999 in the Country
| Published date | 01 April 1958 |
| Author | T. J. Thompson |
| Date | 01 April 1958 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X5803100208 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
114
THE
POLICE
JOURNAL
An outstanding omission too, is that nothing is said about
the
work
which a country policeman's wife has to do, without
payment-answer-
ing the telephone, dealing with callers, and so on. A potential country
constable would be more prepared for the giving up, by his wife, of
much domestic and leisure time if this were properly explained.
Having read the pamphlet in its present form and become en-
thusiastic at the prospect of becoming one of us, the young
man
may
then apply to a force and eventually he may be given an interview.
The
officer who conducts the interview will, of course, "advertise" the
force by stating, quite truthfully, that there are many advantages to be
gained by becoming a member. But, one wonders if the interviewing
officer always puts him completely "in the picture" so that, if he does
join, he is under no misapprehension?
It
is suggested that this is
most necessary, particularly in view of the very favourable description
of life in the Service as now given in the pamphlet.
Criticism is, of course, extremely easy to make, but the comments
made by the writer in relation to recruiting and wastage, although
critical, are intended to be friendly and constructive. What, the reader
may ask, do Iconsider to be the main principles which should be
adhered to when trying to get, and to retain, suitable policemen?
These are (1) To disclose frankly the advantages and disadvantages
of a police career compared with other occupations; (2) To refrain
from "selling" the job by high-powered salesmanship without regard to
whether the man, after he joins, will like it or not; and, most important
of all, (3)
To
make it clear that we are a first class Service and we only
want first class men who can take
"the
rough with the smooth."
If
these principles are followed we may, for a time, recruit less
policemen, but eventually we should not only obtain areasonable
intake
but
greatly reduce wastage through disillusionment.
999
in the Country
By
POLICE
CONSTABLE
T.
J.
THOMPSON
East Suffolk County Police
'"]"X)
the majority of the population of this country the telephone is
.1 as commonplace as the radio, but in some comparatively isolated
rural areas it is still regarded with suspicion by those unfamiliar with
its use. This would not matter to the rural constable were it
not
that
his beat is often of such a size that he is unable to patrol every
part
of
it as often as might be desirable, so that the co-operation of the public
is essential if they are to have the service from the police to which they
To continue reading
Request your trial