Page 66 - Once a copper 10 03 2020

was told I could go home as I would be expected to be bright and early on
first watch the next day, reporting at 05:30 for a 6:00am parade.

Tomorrow would be my first day as an operational Police Officer when I
would meet the rest of the shift. As I drove home both nervous and excited at
the prospect, I kept reminding myself, “This is what these last three months
have all been about”. Now I had been to the station where I would serve my
probation, it all started to feel very real.

Early Turn

In 1980 each sub division was policed by a shift of a dozen or more officers or
‘Unit’. ‘A’ ‘B’ ‘C’ and ‘D’ units between them would provide police cover for
a given geographical area 24/7/365, working one of three shifts: 6.00am x
2.00pm, 2.00pm x 10.00pm and 10.00pm x 6.00am. The four units rotated on a
28-day shift pattern interspersed with weekly leave days.

My first operational police shift was an early 6am x 2pm, arriving at the station
ready to parade 30 minutes before the shift began. Knowing I’d have to set
my alarm for 4am, I went to bed ridiculously early, at 8pm. However, it would
be midnight before my ‘mind-chatter’ finally gave in and let me sleep.

As it was, I awoke at 3:30am and once awake I had to get up. I shaved,
showered and quietly dressed to half blues, kissed my wife who only stirred a
little, and went off to start my new adventure.

I got to Erdington half an hour early and vowed I would have to get the hang
of the timing of the shifts. I sat in the canteen for a while when I was joined by
an officer who came over and introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Gary Ellis” he said,
and he went on to say that he was the newest pro-con (probationary
constable), on the shift, that was until now. He explained that it was
expected that the newest pro-con made the first tea of the day for the
whole shift and he showed me the list of who took sugar and who didn’t.
Most took two sugars. The pro-con was also responsible for collecting tea
monies and making sure there was always enough tea bags, milk and sugar.
How strange after all these years to remember that.

He showed me the lockable tea chest where our supplies were kept (strange
I thought, that it’s necessary to lock away tea stuff in a police station). Tea
would be made for everyone straight after parade and it was a good
chance to meet everyone in a less formal setting. I saw that Gary’s collar
number was 8686 which made sense and mine was 8777. The collar numbers
in those days were a good indication of the length of service. The higher the
number, the newer the officer. This would be a useful guide for me identifying
the officers with most experience from whom I could gain valuable
knowledge. Page66