Pocket Book Entry

Hello. Anyone there? Its Police…

2009-01-09T10:52:00.003Z

My God it’s been a long time! I’m going to use the age-old excuse of being very busy. You know that excuse, you use it all the time so why not now? Anyway, I’m not even going to say that I will try and post more regularly as to be honest, I wouldn’t be able to deliver!

So, what’s new? Not much, apart from Princess starting full time school. That leaves me a lot more time to do all those things that I need to, like the house work (computer games), DIY (computer games) and the cooking (I said computer games!) and maybe some computer games….

I may even start swotting up for a go at the Sergeant’s exam some time in the near future. Now isn’t that scary? I hope everyone had a great Festive period. I certainly did, lots of food and alcohol! (Bugger, better stick ‘getting fitter’ on the list, now that I have more time.)

Signing off till the next time.

Well I never!

2007-04-05T21:15:00.000+01:00

I read this in a local free paper today. A murder suspect plunged eight stories from a window after being flushed out by Police with a water cannon. Yu Wenyi tried to hide in a hospital after his mother-in-law, son and his ex-wife's friend were found dead. The 55 year-old was carrying two knives and used beds to barricade himself in. He then climbed out to the window sill and was knocked off his perch by fire crew and fell onto an air cushion set up by Police.
My God, the humanitity of it. He wasn't even offered a KFC meal by Police! Oh hang on, he was in China, not in Britain. No Human Rights Act in China. Sometimes not having it is bad, sometimes its good.
PS. My computer's broken so I won't be able to post as regularly. What do you mean? Same as usual?!?

What a feeling!

2007-03-28T01:56:00.000+01:00

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?

2007-03-20T16:28:00.000Z

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?

2007-03-18T03:48:00.000Z

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.

Before I start...

2006-09-26T23:09:00.000+01:00

Apologies for the long delay in posts but its been a busy time. I'm going to try a new approach to my posting. Rather than supply a banquet style blog, I'll try the buffet style blog. Smaller and more often, little tasty blog morsels. Well, here goes. I've completed 2 years in the job and I still have tons to learn (or should that be tonnes?). I'm not worried, though, as it will continue to make this job interesting. My supervisor has written a glowing report, although I have yet to read it. I then have to have a chat with a member of the SMT. Oh how I am looking forward to that (Not!). I recently completed a basic entry course and can't wait to come up to my first locked door that I can open using the 'Commissioner's Key'! It was quite interesting. Its another skill, which is always good to have. The one skill I'm looking forward to getting, though, is Response driving. I'll be putting an application through for that and will be looking for some good evidence. I'll keep you posted on it all.

PS. I see that the Law is a Donkey blog is still out of action. Pity, it was a damn good blog and OldWilliam was a damn good Blogger. I hope you're not in any type of poo over it.

PPS. Read the comments on one of my blogs which was posted by Midlands PC. Made me chuckle about sending the enforcer through the window. Nice one, mate.

