Rank: Special Constable

Length of service: 12 months

Planned hours: 0900-1700

Location: Metropolitan Police Service

 

All timings are approximate

 

0800- Arrive at the nick and kit up. Meet up with who I will be patrolling with for the shift. As there are more officers than required, we are split into effectively two teams. One team will be patrolling the market, while the other will be staying with the IRV and taking CADs. The team would be rotated throughout the shift.

 

0900- IRV is booked out and we head down to the local market. We have been tasked to combat an increase of shoplifting from market traders by a well-known factor of the local community. Community engagement and show a decent, but not overly aggressive presence.

 

Things start of quite slowly. Us in the IRV head to a good location to look out for driving offences in this period. My colleague I’m currently with needs a FPN toward his IPS status anyway. Not long after they spot a driver go past us on their mobile. The vehicle is stopped and my colleague carries out all of the necessary checks. FPN-E issues for using a mobile while driving.

 

1000- We make our working area slightly larger in the car, but are still only a short drive back to the market. As we crest a bridge over the underground line, a Blue Subaru passes us in the opposite direction with an unsecured back of soil sat on the bonnet. Seriously??

The car is turned around and we follow the vehicle for a short while running initial checks in the MDT. Vehicle stopped in a layby. I assist my colleague with this stop as the driver is pretty irate that he’s actually been caught.

It turns out he didn’t want any loose soil getting all over the interior of his car. He did not appreciate my concern of him stamping on the brakes at the zebra crossing just over the crest of the bridge and that the soil bag would possibly become a deadly projectile for a pedestrian. I recall he was reported for insecure load (and possibly due care, cant remember.)

 

1130- With two FPNs in the bag we head back to meet our colleagues still at the market and swap over. There hasn’t been anything notable and they all seem keen on the idea of taking turns with the IRV.

 

1200- It seems the borough has finally woken up and there are several outstanding CADs the response team haven’t got anyone to deal with now. The operator sends the closest one down to us and it’s a Domestic to report from last night.

 

1210- Arrive at the address and are greeted by a female occupier. I let my new colleague take the lead again as this could go toward their own progress. Story heard and booklet completed. WE leave the female with a VC card and say our goodbyes.

 

1300- *I Grade* We are closest and begin to make our way. A young male has been assaulted and mobile phone taken outside the underground station with the crested road bridge we were near earlier.

 

1304- We arrive just behind the area car. We are asked to stay at the scene and await the arrival of the robbery team (I was amazed they was on shift at this hour!)

 

1308- Quite soon after the robbery squad arrived and took over with the victim. I handed our initial EAB over and they headed off to conduct an area search with the victim. We were de-assigned and headed back to the market once again.  

 

1330- Slow drive back taking in some ASB hotspots which were all deserted we met up together and had lunch. Exchanged events so far and worked out who was next in the IRV. The sun was beating down, and the market which is pretty substantial was crowded, but there wasn’t much going on for the officers to deal with. A lost child who was quickly relocated. (A merlin for later for that officer) and just a few youths causing a nuisance asked to leave by the on side stewards.

 

1400- Next colleague now, again looking for a few specific items toward their IPS progress also. An S grade comes out not too far away, another domestic.

 

1405- Same as before. I take the back seat and only step in if my colleague needed a slight prod in the correct direction. The story goes the male partner had returned home late this morning still drunk from the night before (must have been a heavy one!) and didn’t like his missus asking where he had been all night. An argument ensued and the neighbours thought he was beating the life out of her. The female refused to give a statement as it ‘was only an argument.’ It was classified a non-crime domestic and we left after some strong words for both of them.

 

1520- My colleague is after a stop & search so back to the ASB hotspots we go. The airwaves are ‘Q’ for now so we’re not needed for a CAD.

 

1525- We pull into the first. A strange car park in the middle of a huge field. There are quite a few cars on it as we approach. Well it is weekend football after all. As we swing around the parked cars, there is a Black Fiesta 4 up and looks like the driver is rolling a cigarette. They haven’t seen us yet and I jump out of my seat, and open the driver’s door to say hello before he even really looks up.

In his hands is a 4” paper he is about to lick and roll. I can see the cannabis buds sprinkled through it.

I whip it out of his hands and it all goes into an evidence bag from my pouch. All 4 are detained Sec23, brought out two at a time as myself and my colleague search one each. Then the vehicle gets a good going over. Only a grinder and empty small re-seal bag where this must have just come from.

Good news for the driver, it’s his first offence. My colleague issues a cannabis warning, and we seize their cannabis for evidence/destruction.     

 

1600- Head back to the market again and collect the officers. As we are leaving the operator circulates that several linked CADs have just came in nearby of a large group of motorcycles pulling wheelies and making a nuisance.

We are in the traffic to turn right and they make the turn from the left behind them. Most of the bikes boot it off, superbikes we had no chance anyway. A pair of mopeds were still ahead of us and ran a red light. The lights have changed as we approach the stop line and I hit the blues. They both pull up and I stop alongside them.

 

16??- Both drivers are ticketed for running a red ATS by myself. The explain they are part of a bike ‘club’ who met in West London and rode over to here to muck about on this ‘disused road.’ Well this disused road is far from. It runs through an industrial area and is still quite busy, with HGVs and cars.

I strongly suggest they clear off home or they won’t be making the journey by wheels if they are seen again.

 

There is a long sweeping left bend ahead of us. Several of the superbikes keep coming around it, before turning and heading back. As we slowly creep around. There must be 100+ bikes. Many… many more than we previously saw turning in. I get straight on the PR and update the operator with what’s happening. Basically the road has become a drag strip. There are idiots drag racing their bikes against each other, others doing wheelies and burnouts, all between HGVs and cars. Some of these riders were also wearing no lids. Utterly unbelievable!

 

16??- Again I updated control and they organise for several units to head down to assist dispersing them or deal if necessary. To the left is a turning down to a warehouse. We pull in out of the road and go to turn around and head out.

One of the riders with no lid rides past and stops in front of the car. Begins doing a burnout wheelie thing. I really have no idea how he managed it. I shouted out of the car “at least put a lid on, don’t be insane!”

He stops ahead of me and begins to rev the bike before launching toward the IRV. We slowly started to make our way out of the side turning as the traffic units began to arrive and disperse the bikers.

 

16??- We are relieved by traffic and head back to the nick. A lot of paper work to complete and I think we finished later than planned. Plenty of Intel found and submitted for future bike meets planned at the same location on their social media. Offer any assistance with the various reports and statements being completed by my colleagues, and we’re done.

 

1830- Car booked back in and de-kit for home.