November 2010

Well I really can not believe that it was over 30 years ago that a fresh and very young faced Rousell walked into Mount Browne in March 1980 aged 17 years to Join the Surrey Constabulary as Cadet 51. just under 30 of us joined on that intake. To date only 3 of us are still serving with Surrey Police. being a young man full of confidence I would certainly have not placed money on me being one of them. But with 3 pay cheques to go before I have my 30 years in (cadet apprenticeship's don't count). I am gobsmacked to still be here.
Well 30 years ago there was less than 300 people working at HQ's and in fact from all my attachments to all the offices, ops room, motorway room, registry, printing, photographic and the smelly dog section. It was the 4 weeks spent in the one office that I realised that this one little office seemed to be run the force, it was the HR of its time, It was the font of all knowledge and nothing was done with out the staff in the General Office having some involvement. and from what i recall was staffed by 4 members all serving police officers under the command of an Inspector. Who i soon found out that when he entered the room no matter what you were doing you stood to attention until told to carry on. oh my how times have changed, Inspectors are known by first names only these days. But the cheeky more flippant old timers still on occasions stand, now the new fast flyer's are unaware of the old rules and are suitable flummoxed and are certainly left speechless and they have no idea what to do when saluted!!!!!!!!
But i digress when as a young 19year old probationer constable I was posted to a small rural unit full of old sweats and a Sgt who did not like police men younger than his own children. Now the old sweats job it appeared to me would be to drink as much tea as possible, to never make their points (now there's a whole story waiting to be told). to talk of tales gone by and at every possible opportunity remind us youngest "Hey boy this ain't the job i joined its crap now" a phrase i promised then never to repeat when i to reached the loft heights of the old sweat. and i have upheld that one promise i made all those years ago.

Now it was during this spell that Boss Hog took it upon himself to rid Surrey Constabulary of Constable 523, but I was young and inexperienced and on occasions lacking in maturity. (well humour doesn't always spread the age gaps, very well)However it was not long before i found myself on those dread monthly report thingies... my i had loads of them!! Boss Hog took it upon himself to make it personal. and it was not long before the dreaded call to the big house to see the ACC. "Well son this doesn't look like its the job for you does it?" he opened with. Well to keep the entry brief, i performed well producing saved bits of info and gave my best plea in my defence. Well it went well and i was duly dispatched back to the outpost. My confirmation in appointment came duly as like all my probationer reports just a month after the previous one!! Constable 523 was out of probation!! and the adventure really began...