Calls that give you grief

2006-07-04T21:23:00.000+01:00

I was on my way to a call that I can't even remember. I had put up for it from some distance and being a basic driver was nearing it as fast as I could possibly go according to the speed limit (and taking all the routes with higher speed limits). I then got a call to divert from there and attend the local hospital. Grief, I thought, as it was put over the PR that the incident required my special skills. I speak another language and I was probably needed as an interpreter. It was grief but not as I thought.
On arrival, one of my colleagues explained what it was about. A child had been brought in and the parents did not speak English. And then he told me that the child had died from taking a fall from the stairway. Nothing suspicious in itself apart from the fact that the child had fallen from the very first step. The DS arrived and I stuck to him like glue. More information was forthcoming from the Paramedics and from the staff in Resuscitation in A&E (God bless them all). The information near the end was that it did not look suspicious. At this point, I had already phoned home about 3 times to speak with Mrs P to let her know I would be home late and also to speak to my little Princess P. The child was about 17 months old, about 8 months younger than Princess P. And then it was time to talk to the family. We went to the room where the child was and as we got there, the extended family was coming out and through the open door, I caught a glimpse of her lying on the bed and then the door was shut and I faced the father. My heart went out to him, he was being held upright and the pain was so bad that he was constantly clutching his heart. He had been crying and with the memory of the little child lying there and her father in front of me, I had to push back the tears.
We spoke and we explained the procedure we had to go through. The family asking me, 'Do you know what it feels like to be under suspicion after a tragedy?' and me explaining that it wasn't that but the fact we had to gather all evidence we could. We let the family go and went back to the station to write our notes and to book in the evidence collected. I was asked by the Guvnor if I would mind staying on and helping out the Child Protection Team as they had a few questions to ask. I did not mind at all and so went to the extended family's house where relatives had already come to mourn. Then upstairs in the bedroom, with mother and father and one relative who was also bilingual and both the CPT Guvnor and Skipper, the unbearable heat and me still in my body armour, the father told us the heart rending sequence of events of what had happened and how they tried to save their child while the mother tried in vain not to cry.
I'm glad I was sweating and I think it was that and not the tears that were stinging my eyes. And then it was over and time for us to go. I spoke to the CPT DS today and he confirmed the results of the post mortem that the incident was a freak accident and that there was no sign of anything suspicious at all.
Is that any consolation? That was the couple's only child and she was taken from them in an instant while they looked on helplessly. Even as I write this I can feel the tears in my eyes but I blink them back and selfish as it sounds, thank God that my precious bundle of joy is still here with me. My heart goes out to that family. A parent should never ever have out live their child. That call was grief.

Domestics - Love 'em or hate 'em?

2006-06-30T01:32:00.000+01:00

It's funny how alot of officers dread the words "Unit to attend....domestic incident" over the PR. Suddenly the radio goes dead. There is pin drop silence. And then the words, "(your callsign) are you free to deal?" are heard and unfortunately, you are. Now *deep breath* I'm trying to learn to not dislike domestics. 'Are you crazy?', you're probably all thinking. Possibly, and if so, crazy like a fox! (I always wanted to say those words, looks like I'll just have to settle for typing them instead.) I know the general concensus is that all domestics are just plain grief. Well, all those that can't just be squared up that is. In fact, on Another Constables blog, Political Uniform goes through the amount of paper work that we have to deal with and this is even if no-one's arrested. With an arrest, you have to do your notes as well. Well, it got me thinking.....is it really that bad? OK, the paperwork.
1. You have to do the paper report. - There's a section for the Victim/Witness statement for a brief holding statement. So you do this at the scene. You can also do the medical consent form at this time.
2. Pictures. - You call for a camera and if no one can bring one, then just record the injuries on the paper form along with the fact that there was no camera available.
3. 2 computer reports - you can just copy and paste from the crime report to the intelligence report and then make slight alterations.
4. One computer report per child present. - Just put on one report for the main child and then stick all the others in the Other Roles. Unfortunately no copy and paste available.
5. Arrest notes. - As per usual.
Step 1 is similar to recording details in your pocket book, just more detailed. The rest of the steps also have to be done for most incidents except step 4. BUT, and this is the big but, if your domestic meets the remit, then the Community Safety Unit get to take it over! How can we not like this? We don't have to justify the arrest as its a positive arrest policy, infact, we have to justify if we don't make an arrest and there's an arrest figure in it for you. It sounds win-win doesn't it? Then why do I still hate domestics?

PS. We had another raid a few days ago. This time it was at a brothel. We'd received a call saying that the informant was being held against her will. So a couple of days later, within about 2 hours, a raid was planned. It involved walking to the venue as it was just down the road from the nick(and I never even knew!) and knocking and going in. It was a bit of an anti-climax(!) but I got to see the inside. There were two girls there and neither of them had called us. The decor was, dare I say it, tasteful, but then I'm a bloke so what do I know? There were mirrors on the ceiling and all. The most surprising thing was the price. For an hour is more than I get a day! Now, granted the girls may not get alot of it but thats still a large hourly rate. Anyway, the upshot was that nothing happened apart from experience gained.

