The Pitfalls of Modern Policing

This is from a very small scene in 'The Great and The Good'. When locating a missing victim, Hathaway directs her mother to wait outside the crime scene tape with a WPC. This comes from that. Lewis, Hathaway and the characters here belong to their creators, not me and this is just for fun, no infringement is intended. I have however, taken the liberty of naming the female officer.

…...

Police Constable Ruby Jones waited in the cold November air. She was unsure of protocol here. The young girl, the victim of an abduction and rape had found her way back to the crime scene, and being the newest to Oxfordshire Police, and wet behind the ears, Ruby had got the short straw of checking Port Meadow once the alarm had been raised.

To her surprise, Ruby had found the girl, and radioed through. She had been told a short while later that Detective Inspector Lewis, the officer in charge, had been informed, and the girls mother was on her way.

The girl had been silent, resisting all Ruby's attempts to remove her from the crime scene. So with training about heavy footed coppers fouling up crime scenes ringing in her ears, Ruby had withdrawn to await back up.

Ruby's first thought as she saw a man and woman approach was that he was rather young, for a DI. Tall, skinny and serious. In her limited experience of CID, he wasn't what she expected. She'd heard about Lewis, a bit of a maverick by all accounts, but she'd never met him before today.

"Just wait here with the WPC" she heard him tell the girls mother as he ducked under the tape.

She frowned, she'd also heard Lewis was from up North. Canteen gossip at refs about him being a Newcastle supporter. That was definitely not a northern accent she mused, sounded more English middle class. Public boys school and then some.

"You shouldn't be here" she heard him say "The WPC should have told you"

Ruby sighed, great. First time she's allowed out on her own and she was probably going to get a dressing down from the DI, and so would her duty sergeant, and that would make her life uncomfortable to say the least. Not to mention being slightly needled about the WPC comments. Just PC these days, no sex distinction between officers. Lewis obviously was from the dark ages where police women carried handbags and wore skirts.

Not that she was supposed to be on her own. Her mentor, Howard, had shoved her out at the edge of Port Meadow, continuing his search from the warmth of a patrol car.

Ruby looked around, it was starting to gather dusk and she didn't relish the idea of being left out here on her own waiting for clearance to leave the scene, especially as the DI was now leaving with the girl and the mother. He hadn't stood her down, so she'd have to wait.

…...

"And here it comes" she muttered to herself as having safely dispatched the mother and daughter in a car home, he headed back towards her.

"Where's your partner?" he asked her, directly, and definitely not in a Northern accent.

"I haven't been stood down yet Sir" she replied.

"No, we need SOCCO back" he shoved his hands into his pockets and she wondered if he was cold, just in his suit. At least she had the full kit and caboodle on. Although it was heavy, it kept you warm on jobs like this "But you shouldn't be on your own. You're new aren't you?"

"Yes Sir" she replied "First week"

"And who's your mentor?"

"PC Howard sir"

"And he is where?"

Ruby looked slightly ashamed, she was being tested by the other coppers, she knew that. And for her to get into trouble, was one thing, but to draw the DI's attention to the fact she'd been given the bum job...and left alone to guard a deserted rape scene...Oh she would pay for this.

"He's er..." she faltered "Um, we decided to cover more ground and split up sir, time seemed to be of the essence"

She thought she saw a slight smile from him at her excuse "In other words, he's drinking coffee in the patrol car while you freeze your …...bits off out here?"

Ruby coughed "Sir"

"Sarge" he corrected.

"Sorry?" she looked at him questioningly.

"It's uncommon for uniformed officers to call a sergeant sir, thought not unheard of" he told her.

"Oh" she frowned at him "I thought you were the DI..."

"No" this time he did smile "He's back at the office drinking coffee while I freeze my bits off out here... Sergeant Hathaway, commonly known as the DI's bag man"

Ah, she thought. Canteen gossip had been rife about this one. Something about a transsexual and a fire. Jury was still out on his sexuality apparently.

"PC Jones" she replied, surprised to see him smirk slightly.

"I didn't mean any offence" he told her, retrieving a packet of cigarettes "I'm often reminded that we don't refer to female police officers as 'WPC' any more. Old habits and all that..."

"No offence taken" she replied, shaking her head as he offered her the packet she added "Don't smoke"

"Good" he nodded, inhaling deeply "Filthy habit"

Canteen gossip also had him down as a know it all, miserable smart arse. Ruby wasn't so sure, there seemed to be a sense of humour lurking under there somewhere.

"So how are you finding it so far?" Hathaway asked amid a cloud of smoke "The police service?"

"Right now sarge" she replied "Bloody cold"

He laughed slightly "Yes" he nodded "Doesn't get any better with rank"

"That's disappointing" she replied.

"Is that what you want?" he questioned "Promotion?"

"If I'm good enough" Ruby shrugged.

"Work hard, keep your head down" he advised "Uniform or CID?"

"CID maybe" she replied "Early days yet, only had my warrant card a week. Long way to work up. You were fast track weren't you?"

More canteen gossip, that he was one of 'those' detectives. One that had bypassed the traditional route to rank and walked in as a sergeant due to academic qualifications. He was the first she'd met, and had expected a jobsworth, he wasn't she realised.

"For my sins" he confirmed "Didn't think the uniform would suit me"

Ruby laughed quietly and they lapsed into silence for a while.

"Any headway on your case sarge?" she asked, for want of something to say. She felt slightly awkward, he showed no sign of leaving.

"Not as much as my governor would like" he commented dryly.

"Sure you'll get there" she replied "I've heard Lewis gets his man"

"He usually does" Hathaway nodded and looked up as SOCCO headed towards them "Here we are, SOCCO. Not famed for rushing"

"No sarge" she smiled.

"Right well, I'll leave you to it" he crushed out his cigarette "Now you're not on your own"

"Thank you" she said, slightly confused.

"After they've finished" he replied "Stand down, and er, tell Howard I want a word would you?"

Ruby mouthed slightly and he laughed through his nose "Don't worry" he assured her "It'll be a quiet word between me and him about leaving inexperienced officers to guard crime scenes alone, regardless of gender. He owes me a favour, I won't make you sound like teachers pet"

"Right, thank you sarge" she answered.

And he gave her a small smile before leaving.

Ruby reflected on the last hour or so, and realised she'd learned the first rule of modern policing – don't listen to canteen gossip. If she'd been asked to describe him now, the words kind and gentleman would have sprung to mind.

Hathaway trudged back to his car, he felt old, having referred to her initially as a WPC. She must be all of 20. He knew that the police service was now an equal opportunities employer, but he was an old fashioned kind of guy. You didn't leave WPC's in deserted fields guarding crime scenes in the dark, and he didn't really care who that offended. In some ways he realised he was as outdated as his boss.

He started the car and shook his head "The pitfalls of modern policing" he mumbled to himself.

...

Sometimes an idea hits me and I need to get rid before I can concentrate on what I'm doing. Happened to catch this episode a couple of weeks ago and this sort of appeared!