Occasionally there was dispute as to who would have property in police possession as an example if an item was found in a shop or on other premises by a member of staff or a customer. Normally in the absence of the losing owner the property passed to the ownership of either the finder if found in a public place such as a road but if on premises it reverted to the ownership not of the finder but to the owner of the land or building where it was found.
This often caused a dispute between the finder and the owner of the land or place where it was found.
In those cases the police resolved the matter under powers of the Police Property act when the police applied to the Magistrates Court laying out the facts. Those claiming were ordered to attended court and the magistrates decided to whom the property should be returned by the police.
A similar system was in force for certain items found on land if finders were obliged to report the matter and in the cases of old rare items they were classed as treasure trove and there was an inquest held by the local coroner who decided the ownership and outcome destination of the found treasure.
Nothing of this seemed to matter to one resident in Ashton who arrived at the police station with a bag containing a brand new pair of shoes. The items were logged and the finder asked to retain them for one month and if not claimed after that time he would be permitted to retain them.
A month later he arrived at the police station and reminded Claude of the footwear he had found. Claude produced the books and checked, then signed them off to the young man who had found them. The man was about to leave without the footwear and was recalled to take them now he could have them. He walked back to the counter, picked them up and on turning them over they had holes in both soles and were completely worn out. The finder had said he had worn them every day since he had found them. He was told to throw them in the waste bin, which he did and left.
It was with some difficulty that Claude often had to keep the peace between officers working together.
One officer appeared to dislike the dark for on night duty he was never seen patrolling the dark streets but always in the streets that were illuminated. He would spend as much time as he could speaking with the night staff from the all night garage. He was soon labelled with the nicknamed “Daylight.”
There was a rule for a minimum of officers working night duty. If there was a shortfall of the two or three an officer from the afternoon shift was put back to work an additional night or nights. The night shift was not a popular shift. There was an unofficial rule that unless impossible, officers should avoid taking their leave on nights. Occasionally one had to especially when two weeks were taken.
One day Claude was approached by an officer who complained a colleague was sitting at a table with a calendar and had several annual leave sheets. He was working the system to ensure all his leave was taken on night duty.
When he submitted his applications Claude spoke with him and pointed out everyone worked thirteen weeks of nights in each year. If he didn’t want to work his share why did he think his colleagues wanted to work the extra to cover him? The officer replied that there was no rule in police regulations about it.
Claude had to agree and duly submitted the form, which as anticipated bounced, for the next day Claude was called and this was pointed out to him. Claude then said to his senior officer. “He is on “A” Squad the answer is simple, send the application for approval then change his block to “C” Squad and then all his leave will be on early turn.” This was done, and on return on the leave form approved was another advising the officer concerned in order to balance up the squads with officer’s experience he would be moved.
When the officer checked and discovered all his leave was on his early shift week, he blamed Claude. Claude recalled he had said, “Look, you wanted your leave on those dates and you have them, everyone, as you say there is no rule that you can’t take your leave whenever you want it, but there is also another rule, we will all work at a place and on a shift as we are told.”
The reader may form their own opinion as to the validity of Claude’s suggestion with regard to fairness to all; on the other hand they may form a view as to why Claude was not over popular.
Claude believed that he had always tried to be fair and in particular didn’t recall any occasion when he had actually put any of his subordinates up before a senior officer or given anyone an adverse report to go on the file.
On the contrary one officer was sent to be supervised by Claude who had a reputation of being idle in fact he was often referred as idle and then his name. When he was posted to serve under Claude, the instructions from on high were that this was the officer’s last chance; if he didn’t improve he would be out of a job. Claude found he worked OK with a little supervision that is and not only did he keep his job he was later to be promoted.
During his service Claude was approached and it was suggested he might apply to become a Free Mason. Eventually he did and was a member for some years, during which time he discovered several of his colleagues were also members. During the years he had not found membership had interfered with his police service.
One day a colleague had asked if Claude would put his name forward and so he did and the reaction was positive. The new applicant was invited to attend an interview. At the last moment Claude had received a call that two members of the lodge had raised an objection to Claude’s proposed candidate. It was only a few days until a member of the lodge had approached Claude and said he was the main objector and had found another to support him. When Claude asked he was told by the man his son had recently been arrested for a criminal offence together with another man. The officer making the application had been the investigating officer. At the end of the case the objector’s son had only received a caution and thus he believed the arresting officer had been petty for he could have given a caution.
Claude related to his fellow brother that the officer was only doing his duty and had no power to decide what action was taken whether it be a caution or anything else. The fact was the other man an adult had been charged and sentenced whilst his son had only received a caution because he was juvenile with no convictions.
