Archive for the 'custody Sgt' Category

Happy Birthday to me!

Published on April 30, 2010 in Klebb, The Duty Sgt, custody Sgt and drill. Closed

written by The Duty Sgt from The Duty Sgt


I cant believe that I have been writing this blog a year already! I had a read through all my posts as a reminder last night, some made me laugh and others made me sad.

As this blog is mainly about being a Sgt I thought id reminisce about my first two Sgts, In some ways they were stereotypical characters and I'm sure many serving officers will recognise other Sgts in them.




Fresh out of training school my first shift Sgt was an ex teacher called Helen. Obviously I never called her that she was always Sgt. She was married to the alcoholic DS from the CID office upstairs. They always attended works parties with him getting extremely drunk and her getting increasingly up tight. Helen was famed for 'marking' all the probationers paperwork with red pen, rumour had it that she also gave marks out of ten but I cannot conform this! She hated conflict and always volunteered to open up the moth balled custody cells at the nick on Friday and Saturday nights which we were happy to fill up as it saved an hour and a half plus round trip to the designated station.
She had short hair worn in the style of Colonel Rosa Klebb from the Bond movies, wore black shoes that looked like the type you hire at bowling alleys and outrageous black socks with logos such as 'sex kitten' and 'worlds worst bitch' emblazoned on them in brightly coloured thread. Coupled with her ankle swinger trousers she was a sight to behold. She had a distinct feminist streak. On one of the few nights she came out in the 'battle bus' on town centre patrol I saw a male and female sat on a low wall and the female for no apparent reason land two blows with her clenched fist square on his nose. As I was jumping out of the side door she stopped me and old me to get back in the van stating that 'he probably deserved it.' For all her faults she was a stickler for paperwork and I learnt a lot about the often confusing (and ever changing) file preparation process from her.
My custody Sgt at the time Sgt Roundley know as 'Rounders' could not have been a more different character. He had been the shift Sgt prior to my arrival and according to rumour had been posted to custody as a punishment for fighting in pubs off duty. An ex soldier he had a habit of marching up and down the cell block singing to himself with a wooden stick placed under his arm and flat hat with its peak slashed on his head. He would execute a perfect about turn at the end of the corridor and start the process all over again. He was one of those terrifying custody Sgts that probationers hated having to give the circumstances of arrest to. He often reduced female probationers to tears and was famed for his long rambling lectures whilst charging prisoners on the evils of 'consuming too much Mr Stella'.
I once had a mental health patient in the cells tell me that the Custody Sgt had kept him awake all night with his singing and marching and was madder than he was! I must admit I agreed!
He was occasionally 'released' from custody to cover sickness or in his secondary roles as a public order officer and unarmed defensive tactics instructor. Wearing a pair of black army issue 'Northern Ireland' gloves with a padded knuckle area he would always be at the front in a fight and placing 'pointy heads' as he called them in complicated arm locks before frog marching them back to the van.
I was lucky, I don't know if it was my military back ground or just that he took a shine to me but I never had any issues with him. I knew I had been accepted by him when one night in the early hours his voice boomed out over the station tannoy as I toiled over a file. "PC SGT, TO CUSTODY, PC SGT TO CUSTODY IMMEDIATELY PLEASE!" I dropped what I was doing and raced down to the custody office to find Rounders sat with his feet on the desk reading a book about the Afrika Korps in world war two. "JUST CHECKING THAT YOUR OK" He stated in his clipped northern tones with a huge wink. "DO YOU WANT ONE OF MY CUSTODY ASSISTANTS TO MAKE YOU A DRINK?" It was only a crappy custody issue 'max pack' hot chocolate but I knew I had been accepted by him.
Last I heard he had transferred forces and volunteered to go to Iraq with the UN to train the Iraqi civilian Police. I fondly imagine a Saddam Hussein look alike Sgt in Baghdad calling his prisoners the Arabic equivalent of 'pointy head' and marching up and down the cell block.
From Rounders I learnt about leading from the front and caring for my officers. I like to imagine I am a mix of both of my first Sgts best qualities. When talking with a squeaky new probationer I do wonder how they view me and If I'm creating a mini Duty Sgt that will appear in a few years time.

