Page 115 - Once a copper 10 03 2020

In private, out of earshot of the public, a common view was that we saw
both sides of the argument. Those who wanted to work whilst the pits were
open should be enabled to do so. Those who wanted to protest at the
actions of Government should be permitted to do so, within the Law. It was
only natural that we would feel sympathy for those who wished to express
their reasonable argument, and it tugged at the heartstrings to hear stories of
families going without food for weeks on end.

The reassignment of officers away from their host force like is known as Mutual
Aid. Among the emergency services, mutual aid is an agreement among
emergency responders to lend assistance across jurisdictional boundaries.
This may occur due to an emergency response that exceeds local resources,
such as a disaster, multiple-alarm fire or national industrial dispute.

Figure 48 1st in the queue. Rare moments to relax on picket duty

Having been assigned to my first week of Mutual Aid, I became fodder for
the machine, serving seven more weeks away during the twelve months of
the strike. My duties took me to pits in the Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire,
Derbyshire and Warwickshire police force areas.

We were billeted in army barracks such at Proteus Army Training Centre in
Nottinghamshire, Sinfin in Derbyshire and St George’s barracks in
Warwickshire. Whilst basic and lacking the comforts of home, after a typical
15 hours shift all I wanted was a mattress to collapse on for the night. We Page115