What a feeling!

So, I've finally passed by probation period. Two years.....It seemed like is was going to be such a long time. The weird thing is that it didn't feel like two years. It felt way quicker. I remember when I went for my one year review as if it were only a few months ago. In fact, I now have over two and a half years in.

So, what did the transmogrification from Probationary Constable to Police Constable feel like? Well, it was indescribable. The overwhelming confidence and knowledge brimming over like an overflowing glass. The complete assurance that could only come from being an 'old sweat' now that I was almost one.
In fact, it felt nothing like the above. It was just like another day. Two years came and went and I didn't feel anything, except the warm sun on my face when I went back on duty after my confirmation.

I still feel like I don't know enough, that I need a few more years until I feel as confident as I look. I constantly check my actions and scrutinise my decisions and take nothing for granted. How long can I last like this? Roll on the day that I feel comfortable in most of my job decisions and KNOW that they are the right thing to do.

What do we do?

A post from Inspector Gadget. I'm lost for words, I don't think there is much chance for justice unless there are changes. Can we make a difference? TotallyUn-PC posts that we can, as Police officer, and that we are making a difference. But we seem to be let down by the courts particularly in terms of sentences being handed out. My sympathies go to PC Coffill and his family.

Is that the date?

I checked my last post and saw it was from September 2006. Re-reading it, I find that I was supposed to blog with a bit more frequency, like a buffet. I use the time-honoured excuse of being exceedingly busy. Sorry if this seems a bit clichéd, but it’s the only excuse, sorry reason, I have. When I checked the blog, I was very impressed with the fact that I had about 60 comments to my last post. That was until I read them and found that the majority weren't anything to do with the blog!! Having logged on again, after what seems like years, I was led through some rigmarole of updating my blog. Anyway, I have now done this and I am gearing myself towards blogging again.

So, what has changed since my last blog? Well, I am no longer a probationer.... Woohoo!!! (I think). I am now a fully-fledged Police Constable. The weird thing is, I still feel like a probationer. It wasn't as if there was some magic cut-off date and after the date, I would be like a fully-fledged PC with confidence overflowing from the pores. It still felt the same, with the knowledge that if I screwed up, I would get a lot more flak. Ho hum.

I still feel unconfident in certain situations. I booked in a prisoner the other day and stuttered like I was a nervous probby on my first day! I think it was because the Custody Sergeant was from another team and also because the arrest was one of those ‘Did I do the right thing?’ kind of arrest. Short story was that detention was authorised and now I have the little scrote returning to bail soon and with me having loads of annual leave granted that will effectively turn the three working weeks of getting further statements into just about a week.

On response team, that’s just not enough time as there is always the pressure to get out there and respond to calls. I envy those that seem to get into the thick of the action and come out with an arrest and not a lot of paperwork (after the obligatory notes of the arrest). While muggings here seems to be inundated with statements to take, bail to arrange, victims to see. Oh well, I watch and try to learn.