Claude made his way there and he saw from a distance a man lying on a park bench. Arriving at the man it was an officer from the previous night shift, Constable Hayswell; his cycle was lying against a hedge behind the seat. Claude shook him and after a few shakes the officer woke and sat up.
“What time is it,” he asked, “11 15am,” replied Claude.
The officers got up and rode off.
He had it seems during the night been tired and lay down on the bench and fallen asleep and had remained there until disturbed. There was a row of course for his sergeant on the night shift had booked him off duty obviously without seeing him. As a result the sleeper was moved shifts and worked with Claude.
Constable Hayswell often worked the office where the sergeant could keep an eye on him.
One day working the early turn one of the superintendents arrived at 5 45 am to parade the early turn. There was no sign of officer Hayswell. As Claude was leaving the police station yard at 6 05 am he was in company with the Superintendent, Hayswell arrived on his cycle obviously late for duty. The Superintendent called to him, “Late are we Hayswell?”
“There is snow on the other side of town Sir, it held me up.”
Later that morning the Inspector arrived in the station office and he said “Hayswell report to the chief super immediately.”
Minutes later Hayswell was standing in front of the desk of the Chief Super who said, “Well Hayswell you have been reported to me as being late for duty by the superintendent. You have a choice, you can be dealt with by me or you can ask for an enquiry and then go before the Chief Constable, which do you want?”
“I will be dealt with by you Sir, replied Hayswell.
The Chief Super replied, “Hayswell, you are a cunt, fuck off.”
Some time later his office duty days came to an abrupt end due to his telephone manner.
In those days officers were referred to by the collar numbers or surname. Some had a habit of answering the telephone by saying police station 377. One day the telephone rang in the sergeants office and Hayswell answered, Hayswell 896, the caller replied 896 of where Shropshire, Hereford or Worcester. The caller was the Chief Constable and when put through to the desk sergeant he had complained of the officer mode of answering the telephone.
Some days later the phone rang and Hayswell picked it up and the same voice said, “The Chief Constable, here.”
Hayswell replied, “the Chief Constable of where, Shropshire, Hereford or Worcester.”
There was a loud shout and the sergeant took the phone. Five minutes later Hayswell was walking the beat, never to perform office duty again.
Claude felt he always had bad luck and to prove a point he recalled how one morning on the early shift he was walking the beat in Copton when on checking the road fund licences on vehicles he came upon a Jaguar car, the licence had expire the previous month. He noted all the details and completed the road fund Licence RF16/3 form when a lady arrived at the vehicle. The following is a narrative
“Can I help you Officer?”
“Is this your car madam?”
“It is my husbands, is there a problem?”
“Yes the road fund licence has expired, have you got your driving documents with you?”
“No officer I am afraid I haven’t.”
“I will issue you with a form for you to produce them at a Police station of your choice.”
“Will it be all right if I produce them to my husband,” she said.
“Who is your husband?” asked Claude.
“The Chief Constable,” she replied.
“Shit,” thought Claude, why me, what do I do now, let her off and get in the shit for failing to do my job or put her in the book and get in the mire for booking the Chief, he would have egg on his face either way.
Claude coming back to the real world thought, I did what I always tried to do, though it made me unpopular, I did my job and treated everyone the same.
The Chief’s wife was reported and issued with the form HORT1 to produce her documents.
Immediately afterwards Claude returned to the police station and informed the station sergeant, who said, “Oh shit” and went upstairs and returned immediately.
“Put in your report now, no need to enter it in the process book.”
Claude did as instructed and on completion took it upstairs to the superintendent. The report was taken without comment; Claude heard nothing more of it.
Claude was away abroad on holiday and of all the luck who should he see but his shift Inspector and worse the Chief Constable.
One night there had been a large barbecue and when it ended the masses boarded buses to return to their hotel. The Inspector a young man in early service which was unusual in those days and he obviously had great prospects. He was a little merry and was fooling about with a lady when he felt a tap on the shoulder. He turned it was the Chief Constable who whispered to him, “This is not the type of conduct I expect from my Inspectors.”
Many years later Claude was speaking with the offending officer who never rose above Inspector and was convinced it was due to that incident that night all those thousands of miles away.
Whilst on holiday on another occasion, Claude saw an English newspaper which reported a major incident in which an army armoured car had been brought in.
Some days later arriving back home he was himself to find himself at the scene. A man was held up in a house with a gun. Police officers were positioned around the house in small groups to prevent the man escaping.
As he was armed it was decided to issue police officers with firearms. In those days there were no firearms trained officers or departments as there are today. The weapons were normally the ex army hand held revolver and the 303 rifle.
