It was a cool night. My very first night duty on foot patrol as a Policeman, since leaving Police Training, six months ago. The shopping centre of Wells Garden Village was so quiet; I had yet to meet anybody. I heard the night train passing through the village, just after three o’clock. As I turned into the shopping car park, I heard a loud noise like the rattling of kitchen utensils. I stopped immediately. I saw two men were standing in the middle of the car park. The first man was about thirty years old, tall and slender; he had a bundle of boxes in his hands. The second man was in his early twenties, he was short and rather stocky. There were some frying pans near his feet.
‘Good evening officer,’ said the first man ingratiatingly.
‘Evening gentleman, are you working late tonight?’
‘Yes sir,’ replied the first man. It was the first time somebody called me an officer and addressed me as ‘sir’. The words rang to my ears like an unforgettable tune. I said to myself, ‘This is my finest hour.’
‘Oh, let me help you with these frying pans.’
I picked them up , I gave some to the second man, I carried some to their white transit van.
‘Thank you officer, you are a gentleman,’ said the first man. They drove slowly then sped off as they turned round the corner. I remembered the advice my tutor gave me at the training college.
‘Be civil and helpful to the public.’
There I was, civil and helpful. Just after six o’clock, I returned to the police station.
‘All quiet Sarge,’ I said proudly.
‘Good’.
The next night, I was looking forward to being civil and helpful again. The briefing room was small, a few chairs around a small table, there were two car patrol officers, a police woman and Sergeant Mills.
‘We had a breaking last night at the Domestics shop in the shopping centre. The burglar got away with £2,000 worth of frying pans,’ said Sergeant Mills.
My head swung around, my throat tightened up, my shoulders just dropped forward, I slouched gently in my chair. ’This is my darkest hour,’ I thought.
‘Did you see anybody last night?’ Asked Sergeant Mills.
I could feel everybody’s eyes turning toward me. I looked at my note book pretending to read. ’Do I lie?’ I thought helplessly. I remembered once my tutor at the training college telling me that once a police officer lies, sooner or later, he becomes a bent copper. If I confessed it would be the end of my career.
I decided there and then to take my secret to the grave.
‘No, Sarge.’ I said assertively.
‘Keep your eyes and ears open tonight.’ He said.
‘Yes Sarge! Have you got any suspects?’ I asked perfunctorily.
‘Oh no, this kind of crime is committed to order. The frying pans are more likely in the North by now .You see, there is a Burglary Fraternity Club in this country. The burglar who stole the frying pans would exchange them for other goods from other burglars.’
The gloves are off now. No more civil and helpful. Look where it had got me. From now on everybody is guilty until proven otherwise. Oh, what a fool! How could I be so gullible?
Just after midnight I saw my first victim. He was a middle aged man; he was walking and had a plastic carrier bag in his hand.
‘What are you doing at this time of the night?’ I asked firmly.
‘I am going home,’ he said calmly.
‘Really, are you sure about that?’
‘Yes officer. I work at the Indian take away,’ he said.
‘Really?’
‘Yes’.
‘Open your bag!’
‘Yes sir. It’s my dirty uniform.’
‘Did you see a white transit van last night, and don’t lie to me?’
‘I won’t lie to you Officer; I did not see any transit van last night.’
‘You can go,’ I said officiously. ‘I am already behaving like a bent copper,’ I thought. In the quietness of the night, I was walking slowly, my hands in my pockets, my head bent forward. Suddenly, I remembered what my tutor said about detecting crimes.
‘We do not detect any crime; it’s a myth. It’s the public who catch criminals. Without their co-operation, the criminals would get away’.
Just after 3 o’clock, I saw the milk float, I waved at the milkman to stop, I strolled towards him, I removed my helmet.
‘Sorry to trouble you mate, I wonder if you can help me in my inquiry,’ I said calmly.
‘Sure mate, what can I do for you?’
‘Did you see a white transit van last night after 3o’clock?
‘As a matter of fact, I did see a transit van on my way to the depot. It was going very fast, in the direction of the main housing estates.’
‘Thank you mate, you have been helpful.’ I said smilingly.
Suddenly it occurred to me, if I caught the burglars, they were bound to reveal my role in their robbery. I realised that I had to find a way to arrest them without implicating myself.
For the next two months, on my days off, I roamed all the car parks in Wells Garden village. I drove around the housing estate to search for the white transit van, with no avail. Finally I went to the car boots sales in the village.
It was a sunny morning; I dressed in an old Jeans, a T- shirt and a pairs of old boots. The car boot sales were held in the school car park. A seller was playing Elvis Presley’s songs; he passed away just few months ago. I noticed one particular seller who was selling the same junk like the rest: books, clothes, old chairs etc. He was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. When he saw me, he smiled.
‘Hey mate, you can do with a good pair of leather boots.’
He bent down under the table, came up with a pairs of boots. The top looked crumpled and the sole was brown as if it had been used.
‘It‘s a good quality boot, for you, just 7 pounds,’ he said smilingly.
I scratched the brown dust, to my surprise, I saw the leather sole was yellow.
‘Have you got size 9?’ I asked casually.
He went back to his car; I followed him and saw lots of boots in the back seat. He came back with the size 9.
‘I tell you what, give me 10 pounds, I give you another pair free.’
‘I am rather short of cash today. Will you be coming next week? I said quietly.
‘Sure mate’.
I waited until the car boot sales closed. Then I followed him from a distance. He drove out and made his way towards the housing estates. After few miles, he stopped and went inside the front gate of a house. I parked my car a few feet from him. There he was the man who almost destroyed my career. They both went inside the house, they came back few minutes later with more bundles of boxes, they loaded them into the car. I rang anonymously to the Police Head Quarters. I waited until I saw a couple of police cars arriving at the house. I saw the burglar in handcuffs; he was being taken to the police car.
Two months later, I went to the crown court in my civilian clothes. I was standing outside the court, near the prison van, when the two burglars came out in handcuffs. They were found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison. I moved towards the van, when the first burglar saw me, I winked at him, he looked back at me, then he stopped and looked again. I smiled at him; he was staring at me when the police shut the van’s door.
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