Police Memories

by Bill Williams

  Ray Cliff an old friend of Claude and a keen fisherman was later to confirm, Matron appeared to have taken the calming session well, so he judged, hearing the moaning sounds emitting from the canal keepers hut, it sounded that way at least.

  There was now getting a rumour the lock keeper had as a sideline of one hour long sessions in management calming and increased numbers of female managers were attending.

  As she walked along the canal Matron was viewed and filmed by Claude and he thought as he saw her staring at a large piece of floating weed.

  He thought she might have been saying, “That, Matron is your Queens Birthday honour floating down the river.”

  Claude smiled as he made a final note; if any reader is an attention seeker, never open your parcels until the lady of the house who has spent many hundreds of hours of her time planning, buying and making up the parcels to give out on Christmas day the grandchildren has completed her highlight performance. After all one never knows who is watching, listening, noting and writing.

  Chapter 22

  The New Year arrived and went Matron heard nothing of any honour in the annual honours list, save for the initials RIP for old ken as his room was filled within the hour of his exit in a cloud of smoke and steam, perhaps it was fitting according to family sources he always arrived and left in a cloud of one sort or another.

  Claude and all residents save for Scouser Joe swore this would be the very year they would lose weight. Matron hearing of this with cost saving in mind, the ill founded intentions of both clients and residents encouraged the home supplies buyer was instructed not to buy any stocks of fattening foods save a cursory amount for, well she didn’t say who would be the consumer of them, but all knew.

  Claude commenced once again to recall his police stories.

  He arrived once again at Ashton Police Station it would prove to be his final posting. During his final stay he would serve under the command of several station commanders of various moods and in his humble view abilities.

  One such senior officer arrived for a short period Claude had worked with him years before when they were both constables since then he had changed. Now a senior officer he had a reputation. A traffic officer visited Ashton Police Station and broke the news to Claude adding that his new boss was having a going away party on leaving his current station. Whereupon Claude ignoring the advice of his mother those years ago “What’s in your mind let no one know for if your friend is really your foe then all the world will your secrets know. He replied to the traffic officer, where is the going away party to held in the telephone box in Duke Street.

  The new senior officer arrived and one evening was just leaving for home he stopped in Claude’s office and said, “I am out for the evening it is my going away party if you need me I will be in the telephone box in Duke Street.”

  Changes were set into operation that on many occasions The senior officer in charge could well be an officer of the rank of Inspector or above from a variety of police stations and of course the divisional headquarters.

  At one stage a very nice and approachable sub divisional deputy commander arrived. A very quiet and approachable man who was well liked. The boss a superintendent who Claude had known for many years. He always appeared to be rather abrupt and Claude was convinced he didn’t like him.

  One night whilst on patrol with a constable, Claude was driving the car; it ended on its roof. The duty Inspector from a station some miles away arrived to investigate the accident; there was no other vehicle involved, no witnesses. The officer with Claude and sitting in the front passenger seat had according to what he had told the investigating officer been asleep and saw nothing. Claude had given an explanation, the details of which the Inspector had noted. Some time later the file was returned with the result of the investigation, the sub divisional commander the very nice guy had suggested Claude be prosecuted.

  The not so nice commander wrote.

  “ I have known this officer for over twenty years, I have always found him to be hard working honest and truthful if he says there was a brown cat in the road and he swerved to avoid it, there was a brown cat in the road, No further action.”

  Claude had few dealings with members of Her Majesty’s forces, but one young man now in his fifties with a grown family. Claude had seen him from time to time in the supermarket they always passed the time of day. The man always nodded and Claude had cast his mind back to the Sunday evenings those years ago when after visiting Ashton on weekend leave the then young soldier had run out of cash and by some means had ascertained the police kept travel warrants and were obliged to issue him with one.

  On the first occasion Claude had searched high and low and eventually found one such book in the cellar, issued years before but never used. The soldier was given the warrant and when Claude had submitted the report and a copy of the warrant to the finance department there had been a host of calls and enquiries as to what could be done with it. As Claude’s name was on the bottom of the paper the fault was all his in spite of whatever regulations existed authorising the issue of the form. The book was never recalled and over time it became ever thinner as the soldier made his requests.

  Claude thought back how police accounts were very closely scrutinised especially when officers claimed for meals. A meal taken at the police canteen when one eventually arrived was no problem, neither was a claim for a meal for example a fixed three course meal for say 25p in one of the new “Chinese Restaurants.” A problem was raised when the new county hall was opened and officers performing duty at the crown court claimed for a mid day meal. For those readers who are not familiar with the phrase it may be worthwhile mentioning it.

  “The most terrifying words in the English Language

  I work for the Council and I am here to help you.”

