part of the job.”
To faces of disbelief and a smile from Chief Watkiss recalling the days when she wondered if she still had a father she was told he was a detective but rarely saw him.
“Any detective” added Jack “who enquired as to keeping an overtime card could expect a note to be placed on his personnel file, this officer is a clock watcher and or not suitable for CID.”
Jack saw a finger go up it was an officer older than the others obviously a late arrival in the world of the detective. Jack looked up and asked, “Yes detective what question do you have?”!
“The officer stood and asked, “What of the wives and families of these old detectives such as yourself, how did they cope with these long hours?”
Jack smiled and said, “I will relate a true story. On duty one day the office telephone rang, I answered it. It was the wife of another detective seeking to know how long he would be as she and he had planned to go out, he should have finished an hour ago, the wife was worried. I called the detective sergeant who spoke with her. After saying hello he said, “He will be home when the job is completed and put down the telephone.”
“When the officer arrived and having finished his paper work he was about to go home when the detective sergeant called to him and said, “Your wife called asking how long you would be, tell her not to ring here again, we are employing you not her.”
“This was the norm in those days. I recently heard of one officer complaining there was no longer hot food in the police canteen, in the old days no consideration was ever given to the meals of officers on duty or of finishing duty on time. The word then was the exigencies of the service.
There were now glum faces, he recalled how officers now finished after their eight hours or else.”
He added, “It was coming into the police service under such conditions that enthralled officers to the job, the job as it was referred to was everything. You may be surprised to learn all officers’ uniform and detectives were obliged to seek permission to get married also where they lived and to be away from their station area when on a day off. Annual leave was no different, all officers gave their away address whilst on leave, just in case they were required for something.”
The faces of the audience were ever more a picture of doom. Chief Watkiss began to worry after this there may be no course as the officers all applied for mobile duties. She thought the threat of them walking the beat rather than riding around in fast cars might well persuade some to stay as detectives. “Get onto the bloody cases Jack,” she was thinking as he continued.
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p; “I myself recall seeking permission to be away from my station to visit my parents, this was granted but with a rider from the Superintendent, “granted on this occasion, I note this officer made a similar application. I hope he is not going to make a habit of it.” In fact I was speaking with an old copper who reminded me he was once put on a discipline charge and fined for being absent whilst off duty from his place of duty. He had in fact been to visit his girl friend in the next village some five miles away. He was wanted for a query and when found not to be in his lodgings but out courting, that is how he was dealt with.”
Noticing the shaking of heads not only from the students but the Chief Constable whose father Sid Watkiss was an officer during the period she may now recall the times dad had promised to take her out but never showed up.
“Ladies and gentlemen these things will never trouble you in this modern age. I mention them merely to indicate how it was under that regime from initial training, the early years in uniform and then when transferred to the detective squads how it came easier to officers to work long hours, suffer inconvenience in their private lives without as grumble or a moan. How the work as a detective became focussed completely on the job.”
“My advice to you, young and budding detectives is to attend to your duties when on duty. Read the evidence presented before you and contemplate any points that may have been missed. Speak closely and long with witnesses and potential witnesses. Drag every possible piece of information from them no matter how insignificant, a mere snippet of information can become vital as a case progresses.”
“Have a determination to win, get one over the man or woman seated before you and his lawyer sitting beside him or her. Never allow this determination to induce you to break the rules, you now have aids we never had, video cameras, strict rules on interviews and treatment of persons in custody. It is vital to work within these rules if you should be tempted not to do so and you get away with it this is a bad thing not a good one.”
“like the criminal, if you succeed with a small indiscretion this will encourage you to act in such a manner again and eventually if you insert your fingers into the fire eventually you will get burned, Have the desire to win by all means but if you lose a case or fail due to lack of evidence do not get involved with the pulling down of curtain blinds or unlawful interviews when no one is watching and listening. Make a note of the case and what went wrong, say to yourself he or she will come again, believe me detectives they always come again and if you persevere within the law you will get your man or woman of course.”
“I would sum up my advice by saying to be successful as a detective, not only look but see, not only listen but hear. Always have attention to detail, work with tenacity, build a reputation of thoroughness, and be honest and truthful even at the risk of losing a case.”
“Ensure after all your hard work when you appear before the courts you are honest and truthful and are believed by the magistrates and or the jury of ordinary men and women. Hope if they have had encounters with the police they were themselves treated fairly and decently and will recall this when judging you, standing there alone in the witness box.”
“No matter how the lawyers act or what accusations they make, they are interested only in money, it is always money, I never knew of a lawyer who stayed and defended a client if told his or her fees would not be paid. We, the police on the other hand are tasked with bringing wrong doers to justice. Justice must be our guiding rule.”
“Yes officer,” he said looking and see a very attractive young lady seated to the right of him her hand held up.
She stood and asked, “How would suggest one goes about this?”
He relied,” A very good question indeed, you may sit officer.”
She sat down and he continued.
