Memorable Moments of a Met Copper: 1967 -1997

By David Dugmore

Memorable Moments of a Met Copper – 1967–1997 is the fascinating and absorbing memoir of a Met Copper spanning a thirty year period. Presented as a series of stark, harrowing and often disturbed short anecdotes and stories, the author shares some of the horror, fear, humour and sadness that he experienced during his career, such as the death of colleagues on duty, or being rained with projectiles in a riot. This is a truly memorable book and will appeal to a wide audience.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melrose Books
• Release date: Dec 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9781912026692

Book preview

POTTED SERVICE HISTORY

I joined the Metropolitan Police Service on the 27th November 1967 and retired from it thirty years and three days later on Sunday 30th November 1997. It would be fair to say that during my service, I saw and experienced many things in life, both good and bad. Regrettably, the latter predominated, but I suppose that was the nature of the beast, bearing in mind my particular profession. Fortunately, most people can avoid dealing with life in its raw state, where their basic instincts and inhumanity to each other are so transparent.

I was enrolled and sworn into the M.P.S. upon my arrival at the residential training school Peel House at Regency Street, Victoria, SW1. I was billeted in one of the dormitories on the 3rd floor of this five-story building, in a small and pretty unsubstantial box room constructed of thin wooden partitions. Each dormitory contained a number of these self-contained living quarters, better known to the recruits as ‘horse boxes’, which were sparsely furnished with a single bed, small desk and chair and a cupboard for clothing.

This initial course, which lasted a total of 13 weeks, was very intensive and exceedingly demanding, both mentally and physically. It incorporated learning many aspects of statute and common law, much of which had to be learnt by ‘rote’. This was then followed by practical exercises to ensure the students had clearly understood the meaning behind what they had studied and were not simply repeating phrases like a parrot. At various stages during our training, recruits were required to sit written examinations. Anyone failing to pass would be held back from progressing to the next stage with their colleagues. They would be dropped down a class and given another opportunity to take the same exam a week or so later. Failure on a second occasion was met with instant dismissal from the training school and the M.P.S. Your confirmation as a ‘probationary constable’ was solely dependent on passing the final written examination, as a consequence of which your status was not announced until you were in your final week of