Support your local Bobby !

There are reports that some local politician, who's name escapes me, has organised a Facebook page for everyone who thinks the Police are doing a marvellous job to leave messages. On the face of it, this is a rather nice idea. It seems that as there are reports that the said individual may have upset one of two people, who have now mounted a rather nasty campaign to hijack this site in an attempt to make the man look silly. Us here at the Barnet Eye, think the Police do a marvellous job. So much so that we even play football with a few of them.

Anyway if you think the Police do a great job, here's my suggestion to you. Rather than just leaving a message on a site which could be misinterpreted as the attempt of a local politician to make himself look good, click on this link to the Metropolitan Police Combined Benevolent Fund and make a donation. This is an organisation which looks after former members of the Police & there families who for various reasons are in need of assistance. I myself donated £20 to this cause, at the suggestion of London Assembly Member, Kit Malthouse, who I challenged to prove he was working at the Chelsea vs Arsenal FA Cup semi final. I suspect that there are many things I disagree with Kit about, but this is not one of them.

I couldn't let this blog pass without sharing my last two experiences of the Met Police with you. About 8 years ago, I'd just finished a band rehearsal and I was chatting outside my house to our old bassplayer. My road intersects with Mill Hill Broadway and opposite the entrance to our road is a butchers shop. A car parked in our road roared into life as we chatted. The driver then proceeded to drive straight across the Broadway, through the front of the Butchers shop. We ran down to see if the driver was OK, but as we approached, the smashed up car sped into life and drove off. We made our way to the shop, which was comprehensively wrecked and laughed when we saw the numberplate from the car, lying on the floor. My old bassplayer said "That's him nicked". I called the Police and reported the accident. I gave the car number and made my way home. Shortly after a policeman arrived at the door. He asked what happened and I explained. As I said how the car had shot through the shopfront he sarcastically said "You've got good eyesight". I asked what he meant. "He replied that to see the car number from my house, in the dark, I must have bionic eyes. I explained that I was actually quite shortsighted. He then asked how it was possible to get the car number at a distance of 200 yards. I replied explaining that the numberplate was still in the shop. Rather chastenedly he said "Oh". They called later to say that they'd caught the driver, who was blind drunk.

A few years before that incident, I was having a cup of tea with my then girlfriend (now wife) at the Everyman cinema cafe in Hampstead. As we were chatting, I noticed that the guy sitting behind her was doing something rather strange (what I couldn't see). I asked my her if she still had her handbag, as he got up. She said "Yes, why" I replied "Check". She then said "No, it's gone". At this I made after the thief. He ran down past the Three Horseshoes pub, turning dow the alley next door. Realising I was catching up, he threw down the bag & his jacket and turned back up. I collected them and carried on the chase. As he ran back past the pub, a group of mean looking skinheads joined the chase. As he reached the High St, two policemen intercepted him with a rugby tackle (much to the dispair of the bloodthirsty mob).

We went back to Hampstead Police station. It turns out that he was a professional bag thief, stealing 3 or 4 a day. He'd just been released from a three month jail term. The Policeman asked what I'd have done if he'd pulled a knife. I honestly hadn't considered that. After taking statements & assuring us that he was off to the cells, we went home. About a week later the phone rang. It was the arresting officer asking to speak to my girlfriend. After 5 minutes she came back to where I was sitting laughing. I asked if everything was OK. She replied "Yes". I asked what the PC wanted, she replied "He rang to ask me out for a drink".

You may wonder if I was upset, not a bit of it, I thought it was hilarious. In these days when the police are a political football, with politicians such as Boris Johnson using senior appointments to show his political muscle, I quite like the fact that at ground level they are are human like the rest of us.