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The Local 'BOBBY'


Heartshome

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It was real nice when we had a local community 'Bobby' on the beat. Our Policeman was on first name terms with everybody. He was great with the local children, and they respected him!  The elderly residents knew and trusted him, the ladies were happy to have him around if there was any problems, and the blokes spent many a time putting the world to right with him. We knew if a situation happened, that he would get it 'sorted', and if new faces appeared in the area, they were checked out, and everyone knew about them. He always had time for a little chat with you and listen to your problems.

Around most areas I remember they had a 'Police House' where the local 'Bobby' lived, with his bike usually by the front door.

So sad that the community connection doesn't happen any more, you hardly ever see a Policeman unless there's some trouble.

I'm glad to say they do visit Schools now and again though, and local Fete's when they can, which can only be a good thing I guess.  

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The local Bobby was aware of many families and their offspring…..which often meant a mischievous act ,which was spotted by the Bobby ,would mean a visit from the law later on in the day and a “quiet” word with ones parents😯

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In many ways the local Bobby worked well when the community lacked the transport to move around. The policeman also didn't have a car to get top the places a crime was happening. So they needed to be around.

Crime also has changed. A Bobby walking down your street couldn't stop an online fraud happening or a driver doing 60 mph down at street that has a 30 mph speed limit. 

However I can honestly say that I have never lived near where someone from the police live. These days it's common to see a work place vehicle outside the place where they live. But I can honestly say that I have never seen a police car outside somebodies house unless it's investigating something. Perhaps the police should allow the officers to take them home. At least it might act as deterrent or give people the same impression as having a bobby on the beat!  

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If they took their vehicles home they might be subject to damage from the “anti- fed” fraternity ….in any case the cars are in use by those on duty so it would be very wasteful of limited resources.

When I lived at home we had a Police Sergeant a few doors away. Everyone knew what he was…and he was treated with suitable respect…and that was on a very law abiding 1950s Council estate.

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Nowadays if they had 'police houses' they would get their windows smashed every night. Cops nowadays have to keep quiet about what they do for a job, there's no way they would want the whole neighbourhood to know.

As for patrolling on foot, they just don't have the time or enough cops to do it anymore. I know that most cops in towns and cities come on duty and there are probably about 100 incidents that have been waiting all day or longer for a cop to attend. About 95 of those incidents wont get a cop attending. They have to be very selective over which incidents cops attend, dismissing that vast majority. As soon as they come on duty they are sent to the highest risk incident that has been waiting, such as a domestic. But there might only be say seven beat cops come on duty for that shift, four of them night get sent straight to the custody suite as prisoners there need processing within time limits. Two might get sent to preserve a crime scene, that leaves one cop free, only they have a 'to do' list as long as your arm from previous shifts, that they just never get time to do.

So as far as waking around on foot is concerned, it's never going to happen.

 

 

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Similarly ,most school teachers nowadays tend to live a distance away from their school whereas,for instance in times past, the Redcaps had a few teachers living in the vicinity.

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17 minutes ago, Lysanderix said:

Similarly ,most school teachers nowadays tend to live a distance away from their school whereas,for instance in times past, the Redcaps had a few teachers living in the vicinity.

Pre cars - everyone had to work within walking/horse&cart/tram/bus distance of where they lived. Nowadays folk work miles away from where they live. On a positive note, it has perhaps broadened the gene pool and ensured healthy bloodlines, as opposed to everyone in a village being related :)

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Yes! we have too few Police for the large areas they need to cover these days, I know they're stretched to the limit sometimes. Even with the cars & motorbikes, it's a struggle and they have to draft in staff from other areas. One guy told me it's such a pain and time consuming, having so much paperwork or online reports to writeup every time they they've been to an incident or dealt with something. They have to be secretaries and file clerks as well as Police nowadays. Must be the last thing you want to be doing if you're tired and stressed after dealing with an unpleasant situation. It's the same with Nurses, they have to spend so much time sat 'writing up' reports, when their time could be spent better seeing to the patients.

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In the USA lots of police forces a issue a car to an officer for/full time use including off duty. The theory is this increases police ‘presence’. If you go to the supermarket and a police car is parked there some shoplifters would be put off their activity. Etc etc 

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On 22/04/2022 at 22:07, Heartshome said:

It was real nice when we had a local community 'Bobby' on the beat. Our Policeman was on first name terms with everybody. He was great with the local children, and they respected him!  The elderly residents knew and trusted him, the ladies were happy to have him around if there was any problems, and the blokes spent many a time putting the world to right with him. We knew if a situation happened, that he would get it 'sorted', and if new faces appeared in the area, they were checked out, and everyone knew about them. He always had time for a little chat with you and listen to your problems.

Around most areas I remember they had a 'Police House' where the local 'Bobby' lived, with his bike usually by the front door.

So sad that the community connection doesn't happen any more, you hardly ever see a Policeman unless there's some trouble.

I'm glad to say they do visit Schools now and again though, and local Fete's when they can, which can only be a good thing I guess.  

Well, I never. Where and when was this?

I grew up on a post-war Sheffield council estate and we never saw a local bobby, let alone one who knew everyone's names. 

Never saw a bobby on a bike, maybe the occasional patrol car.

How did they check out 'new faces' I wonder?

I recall that police houses were introduced as an incentive to attract new recruits, probably in the 70s? 

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8 hours ago, rover1949 said:

Well, I never. Where and when was this?

I grew up on a post-war Sheffield council estate and we never saw a local bobby, let alone one who knew everyone's names. 

Never saw a bobby on a bike, maybe the occasional patrol car.

How did they check out 'new faces' I wonder?

I recall that police houses were introduced as an incentive to attract new recruits, probably in the 70s? 

Hi rover. May be we were lucky being in a more rural area on the edge of Sheffield.

Police houses have been around a long time, I remember one in the 50s/60s as a kiddy near my Grans.

If a new face appeared around our area, questions were asked! till we knew all about 'em, or they were watched, to see what they were up to. We had some good 'curtain twitchers' back then.

Shame that era of community has all gone. Nowadays, nobody wants to 'Get Involved'.

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On 28/04/2022 at 10:49, rover1949 said:

Well, I never. Where and when was this?

I grew up on a post-war Sheffield council estate and we never saw a local bobby, let alone one who knew everyone's names. 

Never saw a bobby on a bike, maybe the occasional patrol car.

How did they check out 'new faces' I wonder?

I recall that police houses were introduced as an incentive to attract new recruits, probably in the 70s? 

My uncle, Eric Pickering was the village Bobby at Oughtibridge, he was in the Police house there in 1953...he later went to the one at Bradfield. 

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I lived in Tinsley during my youth (60's) there were no local bobbies walking a beat, they used the old Morris Minor cars to patrol, even then it was only on occasions, we did have Police live in the area, but never saw a walking the beat bobby. However, I was born in Angus Sq ( off Ecclesall Rd) we did have local bobby's who walked a regular beat. I have a vague recollection of coming out of the Saturday morning  kids pictures at The Star cinema and there were always a bobby on the corner.  

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Some council estates had a reputation for being pretty lawless but I don't recall any problems myself.  And everyone was an incomer by definition so there was not so much 'us and them'.

I had a summer holiday job with one of the big laundry chains; one morning one of the shops was found to be boarded up and the staff couldn't get in. The local bobby went round checking the shop doors on the night shift, ours was found to be unlocked so they arranged some joiners to make it secure overnight.

We have a virtual bobby today who writes a column in the local magazines, doling out sage advice about keeping our houses secure.

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