Operation Reacher
It was the night before and Chelsea were playing on sky, with the kids in bed and the adults ready to relax for the evening I wandered into the living room and Mrs W had put on the channel 4 documentary - 999: What's your emergency, "What are you doing?" I said "Getting you prepared, you're meeting at 0900 hours" she actually said it like that. Next stop Operation Reacher.
So for those that may not have known, we have been working alongside the Operation Reacher Police team for a year now and have an ongoing uniform project. They asked if we would like to spend the day with the team to see what they do, naturally we jumped at the chance to spend the day seeing what happens in one day as a copper.
Myself and Andy wasn't too sure what to expect, at the very most we expected a diluted version of a day in the life as a copper....oh no.
It was straight out in the Skoda, you cannot help but feel like a criminal sat in the back of the car, as you pass onlooking bystanders. The order of the morning took us to the "local hot spots" as this believe it or not was peak time for certain crimes.
First pull of the day was a young lady, who had dirty number plates. Cleaned and sent on her way.
Next up round the corner where some colleagues had pulled over a vehicle, and as we arrived the passenger did a runner. No insurance, provisional licence so get walking young man.
The guys up front also has access to intel that lead us on a couple of blues and twos runs around a less than desirable estate but ended with nothing. As we were nearby we dropped in on a vulnerable couple just to check on their situation. All good there.
The miles that get done is quite incredible, from one hot spot to another. We cannot go into the details on any, but the expression from an individual "Coming to see us 4 man deep", sticks in our heads.
Just before lunch we spent a couple of hours with the traffic cops who were assigned to help Op Reacher that day, We had a couple of classified runs that sent us racing towards Bilsthorpe and back, nothing like racing fast down the middle of road. What struck me was just how calm the driver was hitting over 100mph, he was as calm as me and you driving at 30mph and talking through all the manoeuvres and possible outcomes and plans A, B and C that may come into play.
Pulling cars from out of the area with Magnetic Drug hides seems to be the order of the day. Another innocent lady but worth checking.
Afternoon south of HQ patrolling problem areas, talking with locals and gathering Intel. Quite interesting how a few words can lead to something.
The amount of lets say stupid people, with no insurance, tax etc is quite unbelievable, you will get pulled eventually.
If we could go into detail we would, but we cant. It's classified.