Police Memories

by Bill Williams

  “Very well,” said Mrs James, “get your things and follow me.”

  He picked up one suitcase and followed the elderly lady upstairs then turning left into what would be his bedroom. It was a front room with low windows he could see outside into this new world. It was facing and he began to smile as he recounted the scene a sign which read Broughton Care Home, in those days run by the local council. The local fire station was adjacent to the care home and next to that a large car park seemingly unpopular being a good walk from the town centre as there few vehicles upon it.

  “This is your room,” she said, “the bathroom is across the stairs your meal will be ready soon,” and she left.

  He gazed around his new abode, a large room compared with his previous room at the training centre or even the one at his home, which his father referred to as a box room.

  He placed his suitcase upon the double bed opened same and then looked once again where the storage would be. There was a double wardrobe, large chest of drawers an armchair, all he required really he thought.

  Finally having collected his remaining items and unpacked as always he changed from his uniform to civilian clothes. It was time to go downstairs and meet Mrs James once again.

  Arriving at the bottom of the stairs he now had time to survey the house. It was a mid terrace, two bedrooms and bathroom upstairs, having stopped at the bottom of the stairs he was now standing in the hall with the front door to his right and the living room to his left with the kitchen come dining room beyond that. The house was clean tidy and well furnished. Claude was to find there was neither television nor telephone in the house, the same as home he thought. It crossed his mind the only contact he might have with his parents would be on his visits during his off time or by letter, which he knew would be a rare if ever event.

  “Your meal is ready,” called Mrs James and so he went through and sat for his first ever meal in someone else’s home. It was a cooked meal, meat, potatoes and three vegetables followed by a sweet, very good he thought and this would be the norm whilst he lived with Eliza.

  It was time for the introductions.

  “I am a widow of many years,” she said, “I will look after you, cook your meals, make your bed, wash and iron your clothes and anything else you need doing.”

  “If you would please leave your helmet on one of the pegs at the front door that, would be appreciated.”

  Eventually Claude would come to realise the reason for this. The old lady had obviously been lonely and somewhat in fear, having a Police officer living with her gave her a sense of security and all callers would see the helmet on the peg at the front door, it would therefore serve as a warning to callers with ill intent.

  He was also to learn she was in long term mourning for her only child, a son, an army driver killed during the retreat to Dunkirk his loss he would find she never got over. Claude was to hear many stories of “Den” during his stay.

  “Your board will be four pounds per week, the sergeant told me you get paid monthly so you can pay at the weekend of that week. It didn’t sound much as he worked out the figures but all those years ago it was nearly half his net pay.

  The following morning 8 45am, he arrived at the Police Station in full uniform, it was common practice in those days for officers to walk to and from duty. Unlike officers in the London Metropolitan Police who wore a chequered wrist band on the tunic cuff, which signified if they were on duty or not, officers wearing wristbands, were on duty, no wristband they were off duty. Claude was soon to learn there would be variations.

  Arriving at Broughton for the first of many duties he opened the front door and walked inside and then into the “Front Office.” It was a strange feeling, for the first time he could walk into, around and inside a police station not only that he could open drawers, cupboards and anything else well, more or less.

  The constable on duty stopped typing, picked up the telephone looked at Claude did not speak but pointed to the chair near the counter indicating for Claude to be seated. When he finally spoke it was into the telephone and he said, “Sarge, the new bloke has arrived.”

  There was a pause when he said “Yes OK,” and replaced the receiver.

  He turned to Claude and said “Go through that door along the corridor up the stairs at the top turn left and you will see the sergeants office, Ok.” He then lowered his head and continued typing.

  Claude stood and followed the instructions given to him. When he reached the top of the stairs he saw an office signed Superintendent, passing this he saw the next door, it was open but signed “Sergeants Office.”

  He arrived, before he could stop or speak a voice called, “Friendly is that you? “Come in.”

  He entered the room he saw a uniformed sergeant standing by the window through which he had obviously been looking.

  He was a man in middle age, tall with a large RAF type handlebar moustache he had a ruddy complexion which reminded Claude that his father always alleged such men were “Whisky drinkers,” rubbish of course he thought.

  “Friendly, your first day eh, I am Sergeant Briggs.”

  Claude was not asked to sit but stood awaiting his fate.

  “Right then let me check,” He picked up a large green hardback folder, which seemed from its appearance to have been in constant use for some many years. He checked inside then replaced it on his desk as he sat down. Claude could see the words in yellow ink, “Duty Diary.”

  “Ah Friendly, Pc 377 are we, yes you will be on “A” Squad, working late shift this week, starting at 2pm tomorrow. I will update you as to how we work here. The boss is Superintendent Ralph Bannerman, his office is down the corridor, you won’t have much to do with him, chain of command you see. Any problems see the Sergeant, are you clear on that?”