“All detectives have experience of this, not only in cases of murder but all types of crime. It is at this stage when we are so sure that one has to keep an open mind and not falter when paying attention to detail. Most important of all resist the temptation to in any way manufacture evidence or to quote an old phrase, flower it up to suit your own purposes. No making the error of overbearing conduct to obtain confessions. It is not only with the prisoner or accused, call him what you will, but also with witnesses.”
“When visiting the scene of any crime, make notes, very many notes, ensure the crime scene officer takes ample photographs in addition to the sample he takes for examination.”
“A very important point and these days with the procedural changes you may find great difficulty. Witnesses, detectives speaking to witness, going through with them everything they saw or heard, taking a very detailed statement. I appreciate these days with the new system of a central point sending out the new pro forma asking witnesses a series of questions this personal and initial contact with witnesses is lost. It is my belief that these initial enquiries are vital.
“Making local enquiries looking into the background of the deceased if it is a murder, who, were the contacts? The way of life of the victim, any debts or obligations may all be vital clues.”
“Once they have been completed sit down and review all the evidence making summary notes, attempt to form a picture in your own mind of what happened.”
“This procedure is vital if you as investigating officers were not the arresting officer. Say, for instance you arrive on duty and find the uniform officers or wooden tops they are some times called by detectives due to them wearing their helmets. They have made an arrest and the prisoner has been passed onto you In these cases liaise closely with your colleagues who made the arrest, get a full detailed statement, but also interview them to ensure they have missed no detail and know more than they have written down. In others words, consider everything, miss nothing and do not attempt to make a case that does not exist. If you do and you get away with it do not smile as if it is a victory for once you get away with it you will be tempted to try again and eventually you will fall and your career, possibly your own freedom with you.”
There were laughs at the phrase wooden tops which caused Jack to stop his train of speech. Once recovered, he continued.
“Yes officer,” said Jack pointing to a tall man seated at the back of the room, “what is your question?”
“Have you ever dealt with the perfect murder?”
With that The Chief Constable stood and said, “Mr Richards may I just suggest a brief adjournment I believe coffee will be served in a moment. I have to make a telephone call.”
With that, two ladies arrived each carrying a tray of cups.
The class rose and the cups rapidly disappeared from the trays. Jack looked around as he saw the class divide into groups, normal cliques forming he thought. He could hear the mumblings, all of him, he had good ears. The words, bullshit, crap, it never happened, not for me and finally, “If Watkiss thinks I am going to live on the job she can forget it, eight hours is enough for me.”
He smiled as he drank realising he was a dinosaur in their midst, his day had gone, never to return he thought as the Chief arrived back and took her seat.
CHAPTER TWO
THE PERFECT MURDER
“Mr Richards,” said Inspector Winton the course instructor, “Perhaps I might commence your recollections by asking if you can, as the questioner asked, recall the perfect murder.” He sat down.
Jack stood, smiled and commenced, “I think all detectives would say the perfect murder is that which was committed and the man arrested got away with it. Not because of anything done or failing by the police but because the Crown Prosecution Service refused to proceed with the case or even botched it up. Might I even say if a jury finds the accused not guilty, they all got it wrong in the eye of the investigating officer.
“There were smiles around the room.”
He said, “What, in the investigating officer’s view was a perfectly investigated case and after dealing with the accused the detective honestly believed he or these days she, was sure they had the right man?”
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bsp; “What can an officer do if a case is lost?" someone called.
Jack looked up and said, “Remember it, believe me criminals are always criminals. As I have just said concerning what we referred to as bent coppers getting caught out, criminals always come back again and eventually they will be caught. Time will catch up with us all; you have to only read any newspaper in recent times to see that. I will say no more upon the matter but I suspect there are old officers sitting in retirement waiting every day to hear that knock on the door.”
“Now the perfect crime, there is one that comes to my mind. I will take you back some thirty years.”
“Constable Chris Kennedy was on duty in his rural police station. It was at a time when local officers were stationed within villages. Living in a police house with a small police office attached.”
“One day a group of people arrived at his office in a very agitated mood.”
“They reported that they were the Openshaw family who had been invited to visit their sister Rose, she had telephoned them to say she had some family problems. It would appear she believed her husband Ron Weatherall was having an affair. Her father had died and having left them and her substantial money, she had become wealthy in her own right.”
In addition she was worried when she discovered Ron had taken out a very substantial insurance policy upon her life.
“Just the usual story you might think. In any event Constable Kennedy went with the family to the house and on arrival Ron was nowhere to be found.”
“I know where he will be?” said Eric Openshaw, “Follow me.”
“The posse, as it was now turning into, walked to the rear of the house where they could hear banging and scraping.”
“The noise was emitting from the cellar and so down they all went. When they arrived Ron had completed putting away his tools and was about to climb the stairs to leave.”
“Down there, look?,” said Eric Openshaw, “he was digging that hole when we arrived yesterday, and now it is filled in and has been concreted over, Ron you have killed Rose and buried her down there.”