Claude found himself in a dug out in company with a sergeant and a dog handler. A senior officer arrived and handed the sergeant the rifle and a clip of bullets, requesting the sergeant to sign for them.
The sergeant asked a question, “How do I put the bullets in the weapon?”
He had never handled a firearm and suggested it be given to the dog handler who had been a weapons instructor in the army. This was declined, as the instruction was that firearms would be issued to sergeants and above. When the senior officer had left, the dog handler loaded the weapon. Fortunately there was no need to use the weapon.
It was however later reported that one senior officer who had a weapon did in fact fire it by mistake; no more to be said thought Claude.
It would be many years later when it proved rank was no guide in the dealing with or the handling of firearms. At another incident a very senior officer attended an incident and picked up a firearm at the scene and by one means or another, the gun went off whilst in his possession. A dog handler standing near by had a police dog at his side. The shot from the weapon blew the corner off the officer’s raincoat and the dog at his side was killed instantly. The dog handler picked up the dog and on carrying it downstairs repeatedly said, “He has killed my dog.”
There were no reports of any enquiry into the incident.
Though serious things occurred there were also petty incidents. Officers were asked if they knew the index number of the car of Her Majesty’s Coroner. Many did not and they were reminded what it was and to make a note of it and that he was entitled to a salute. The coroner had it appeared complained when passing officers they had failed to salute him.
Claude recalled how just before he had fallen he had visited a local business the owners of which were always very helpful. One Christmas he had visited them with a box of biscuits for the men to have with the tea break. When he arrived they had implored him not to hand them into the Manager but leave the box with them as the Manager always took the items home giving them none.
This reminded Claude of the time years ago when there had been a major incident and officers had been supplied with packed lunches, in the box of sandwiches was a chocolate biscuit. The boxes had been entrusted to the safe keeping of the
ir senior officer named Hook. When the food was consumed none of the constables had a chocolate biscuit, worse someone alleged the senior officer removed them. That officer was later rightly or wrongly known by his rank and the title “Hook the crook.”
One night whilst on foot patrol Claude received a call to return to the police station it was a new building located nearly two miles from the town centre. He received a call to return and see the duty senior officer.
Having made the long trek and arriving in the office of the Inspector seeking to know what was wanted.
The duty officer, “Hook the crook" said, “I was driving past you about 1am I saw you wearing your helmet but you didn’t have your strap down, you know the new order, straps down on night duty, that’s it you go back down town now.”
Claude turned and left and walked again into the town enroute thinking what a Looney his boss was, at 1am along the river side not a soul about having seen him wearing his helmet strap up his boss hadn’t stopped but driven on and caused him to walk a round trip of about four miles to tell him his helmet strap had not been down.
Times such as Christmas always seemed to be accompanied by tragedy and so it was in Copton one Christmas eve. There was a traffic accident; a driver of one of the vehicles was dead. Enquiries were made and the owner traced, other items on his person identified him. A passenger had also regained consciousness and confirmed this.
Claude attended the mans home to break the news, the following is a narrative
Claude knocked on the door a lady answered, “Can I help you officer?”
“Yes madam, may I please come in?”
“Why yes,” she replied.
“If you would be seated,” said Claude, he could hear someone in the next room.
He then said, “There is no easy way to tell you this, I am very sorry to inform you that your husband has been fatally injured on his way home from work. He has been identified by a fellow passenger.”
With that the lady called “Mark your dad has been killed.”
A head appeared around the door and a voice said.
“Good the old bastard should have been under ground years ago.”
Claude looked at the man in surprise; death messages were never received that way.
The son replied, “No need to look at me like that, if you had been treated like he treated her and us kids you would be the same.” At least she will be able to live a life now he has gone.”
Claude stood and left and had no further dealings with the family.
With several officers walking the town centre there was always an opportunity for misconduct no matter how strict discipline was. One officer discovered that in a certain spot at a certain time each night a very handsome lady with an equally handsome body would undress in front of her window, whilst leaving the light on inside her room.
It was discovered an even better view could be obtained by collecting a key held at the police station for a certain building. An officer on that beat would collect the key and then he and his colleagues would enter each night to view the show. One officer was not a participant and one night he waited until his colleagues had entered and then they made the error of leaving the key in the door. The, none viewing officer arrived locked the door and so eventually the patrol sergeant could find no officers. The diligent officer eventually released his colleagues who all found themselves in trouble.
Years later the officer who had not wished to view such an event as a lady getting undressed, was discovered to have been sending letters with inappropriate content to female members of the police civilian staff. His police career ended and he disappeared from the horizon.
On the lighter side, one officer on special duties was designated to pick up a member of the Royal family, visiting Copton on a private visit. Arriving at the railway station and with his colleague he drove off when the Princess asked if he could stop and get her a bag of fish and chips from a local fish and chip shop on the outskirts of the town.