  “Yes,” replied Claude he was now about to be given a long list of information but no suggestion was made for him to be seated.

  “Well lad, in addition to the boss there are three sergeants here, two working the town the other one in the rural area. You have met Sergeant France yesterday.”

  “The boss works 9 am to 5 pm and we work 9 am to 5 pm and 6 pm to 2 am, the Sergeant finishing at 2 am is on call until 9 am. Sergeant Glyn Parry the rural Sergeant works 9 am to 5pm but is on call after that.”

  “There are four rural officers based in the out lying villages they are on 24 hour call for anything at all on their area or beat. They will nearly always work 9 am to 5 pm by can vary this at their discretion however as they are on call round the clock unless they are on a rest day, they are available. On their rest day, time off or annual leave that area is covered by the officer or officers from the adjoining beats, in emergency we cover it from here.”

  “There is a bobby who works the office administration and does some Court document typing he works 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday.”

  “We have a typist Miss Jones works the same hours as the office man. If you need typing done get permission from the Sergeant for Miss Jones to type it otherwise you type your own. You will work three shifts, the early turn from 6 am to 2pm, lates from 2 pm to 10 pm and full nights from 10 pm to 6 am.”

  “There are three officers on each shift of which you will be one. You will parade for duty a quarter of an hour before your shift or you will be regarded as being late and likely to be put on a charge.”

  “Whatever incident you are involved with in your shift you will finish it. If you are required to work over time, you will get time off at the rate of time plus one third, if it is your rest day it will be time and a half, I will give you an over time card for such use.”

  “The front office is manned round the clock by a senior constable. When we are short the two remaining officers will share the office so that one officer is in and the other is out.”

  “When you go out on patrol you will keep points, that is, you will attend and wait at a specific telephone box and await a phone call in case you are needed. In urgent cases someone from a shop will be telephoned from her
e and asked to pass a message onto you whilst you are on foot patrol so keep visible.”

  “You will make an entry in your duty diary book of any and all incidents you deal with, or which are reported to you. In any event you will note the areas you have patrolled at least every hour.”

  “A supervising officer will meet you on patrol and examine your note book to check what you have been up to and he will sign to this effect, make sure your note book is made up to date at all times.”

  “If a report is received of found property you will make an entry in your book of exactly what the item is and if handed to you, get a signature from the finder. You will then make an entry in the station found property book and cross-reference this with your notebook. Once the entry in the station book is made you will take the property and the book to the sergeant who will sign for it and then lock it up. Officers are not permitted to keep anything they find, we just had an officer here shall we say “Got rid of” by one means or another after it was noticed his wife seemed to finding a lot of property and claiming it, if you get my message.”

  “You will be clean, smart and tidy at all times, change your loose collar half way through your tour of duty at meal time for example, you will be clean shaven, boots polished, your trousers will be pressed with one crease no shining patches, you will have a haircut on regular occasions so that no hair is visible below your helmet.”

  “You will carry your warrant card at all times should you need to identify yourself if there is an incident whilst in civilian clothes upon which you may need to act.”

  “You will carry it on uniform duty together with your staff and handcuffs and notebook. You parade at the commencement of each tour of duty at which time the duty sergeant will check your standard of turnout and if you are in possession of your accruements.”

  “If you intend to be absent from the area in which you are stationed over night, example to visit your parents, or any other reason including annual leave you will submit a written report seeking permission to be absent and will give your destination and contact details. Failure to do this is contrary to regulations and you may well find you’re self-subject of discipline.”

  “That is about it for now, you will be given explicit instructions on your patrol duties later, in the mean time Constable Rob Olden will be your parent constable for a while he will show you the ropes. Finally I would mention the driving of police vehicles.”

  This caused Claude to suddenly realise that although he was now a police officer with all the powers of the law at his fingertips including traffic offences and investigating accidents, he himself was a non-driver. Looking back no one had ever asked him about the subject and certainly no mention had been made for him to become qualified. Thinking back what was even more incredible it would be years, before he would become authorised to drive police cars.

  “You will be required to take your turn cleaning the station general purpose vehicle but as you are not authorised to drive police vehicles you will not be permitted to drive. Now go downstairs and familiarise yourself with the station books and where everything is.”

  “Finally,” said Briggs, “your duty hours for each week means you will get a day and half off, as we don’t take half days you will be allocated two days one week and one the next week. You will get a weekend off every seven weeks made up of Friday Saturday of one week and the Sunday from the next. In reality you will finish duty at 2pm Thursday and be off until 10pm the following Sunday. You will receive 16 days leave each year plus rest days. Your leave will be as per an annual leave rota which you will be given to complete, officers choose the periods in order of seniority of service, only one officer per shift is permitted to be away at any one time. Although there is no regulation covering it, taking annual on night duty is frowned upon as it means another officer from the afternoon shift will be required to move back to cover the night duty, there is always at least two officers on a night shift.”