  The meals were individually priced, soup and other starters varied, so did the sweets. The main course was the most complicated of all for each item such as meats and vegetables were priced individually. The finance officer had a copy of the price list for easy reference, presumably it had been decided it was acceptable for an officer to have a main meal with have one meat portion, one potato or chips and two vegetables.

  Making his first attendance Claude eventually submitted his claim and where as the cost of the starter and sweets was accepted, his claim form was returned for him to itemise how many items he had bought, that is to say, meat and how many vegetables and either or chips or potatoes.

  It was to be a time of change and amongst them was the introduction of civilians into the police Service. In addition to the typists, control room operators, others such as civilians to work the station duty desk, replacing the uniform officer.

  The idea was to get more officers onto the street. In reality of course it never happened, officers on the street I mean. There was always some new procedure requiring senior officers to need unformed Bobbies for other duties such as the new public order training, refresher courses and countless others. As the new civilians arrived instead of officers simply walking the beat increasing the number from two to three the numbers never increased. In those days there were always officers away doing something so the numbers on patrol never increased.

  A problem with the introduction of the new civilians, who answered the telephone and the enquiry desk, was they had no knowledge of police work and responsibilities; neither did they have any powers. The result on the ground was that in the initial stages driving documents were checked and if one was out of date or otherwise wrong, an officer had to be called in to report the offender for the civilian could not.

  Their lack of training and knowledge even in minor cases was evident when one day a traffic warden was given evidence against a person for parking on double yellow lines. The warden had given the time parked and that he saw no loading or unloading taking place. At the end he concluded his evidence by saying the traffic sign and yellow lines were clearly visible and in good order.

  It was only when the driver gave evi
dence and produced a photograph taken on the day and it proved there was snow lying on the ground and the yellow were completely covered up, the case was dismissed.

  Some civilians were useful to senior officers upon other matters, Claude recalled one senior officer had said to him “You are here to kick the arse of the officers and I want you to kick them but if you have any complaints about one of the civilians here say or do nothing, just tell me. That person is very useful to me telling me exactly what the officers here are up to and I don’t want you causing that person any grief, I will deal with the person not you.”

  The same senior officer was an animal lover and when a friend had brought a stray cat to the police station and been told by Claude that the police didn’t take in stray cats; the person had taken offence by it.

  Claude was reported and called in to the office and told in future to “take in cats and buy some milk to feed them.”

  He said he would certainly comply but one was never taken in nor any milk bought, except for the station tea fund.

  On another occasion the officer had directed Claude to move an ice cream van, which had taken to parking near a school; it was it appeared a road safety risk. Claude when he asked was assured; the presence of the van was not taking trade away from the local shop the owner of which was a friend of the senior officer concerned.

  The lack of attention to detail by civilians came to the fore when the police station was having major alterations. Amongst the improvements was the making on a new enquiry hatch fitted with bullet-proof glass. A man arrived from the county council he measured and made his plans. After some time the new hatch was completed and all was ready for the grand opening.

  The man from the county architects department of the council was a tall man and he must have assumed all men were created equal. It was only when the hatch had been completed and all were standing to see its opening that the civilian who was to work it arrived. A lady arrived at the counter to produce her driving documents. The operations assistant as they were known went to the counter and on standing there the counter was so high that he could not reach it. An emergency crate was borrowed from the pub across the road. At a subsequent date the special wooden box platform was made to raise the height of the operator. The thousands of pounds cost had been wasted for the reason was, no one asked those that were to use the hatch, remember, “I work for the council and I am here to help you.”

  The case of the Good Samaritan, good neighbour call it what you may. It was mid winter one year when a report was received that a serving soldier had reported leaving his army great coat in a lorry, the driver of which had be kind enough to give him a lift. Claude hearing the call, although not really requiring desperate action, he thought he would just check it out as he and his driver were passing a transport café frequented by lorry drivers.

  On arrival they saw a lorry fitting the description and on going inside he made some enquiries of the café owner.

  “A, B.R.S.” British Road Services, lorry, he said, “There are two drivers in here, they are sitting over there.”

  About to walk over Claude noticed a parrot in a cage and so hesitated on his mission, asking the café owner the name of the bird and was told, “Ask him.”

  Thinking the fellow was a smart Alec; Claude was about to say this when to his astonishment a man cleaning tables called to the bird, “What’s your Name?”

  The bird actually replied, “Ask him.”

  Claude went to the bird and said, “What’s your name?”

  The bird replied, “Ask him.”

  It transpired that over a period so many drivers had asked his name that the owner and taught the bird to reply when asked, “Ask him.”

  The pleasantry done Claude made his way over to the table and approached the two drivers one of whom had an army great coat on the seat next to him.”