He recalled how funny it was driving with a Princess in the rear of the car eating fish and chips from a bag.
There was a very important criminal trial this resulted in Officers being called from various other police areas to assist local officers.
Outside the court one day Claude was acting as liaison officer with a contingent from Liverpool. The officers like other residents of Liverpool had a sense of humour. When a large parade of protestors arrived and were shouting abuse, the Liverpool police replied with their own chant. Lifting their riot shields they commenced to tap in unison and were repeating the phrase, "We are only doing our job."
Later in the evening it was the duty of the police to guard the judge in his lodgings. During the night shift the officer delegated to stand guard was invited inside due to the adverse weather. The following morning the high court judge and his wife were surprised when they arrived at the breakfast table to be served by a police officer in uniform but with a white apron on. It was only moments before the telephone in the Chief Constables office rang and he in turn contacted the station sergeant. The Inspector visited the lodgings and replaced the officer. From that time on the constable stood outside no matter what the weather was like.
The new addition of radios was a great help, gone was the need to keep points at telephone boxes, officers were now in constant contact with the police station and visa versa. The patrol cars and motorcycles had such a facility for many years; the foot patrol officer had finally arrived in the modern world.
In this new modern world was soon to follow more than the issue of radios.
In those days so many times each year there were held what was called divisional parades. All officers were obliged to attend. Normally meeting at the police station, a parade was formed and marched through the town to some large room or hall for the parade or meeting to take place. There was no drill as such the parade was another name for an update meeting.
Claude recalled the one which at the time was as insignificant as the rest but the senior officer taking the parade was to make a brief statement the content of which would have the most far reaching effects on the service the police offered since its inception March 1840.
The phrase “Unit beat policing,” it was proposed nationally as a wonderful change to update the system of policing throughout the country and how it would greatly improve the service provided by the police authorities.
Until then the police had been on constant patrol, as the reader will have gathered from this account, officers on patrol and not in the police station was a top priority. Senior officers visiting a police station seeing anyone inside always questioned the necessity of them being there and not on patrol. They would also arrive actually in the town and contact the police station saying they were in the town and couldn’t find a policeman seeking to know “Where are they?”
The fire service on the other hand for obvious reasons arrived at the fire station and then commenced to clean the engines, hoses and other maintenance and when done they sat in the fire station awaiting a call. At night they would sleep, permitting them to take other jobs in the day mostly such as window cleaners or similar.
Announcing the new system the senior police officer had been very perceptive. The new system would divide a town into areas mostly the outskirts, housing estates and such. Each area was designated with a small car blue and white in colour to be called, “Panda cars.”
An officer was designated to driver each car, round the clock, Therefore allowing for weekly rest days four officers were required for each car. In addition a foot patrol was designated to work the area on foot or pedal cycle. The mobile officer answering the immediate calls the foot/cycle officer dealing with the non urgent calls such as statement taking for other officers or forces, visiting schools, vacant property and many others.
The foot patrol officer and the mobile officer would liase closely. The number of officers required resulted in there being only two officers on foot patrol in Copton and other towns instead of eig
ht or ten.
The officers at the time welcomed the new system for it was much easier and warmer to ride around than walk around.
The perceptive senior officer forecast at that meeting, “This is the start, eventually all we will be performing is, fire brigade policing.”
In other words, officers would cease normal patrol and contact with the public and simply answer calls.
It would take some years of course, when the new system was introduced nationwide everyone was on the ball. Over the years things would change and it will be for the reader to judge at the end of this account if the senior officer of that night was accurate in his assumption. It will be for the reader from their own observations of any dealings with the police to judge if the service the police in this modern world gives as good a service at those before the year 1967. Some including retired police officers may judge it has all been downhill.
Claude was reading his force orders one day and saw a small rural beat was advertised as vacant. He decided a change was in order and so applied. His application was successful and he was once again on the move.
Chapter 18
Claude arose, it was 7 am, he had ample time to shave, shower and dress for breakfast.
He had just left his room when he caught sight of Her Highness, Matron Raving arriving and having walked across the car park she veered to the right and disappeared. There was a door in the area thought Claude but he couldn’t believe Matron would condescend to enter other than via the main entrance. Usually in the hope the desk receptionist would see her arriving and rush to open the door so as not to impede her entry.
There was once an occasion when she was forced to press the door code as a result she dropped her bundle of papers and as there a strong wind she was obliged for several minutes to scurry around the yard picking up the fallen items. Some of which blew off just as she was about to pick them up. On completing the task she had an expression of the devil himself, for on looking up she saw all the toothless faces and lifted chins viewing and smiling at her misfortunes.
Police Memories Page 31