The County Show

Rank:SC

Experience: 9 Months

Duty: Two days at the County Show.

The County Show is the premier annual event in our neck of the woods - it runs for three days but I only did the first two.  Summary of how it went.

Day 1:  0730 - Meet up at Station with NPT Sgt, Special Sgt and several other officers.  We go up to the show ground and locate the police tent.  We are sharing with the PCC rep, a drug outreach charity, a military charity and the council crime prevention dept.  There are things for the kids, dressing up stuff, two officers who are on light duties are making up thumbprint keyrings - a great idea and very popular.  Outside is a JCB with police markings and a blue light bar and, thanks BBC Wales, a full size TARDIS.  There is also some recruiting literature for the Specials.

My Special colleague and I spend most of the day on foot patrol.  It is very hot and we get through a lot of water.  The stands are very busy but we stop and talk here and there.  We and out hundreds of wristbands that parents can write their number on and attach to their offspring in case they get lost.  Two hand bags are reunited with their owners and a missing child is located.  One dog is found in a car and the owner responds to a PA broadcast which includes the information that if not released shortly we would be putting the window in - thankfully the dog is gone by the time we get back to the vehicle.

I left about 1600 though some of my colleagues stayed on until 1800.

Day 2:  Much the same but the weather is foul.  It is hoofing it down.  This is not good for the stallholders but it is better for us - we talk to them and have ore time to stop and chat to those punters who have braved the weather.  We get tea and biscuits from one stall then more from the Mothers' Union.  By lunchtime the weather is brightening up and it is a bit busier.  A lost teenager is located, then...

1600 - A call up, a stallholder has reported someone that he has seen lurking round the fairground performing 'an act of public indecency' on himself (guess).  We are nearby and as we arrive I spot a chap matching the description - the stall holder has a picture and points him out too.  I catch up with the lad, detain, arrest, caution and cuff.  It is clear he  has some learning difficulties but he understands what is going on.  The NPT van is brought round and a regular and I head for custody where he is booked in.  His parents address is in his wallet so they are contacted.  I go upstairs and do a short statement.  One of the others will get the informant's statement.

1700 - Knock off. The others were  coming back in as I left.

Two excellent days that hopefully reflect well on the Force in general and the Specials too.  We were able to help boost numbers and we got the arrest.

Me and one of the PCSOs with our latest mode of transport!