  When the driver was told the soldier had left the coat in his lorry, he hesitated and then replied, “Oh yes; here it is I was wondering if he would come back here for it.”

  Claude picked up the coat and took it to a nearby military establishment for the soldier to have back.

  It was not for some months that he learned the soldier had worked a scam and worse had used Claude. It is a criminal offence to buy and sell military kit from serving personnel and both the driver and the soldier knew that. The soldier had said he was being demobbed and sold the warm coat, the driver then bought it. When the soldier made up the story the driver could do nothing else but say nothing. It only went to show thought Claude how deceitful some people can be.

  One had to be so careful even doing a favour or ancillary service call it what you like. One night Claude was working night duty when a radio call was received for headquarters.

  “Would you please visit an address on your area and inform the lady, her husband is now seriously ill can she visit the county hospital immediately. Claude new the call he had received was genuine for he being a radio call it could be nothing else.

  Before he left he checked the telephone number given as the hospital and ascertained it was a local telephone box. He then telephoned the hospital to confirm the details but after enquiries the hospital confirmed they knew nothing about the matter save that the man named was a patient.

  Claude did follow up the request but with other officers he parked up the road. They crept up, Claude rang the telephone box there were two girls inside, the phone was answered, Copton Hospital.”

  “Can you confirm you require the police to attend this address in Ashton,” and he gave the details.

  “Oh yes,” was the reply.

  They were then surprised when standing outside the telephone box were two uniformed police officers and a sergeant walking down the road.

  They were arrested and charged with making a malicious telephone call.

  Enquiries at the house revealed there was a party; the husband was in hospital but the girls had been refused access. Only goes to show thought Claude, one has to check and of course over the years although Claude was not the most popular of officers he believed it did get known he was not one to fool around with.

  Some time later, a request was made to Ashton Police Station to deliver a tragic death message. Claude returned the call always checking the number of the hospital or requesting police force himself and not that which had been supplied.

  Once confirmed he wrote down the message details and in company with another officer he arrived at the house, it was a detached property. The man of the house had a rather risky job and unknown to Claude he was late home.

  When Claude and his colleague arrived at the house, opening the front gate the lady of the house opened the front door and suddenly began to scream. She ran around the garden screaming and was obviously in panic and shock. Both officers chased her and eventually caught her and held her as she had begun to bang her head on the concrete path. It was with some great difficulty that they were able to hold her and keep her still.

  No one appeared from the house and it was impossible to leave her. Fortunately a neighbour hearing the screaming came from a house down the road and brought his wife with him. Claude often wondered if at first the neighbours thought initially their neighbour had committed some heinous violent crime or was the subject of police brutality.

  When they arrived Claude called to the man, “Leave your wife here, you go and call an ambulance."

  The woman continued to scream at the top of her voice never faltering for a moment. The ambulance took nearly half an hour to arrive and she was still screaming when it did. She had to be restrained in the ambulance all the way to the main hospital until she was properly sedated.

  It was the only occasion that Claude delivered a death message and had not in fact ever told the recipient of the message the news he had come to deliver.

  The husband in fact had been fatally injured at work, this was of course related to the helpful neighbours and the ambulance crew, for fear the former would feel what brutal police they had serving
the area and of course the ambulance crew as a necessity to carry out their duty.

  Claude later ascertained from the family the lady was always worried when her husband was away at his work and when being two hours late and two police officers arrived, she correctly forecast the nature of their business.

  The behaviour of people in spite of ones experience in dealing with persons can often never be judged in advance.

  Claude was sitting at his desk one day when an officer said two Liverpool youths had been arrested on suspicion of theft from shops.

  It was a regular occurrence for Claude dealing with youths from that area and so he had to some extent come to anticipate their reactions and attitudes.

  They nearly always gave their correct details such as their names and address for the simple reason they realised enquiries would be made with their local police. In every case in those days they were kept in custody until this was done.

  Providing the evidence was sound against them when they arrived at the police station they nearly always readily admitted the offence, again they realised they would more than likely be detained in custody as they came from Liverpool.

  Although admitting the offence, often the police had recovered the property stolen; they would never go further and admit other offences.

  They admitted the crime but always refused to implicate anyone else.

  Occasionally they would hope as a result of their conduct to get bail more than likely from a magistrate’s court than a police station.

  Those officers who did release them had egg on their faces for on one occasion Claude received three Liverpool youths into custody for theft from shops only to discover earlier in the day they had been arrested for similar offences and bailed. Having left the police station they had then stopped in Ashton and committed further offences, the truth is it was their way of life.

  On most occasions when the police had kept them in custody they would not seek bail and had no objections to be remanded in custody when they appeared before the court.