The original post can be found http://thedutysgt.blogspot.com/2010/04/happy-birthday-to-me.html

Soap box

Published on February 8, 2010 in Hitler, Insp, MPs, custody Sgt, inspector and the job. Closed

written by The Duty Sgt from The Duty Sgt


In my first post I said this blog would be a kind of therapy. Sometimes I need to vent, I can’t moan to those below me, partly because they have their own issues and to be honest it’s unprofessional and I don’t want some of them knowing my own personal issues. Ive had it thrown back at me when dealing with people. They heave replied “WELL, SGT X DID THE SAME LAST WEEK!” Or “I CANT APPLY FOR THAT JOB COS OF MY SICKNESS? WHAT ABOUT THE INSPECTORS SHE HAS MORE THAN ME!” The problem is I agree with them but can’t say so. My Inspector changes every six months and the current one takes as much time off as possible so we end up with other Inspectors who have been dragged out of offices covering us. They don’t care about the shift and are generally in office based jobs for a reason and just want to get back in doors as soon as possible. I’m the only real continuity the shift has and to be honest it’s wearing a bit thin.

Due to the state of the economy central government has tightened up the purse strings to bail the banks out and pay for MPs expenses. Chains of command, BCU (Basic Command Units) and shift patterns have been changed to try and do more with less, morale has plummeted. Anyone that can is trying to get off response and onto another department. The gaps are being filled with problem children that have been kicked off their own departments or new probationers. It feels like Nazi Germany with Hitler moving divisions around on a map and everyone is too scared to tell him that they don’t exist anymore. You speak out and tell your superiors that the new plan isn’t working and you’re a trouble maker and adverse to change with the implied criticism that you’re an old fashioned Police officer which the inference your corrupt, racist and sexist. The reply I keep hearing people being given at the moment is, “AT LEAST YOU HAVE A JOB.” For me its not just a job it’s a way of life, maybe that’s why things are the way they are at the moment in the Police service, too many people view it as ‘A JOB’

When I had my diversity training at training school one of the definitions we had to learn and recite was the responses to racism, one of these was acquiescence which means submission or acceptance. At the moment I'm in the acquiescence stage I want promotion and still have a vain hope that it will all work out and someone up top actually knows what they are doing.

In response to my last comment it does appear someone somewhere knows what they are doing. I’m glad to hear that four MPs have been charged with fraud offences relating to expenses claims and will follow their cases in the media with interest, I wonder what will happen to them and if it will be commensurate with what happens to Police Officers caught doing similar things? After all both are holders of offices and have trust put in them by the public to carry out their duties in the correct manner. A certain senior Met Officer has finally got his just deserts. Ive read his book, various newspaper articles and followed the story in the news. Thankfully he will no longer be able to call himelf a Constable and abuse his position for his own ends. Im sure there will be an appeal, the Met and the rest of the Police will be called racist. Personally Im not racist I just hate bullies and criminals no matter what colour their skin is or what they do for a living.

The original post can be found http://thedutysgt.blogspot.com/2010/02/soap-box.html

Xmas list

Published on December 24, 2009 in Xmas list, assault police, cordons, custody Sgt, drink driving and paperwork. Closed

written by The Duty Sgt from The Duty Sgt





Dear Santa,




I have been very good this year and arrested loads of bad people and made sure that my shift are looked after and got a big box of chocs to say thank you. Can I please ask for the following presents/changes in the law for Xmas for me and all the other Police officers?




1. Bring in the Muppet Act. This would make it an offence to be a muppet in public or private without lawful authority or reasonable excuse the onus of which lies with the defendant.




2. Allow drink drivers cars to be confiscated until they pay a recovery fee and pass a breath test, and for them to be banned from driving UNTIL they attend court to stop them from dragging the case out for months.




3. Give the Custody Sgt back their old powers to charge. I am aware that they are considering this is a 'trial' in some areas. Santa knowing how old you are I am sure you are aware that this used to work very well and are as puzzled as I am why it needs a 'trial'


4. Assault on a public servant which would cover Police, Ambulance, Fire, hospital staff, court staff, teachers and Prison staff. This would automatically be an 'aggravated' offence and attract higher punishments and be treated by Police and courts the same way they do a 'hate' incident and attract that level of attention and resources.


5. Make crossing a designated Police cordon an offence even if you live locally or are late for an appointment.


6. A genuine reduction in paperwork both those decided at a national level and locally.


Have a good Xmas and don't eat too many mince pies!


T.D.S


P.S. Hope you got my 'naughty' list I sent earlier. If you know where Leech is let me know as he is wanted for recall to prison and id love to spoil his Xmas day.


P.P.S. If you have any ideas for new offences please add them in the comments box.

The original post can be found http://thedutysgt.blogspot.com/2009/12/xmas-list.html