Deserved Thanks

PC Reed

August 11, 2024

There has been a lot of criticism of the Police in recent times but what is often forgotten is that officers have a job to do and firstly, must do so by following the commands given to them by their senior officers. Secondly, those on the front line are also human beings. Here, a serving front line officer provides a view frequently overlooked.

The awful riots that shook the nation last week have brought out the very best of us. I’ve a few “thank yous” to dish out. Firstly, to our horses. I choose to be a copper, they don’t and so I’m morally obliged to ensure they have the best life possible.

No one wants to have to deal with a riotous situation, especially not a trusting flight animal. They, like us, were scared… but they did it anyway. It’s the very definition of courage. Regaining control would have been that much harder without them so thanks fellas!

The team. The grooms grafting behind the scenes making sure the horses get the right care, a full hay net, clean tack, and a warm bed to come home to. The cleaner filling up our flasks and and tidying up our rushed mess.

Thank you to the brave police women I work with and the WYP Horses  team who rode alongside us. We were sitting ducks up there on that horse and we all took rocks, eggs, bottles and stones but persevered for hours… and hours… and hours. Never a cross word spoken nor complaint

Thank you for the resolve and bravery of the foot officers who bore the brunt of it, all whilst seeing their colleagues and friends fall, injured and in pain. Massively outnumbered they held. Not all heroes wear capes, but a lot seem to wear blue.

Those “patriots” attacking us don’t realise or care that there are three lions on the heart of every officer there. All of us try to police without fear or favour.

Cut me in half and like a stick of rock, there’d be a British flag right there in the middle.

Violence like that sullies the flags’ meaning. Thank you to the dogs and handlers of the dog section. There really aren’t enough superlatives for the sheer bravery of both dog and handler who exposed themselves to dangers you can’t comprehend in order to restore order.

Thank you to the small team of unseen heroes who entered the hotel, surely against all their instincts and blocked the marauders with their bodies and shields to protect the lives of those inside.

Our core role is the protection of life and property and we can’t and don’t care whose it is or where they’re from. Without fear. Without favour.

Thank you to the other police forces and their brave officers who arrived, often many miles from home and supported us. Absolutely outstanding displays of professionalism and valour.

Thank you to the Command team and control room and communications staff who you’ll never see, but who coordinated and took control of the whole crazy situation. I’ve been there. I know. You feel helpless. You feel responsible.

Thank you to our other emergency services who put out the fires and treated our injured, all whilst under threats they never signed up for. Green, red, and blue united.

Unpopular opinion perhaps but thank you to the people who had turned up to peacefully protest the scale of immigration, both legal and illegal. They offered me water, cleared the glass and rocks from around me, and reassured Foggy. Neither we nor they foresaw a riot.

Thank you to the officers across the country who filled in the gaps left by their colleagues. They’re still trying to answer the cries of help from people in dire need and I’ll digress here a little if I may.

These were high-profile riots broadcast to the nation and the public support has been overwhelming, but day in and day out officers risk their lives in dark streets and houses to protect life. There’s no spotlight nor fanfare… often only criticism.

There’s no safety in numbers when you’re alone at a violent domestic in a kitchen full of knives and you’re faced with someone you know is far more powerful than you. To face that down… THAT’S true heroism. Please spare them a thought and give thanks.

Thanks to the investigative team who are, and will be for some time, working incredibly long hours doing the painstaking work of bringing offenders to justice. That’s stamina and commitment right there.

Thank you to our families who worried about us, packed us up and kissed us goodbye with both fear and pride. We’re ordinary people, with ordinary friends and family who happen to do an extraordinary job. A job really like no other.

I’m sure I’ll kick myself for failing to mention someone vital as I type this over my Sunday coffee with constant interruptions from my dog, eager for his morning walk. The last “thank you” is reserved for the very core of the British Model of Policing… YOU.

Without you, the public, we simply cannot function. We are you, you are we. We’ve been inundated with kind words and gifts for the horses so thank you all so very much. I’m off for two weeks now for a bit of R&R with my nearest and dearest.

© PC Reed 2024

Images via Author