Out of the Blue

The picture above from my sketch book shows a man digging for bait on the sea shore. Being a police officer for 30years is a risky business and not just the likelihood of physical assault. Dealing with thousands of incidents there is the probability if not certainty that something will go wrong. Hence it tended to be that those who did the most work got the most problems. You may see 50 people staggering home every night if one falls under a bus later there is the inevitable question, "Why didn't you do something about them when you saw him/her?"
Hindsight is something that is generally the preserve of newspapers and people who sit behind desks.
Anyway fortunately the police tend to look after each other (or they did in my day). You need to be able to rely on your colleagues.
Things can go wrong very quickly and unexpectedly. I once went with my fellow Detective Sergeant to Crown Court. We had dealt with a robbery and for some reason the case ended up in Manchester Crown Court. Now the case went on for a couple of days and I was the last witness. My Sergeant was giving evidence and I had no idea what was going on or how the trial was proceeding. Suddenly I was called by the usher to go into the Court. Obviously my D.S. had finished giving evidence I concluded. When I got in their the Court was hushed, Bob my D.S. was still in the in the witness box and I was directed into the well of the court. I was totally confused. I was stood before the Judge who seemed to have taken a disliking to me albeit that we hadn't met before. I was then subjected to something of a judicial tirade. I didn't take in what was being said but I got the distinct impression I was in deep trouble. I also noticed the defendants smirking in the dock and I felt if not saw Bob chuckling. As the monologue continued I felt certain that I would be spending the night in HMP Strangeways. When the Judge concluded I still had no idea what I had supposed to have done or what was expected of me. Doing the only thing I could do. I apologised to the Judge and looked very humble (not very hard to do in the circumstances). I was told to leave by the Judge and the trial finished with defendants being aquitted. For me leaving the court by the Public exit was a result. Bob never did explain what happened in Court but I got the distinct impression he had stitched me up as he didn't stop chuckling all the way to the car. We left the Courts very quickly in case the Judge changed his mind.
Today I did some sketching.