In view of this Claude formed the opinion the objection made against his colleague was verging on corruption and so immediately resigned from the Freemasons.
Many years later Claude was approached once again to rejoin the lodge he was now retired and he did make initial enquiries. He once again met the same objector who said, “I hear you have put feelers out to rejoin the lodge you won’t get in I and someone else will object it only takes two of us.”
Thinking of the last objection asked the man about his objection on this occasion thinking he would repeat it but Claude was surprised when he did not but related this story.
“I have held a grudge against you for many years Claude, well over 25 years and the reason is this. I was doing a job for a Chinese fellow making him a new kitchen at the takeaway.”
I recall that said Claude, “I was walking down the street one evening when the Chinese man sent his son outside to speak with me. The parents could not speak English but the son could as he was born here. You gave them a price for the job and when you finished they paid you but you asked for more money. I told the boy it wasn’t a police matter and that he should see a solicitor.”
“That’s right Claude, that is what you did do and he did and the solicitor wouldn’t pay more told me to take it to court.”
I don’t understand?” exclaimed Claude.
“As a brother Mason you should have told him to pay me more money and so I always held it against you and so you won’t get into the lodge again.”
“If that is how it is, OK” said Claude and was never a Free and accepted Mason again.
The question for the reader is, “Was Claude right or wrong, was there a hint of corruption?”
Since Claude had retired he recalled meeting up with a colleague who had referred to an officer who had an affliction for drink a
nd had said to Claude, “If there is one bloke that owes his job and his pension to anyone it’s him to you. He was a pain in the arse, the things you did to keep him out of the shit.
Claude recalled, he had in fact been surprised over the years when speaking with people especially special constables who when relating stories of their time in the police service albeit as volunteers.
Most if not all of their recollections had been of police officers not only constables who seemed to spend a great deal of their duty time either drinking booze or cavorting with women of one type or another.
He wondered if the officer had been paying for this drink or others he had heard of who played various gentlemen’s sporting games and the rumour was they did so for free. Claude had wondered in old age if true the motives of the suppliers of this booze and free rounds of golf. They presumably didn’t provide it free to anyone else why then police officers.
This had caused him to reflect the time when he had done his best to provide a good service for the public and often been hounded from one source or another when perhaps the attention of his seniors one in particular might well have been better placed chasing others.
One solicitor had told him that one of his colleagues had been giving the lawyer information on forth coming cases, something which Claude had not imagined might happen. Only goes to show how Naïve one is.
Whilst visiting Copton Headquarters during a night shift he had walked into the office to hear an Inspector telling the policewoman she was allocated one of the two station pedal cycles for patrol. She had said she could not ride a pedal cycle. The inspector had retorted he hadn’t said she had to ride anything-just patrol with the pedal cycle. Later that night Claude saw the officer over a mile from the Police Station 2 30 am pushing the station pedal cycle. This reminded him that it was the same Inspector who years before had ordered him to walk about 2 miles to see him only to warn him for not having his helmet strap down again about 2 am.
A sad case was of the very nice couple who lived in an isolated house when they arrived home one day they discovered their home had been entered. Not only had items been stolen but also the burglars had devastated the house. Furniture had been smashed and damaged, the larder had been ransacked and all food, contents of tins etc been scattered everywhere. The bed and room had been fouled with these items and with human excreta. Paint had been found in a garage and the walls sprayed with the words, “Sorry about the fucking mess, Mrs.”
The whole place was devastated the worst Claude had seen in all his years in the police. Claude set enquiries into motion and as a result he had come across two youths some distance away. Stopping and searching the youths Claude recovered items of jewellery from the house, they attempted to run off, Claude grabbed one, the other made his escape but it didn’t matter for he was known and later arrested.
Claude, later visited the injured party and to get the property identified. On his arrival a local magistrate had arrived on another matter.
“I hope you will be able to do something about this,” said the Justice.
Claude was pleased to report, “I have arrested two youths and recovered the jewellery,” which he produced and it was identified as belonging to the injured parties.
Weeks went by and eventually the case came to court. The youth pleaded guilty and so the presentation of the case was brief. A Trick often employed by certain defence solicitors so that all the additional facts would not come out. The detail merely said the house was entered, damage was caused but the property had been recovered and the youths had pleaded guilty. This was true but didn’t give a full picture of what had happened to this couple.
The defending solicitor Miss Jane Hudson went at length to point out this was the first conviction for these offenders. In the now modern day of no real punishment but of finding excuses for such young men it was fully expected that some community service order would be made.