  At long last Claude turned and left heading downstairs. On arrival he walked to the rear of the building there was a large room with a large desk with chairs around, the door was signed, “Parade Room.”

  From the next room he heard typing and saw a lady aged in her early twenties, handsome if a little over weight with long blonde hair tied in a ponytail. Claude went inside and introductions were made.

  Leaving there his next call was to Constable Ted Green the station clerk busily typing with a cigarette in his mouth dropping cigarette ash over his tunic as he did so. Claude spoke he received a nod in return so judged it best to leave. On doing so he approached an arched doorway and on walking closer he saw the gate of bars through which were several cells each secured with a massively heavy wooden door each having a hatch.

  The cells the first he had seen were dark there being only one small window covered in mesh. A wooden bed along the right hand wall had two folded blankets but no pillow or sheets. There was no toilet. On the inside there was a bell obviously he thought for prisoners to call for attention.

  Outside the cells was a door and on opening it he discovered a toilet.

  At the far end and around a corner was another cell, marked female prisoners, it was out of sight of the two male cells. Adjacent to the female cell was a room with a desk, large table but no chairs; it was signed “Charge office.” On leaving here and turning the corner was small room signed “Interview Room.”

  Negotiating this he finally arrived in the front office where the duty officer was now standing at the counter dealing with a member of the public. After some moments it was clear the person was producing his driving documents. The business just finished, another man who appeared, from his Wellington Boots and green overalls to be a farmer arrived; he was seeking a licence to move some of his livestock. This caused Claude to look up onto the wall inside the enquiry room where there was a notice headed “Diseases of Animals restriction of movement of live stock.”

  He spent the day around the police station wondering what the next and his real first day of duty would bring.

  It was 6pm and Claude realised he had been typing since just after Breakfast, until now he had been so concentrated that he had missed lunch and so it was time to stop, shower and then have his evening meal.

  It was uneventful and in no time he was back in his room and soon tucked asleep.

  The following day was the same as the rest until lunchtime when Copton Brass Band arrived and gave a very good show which all in the audience enjoyed.

  After lunch Claude retired and worryingly he thought later he had fallen asleep, he was he thought drifting in with the rest, that is day sleepers.

  When he arrived for his evening meal he was early just before 6pm. On arriving in the lounge he was confronted with laughing and then clapping.

  As he entered the room Angelina Prim looked and said.

  “I have just been reading your book Claude as you may have heard it went down well. There were shouts of “Hear, Hear then a call from the rear far end of the room, when is the next part out?”

  Angelina asked, “Go on Claude when will the next be due.”

  He was blushing a little and then said. “I have actually just finished it, I will spell check it and print it out say a day or so.”

  The gathering broke up as Matron Raving arrived at the door and appeared to be ready to ask what the noise was about but then hesitated, turned and left. Her interest had not however gone unnoticed by Claude or Joe who leaned over and said “The Dragon doesn’t miss much.”

  Claude didn’t reply but thought, “Neither do I.”

  Angelina returned that portion of the book, which later that night he put aside pending further action in the days to come.

  Time for some respite from typing he thought, he would bind the pages he had completed, print out the next portion and finally spend some time contemplating the next phase,

  He retired for the night, “Ah” he thought as he drifted into “The land of Nod,” training done, arrived at my first station th
e next will be real copper’s work, how it was then he thought, real police work unlike these days there again he thought I would say that.

  Chapter 13

  It had been nearly two weeks since he had last undertaken any typing during which time he had contemplated and on occasions despite good intentions he had fallen asleep awaking with pen still in hand, note pad lying on the floor blank of any note or idea.

  Claude promised himself that today he would, without fail continue and relive his past life and that of some of his ex colleagues, after all folks did appear to be interested having regard to their response with his initial efforts.

  Breakfast finished he arrived back in his room and soon commenced the next stage.

  Yes, his first real day on duty, it was 1 40pm he arrived at his first police station in time to commence duty at 2pm.

  He entered by the front door and as he did so Ted Green the office Pc looked up and said “Sign in the duty book, the Sergeant wants to see you,” pointing to the large green folder on the enquiry desk counter.

  Claude turned walked over to the counter opened the folder and found his name. He wrote in the time and his initials then went upstairs and on walking along the corridor on the first floor Sergeant Briggs had simultaneously left his office and walked towards him, “The Superintendent wants to see you, follow me.”

  He walked passed Claude who had been stopped in his tracks he turned and strode back three paces and stopped. The Sergeant knocked on the door, a voice called “Enter” and in a moment Claude was standing at a desk, a man in uniform displaying a silver crown on each shoulder was seated at the desk, head down writing.