The Raid

2006-06-23T20:10:00.000+01:00

I've had a chance to relax, Princess P is sleeping, Mrs P is on a night out with her friends so whats happened today? Well, we did it! Fun as well. I did the Book 101 with a little help from the BSU guvnor, giving me a few useful tips. Anyway, we went to the briefing and got ourselves ready. BSU were kitted out in their level 2 gear and really looked the biz. They entered through the front door with a battering ram and I made my way into the garden with two dog section officers and their dogs. They're mean critters and the dogs can get pretty lively too! Anyway, we secured the male who lives in the shed(!) I had to be told a few times to 'stay away from the dogs' and 'don't get infront of the dogs'. I can see why. The rest of my team went in through the back door.

There were about 14-16 of them sleeping in the house. The main person we were after was there and so he got nicked. On a name check, one was wanted so he got lifted too. And the third was a female who couldn't explain the goods she had with her. She got taken as well on suspicion. All round, it was good. Three in. Of course Control were having a fit because there were hardly any units to attend to calls but hey, that's always their gripe anyway. On the way out,one of the BSU officers helpfully pointed out the damaged front door and wall and said that the family should get that fixed as he wouldn't like to live in a house with a broken door, so would they? The family asked us who would pay for the damage, the answer amused me and. snigger. Am I mean? I don't think so, as the chappie we were looking for is prolific and his family know that. When asked about items we seized, they all said it belongs to chappie and they know he's a junkie who doesn't work. It does't take a genius to work out that chappie is a slag.

Then came the downer after the excitement. The paper work, the cancelling of warrants, the arranging of briefs and interpreters, the going into interview and THEN them saying they want a solicitor. Thankfully, all I had to do was finish off my book and do the warrants. Its a funny old job, you get out there and when you get a call, the adrenaline rushes you, you go with it and get the job done. Then you get back to custody and down you come, fustration and all when it doesn't run like clockwork. Most of the time it doesn't, but the next shift, we do it all again. Why? For me its because no day is the same. You have your great days and you have your crap days (gaoler, station officer, take your pick) but every day is different.
PS. Its also because it pays the mortgage!

Initial Buzz!

2006-06-22T18:17:00.000+01:00

Hmmnnn, the intial buzz of creating a blog is still there. I have so many things to put in it! Calm down, pace your self. If only! Anyway, what happened today? Yep, again it took me about 3 hours to get a car. Its getting to be a problem when cars are off the road and what you do have is at other nicks. And then once cars are found, its a hassle trying to get a lift to them. A single parade site? I may actually be looking forward to it.

I showed Mrs P my blog effort and also the other blogs. She was very amused by it all. But then she became all indignant and demanded that I blog about how those silly scrotes out there make her angry by making me go to court on my day off, necessitating her to take a day of Annual Leave (care-issues for Princess P) and then pleading guilty so I didn't really have to go in on my day of after all! Phew. Well, I had to do it, she's so cute when she gets all indignant.

Please check out the links on the side, if only to make sure they work. Don't worry about the 'edit-me' one. Its only there so I don't forget how to put links in.

I'm going on a raid tomorrow. I'm excited cos it'll be fun. I'm slightly less excited because I then have to fill in the Search Register. Boring! Ho hum, at least its experience. And it all counts. I think.

My first blog...

2006-06-21T19:26:00.000+01:00

Woohoo! My very first blog. Well, I always wanted one but always had something better to ado. Those PC games don't play themselves! Besides, time is something of a premium with me and Mrs PotShot. Princess PotShot is normally asleep by about 1830 hours at the latest which leaves us with a tiny bit of quality time to call our own. I'm spending mine here at the moment while Mrs P is spending her's on the ironing while catching up with current affairs via the Beeb News channel.
What has motivated me to put out a blog? (I hear you type). Its all the other Police blogs that I've been reading. They will get a mention and a link. I just hope that I can write with even a tiny bit of their skill.
Anyway, here's to blogging!
(And may I never be found out!)