The Magistrates retired and when they returned the chairman announced, this is a very serious case, you will both go to a Detention Centre.” The father of the one boy began to shout and rave, Miss Hudson was shouting, “This is outrageous, we will appeal.”
There was an application for bail, it was refused.
As the three Magistrates left the one who had attended the house on the day stopped hesitated, looked smiled and then winked at Claude, justice had been done.
As the years passed and one of the two offenders grew up and had a family of his own and did well in business. One day whilst in the town Claude saw the now very old man from the attacked house and moments later saw the offender who did speak to Claude as he passed by. Claude wondered if now he was grown up and one of the decent citizens if he had ever visited the old couple and apologised for what he had done.
Claude was just about to retire from the police service when he came across the Magistrate once again. Whilst speaking of the old times Claude was very surprised to hear some stories from the Justice now aged nearly ninety years of age.
One day I was attending a meeting at the Police Headquarters with the old General and Brigadier. We just could not find the way, so were going very slowly, a police car arrived and pulled in front of us. The officer got out and spoke to us, saying, “Where the hell are you going so slow you are a menace.”
The General replied, “I am chairman of the Police Authority; the two people with me are members. We have a meeting with the Chief.”
The officer’s mouth dropped open and his tact changed, “Why please follow me,” he said and he guided us there. We didn’t say anything to the Chief about his tone I suspect we were a nuisance but we did have a laugh of how he changed so quick.
“You yourself came up in conversation many years ago.”
“did I?” exclaimed Claude.
“Why yes, the accident you had many years ago you were only a young man. The police were making enquiries with your Doctor us, to ascertain if you would be fit to continue. We had a word with the Chairman of the Police Authority at that time and he made it known with the Chief Constable we didn’t want to lose our local officer. No further enquiries were made by them and here you are today.”
Claude now sat and picked up the local newspaper, it announced that due to the forthcoming financial restraints the powers to be were considering more cuts to the police.
There was rumour of police stations closing even one which had only been built less than a year ago was under threat of being closed. It was to be sold then demolished so that it and the land around it could be the site of numerous houses.
It would more or less follow that other small police stations may well have the same fate. Although these days officers didn’t appear to walk the streets or become known to residents seemingly locking themselves inside the police station which could often be seen, lights on officers walking about though often the blinds were drawn with cars outside. A notice placed on the door “Closed.”
At least they were there at hand if and when as a result of a telephone call from their leaders, they could dash out sirens blasting.
Claude then thought back all those years to that meeting when the senior officer had said, “The new system will eventually mean fire brigade policing.”
It was now looking very much like there might well only be a police station in the county town such as Copton and officers would only be sent out the twenty miles or so to other areas to answer specific calls.
What eventually would happen then thought Claude only time would tell. When things were so bad maybe some young enthusiastic officer fresh from university might make a name for himself by suggesting a new system. A police station in the small towns with officers who went out of the building walked the streets, spoke with the public so that politicians might say, “Vote for us a caring party bringing in a new area of local policing.”
He wondered if the public would rebel at having no police when gangs of youths were roaming the streets the worse for drink free to do as they pleased. The various disputes and minor cr
ime that went unheeded, leading to major incidents. Would the public ever rebel and remind the leaders of the police and their political masters that
“They work for us”
He closed down his machine for the final time and he printed out the remainder of his story bound it all together and put it in his cupboard together with his camera and his various DVD discs. He would now take a rest and decide what if anything he would do with his book.
Claude Friendly his public service done he retired to an uneventful life until the dreaded day when he had fallen and was now to end his days under the umbrella of Matron Raving.
Chapter 24
It was 4 pm, a sudden change in the weather thought Spud. The rain was lashing down and the wind howling he suspected the afternoon shoppers would be relieved to arrive back and once inside would not venture out again. The mini bus displaying the logo, The Homestead Care and Residential Home pulled away.
On board, Miss Prim had acquired the cotton she needed and Joe had placed his bets at his favourite bookies, in spite of the many warnings he had received from Matron Raving. They both thought the welcome they would receive on their return would match the weather.
The transport arrived at the front gates of The Homestead but was obliged to stop to permit the vehicles that were leaving and opportunity to clear the entrance.
The seated passengers saw the refuse disposal officers as Matron referred to them depart in their lorry, nothing unusual in that it visited twice each week. What was unusual was the Police car that left and finally there were gasps as a hearse was the last to leave in the convoy. Mabel a veteran resident of nearly twenty years now 93 years old and still active had seen the vehicle more times than she would dare to recount over the years.
Police Memories Page 42