Happy to meet, sorry to part…

… happy to meet again!

Apologies for the long-time-no-post situation.

The most recent short break involving canoeing and camping was a complete success… all 16 of us thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful weekend together rediscovering old friendships and in some cases finding new friends… it was one of those weekends where when it’s finished you look back on Sunday evening and feel completely at peace. It was wonderful! I hope to plan the next trip with these chaps and chapesses sometime soon! Next target will be the Lake District, somewhere I always wanted to visit a second time though with hiking involved we’re probably not going to get the same numbers… but we shall see.

Since I’ve been back in the office things have started to properly get hectic… my attention is required in so many different projects… which is kinda nice because it makes the day go quickly, and everyone likes to be in demand. At the same time I am close to fulfilling my plans with the missus of a longer holiday away… this time I got a total of 6 days off, and including the weekend it makes 10 days of not having anything work-related to think about. I only realised whilst talking to my boss about it today, that this is the first holiday in just over 2 years that I have taken.

I think I have grown up a little recently, I have come to realise that I don’t plan enough down-time into my life and spend much too much time working. I think people need to find the time to unwind, get away from it all and relax… easier said than done… but I am a case in point in that I haven’t had a break for 2 years!

So… how are things going on the Police-front? A complete lack of communication marks out what has already been a very long recruitment process. For those of you reading for the first time and not too keen in flicking back through all the drivel I’ve already blogged here, I applied back in February 2007, had my Assessment Centre in June 2007 and have been waiting ever since in the pool of candidates. A recent conversation with a friend who had his AC back in August last year reveals how tight the budgets of police authorities are when it comes to recruitment. He was told that he should not be expecting a call-up until 2009… and it won’t be in January either… poor sod! I am still waiting to hear whether I have a chance for October 2008, or whether I’m in for January 2009.

In the meantime, my revision has taken a complete backseat… in other words I have not done any (!) for quite some time. I aim to pick up where I left off in July… that should be enough time I reckon.

Another friend of mine, who is now at Policeman-School is thoroughly enjoying it though struggling with shining up his boots and making sure the shirt is ironed properly… for some weird reason I like ironing, and alrady checked out how to “bull my boots” (well, shoes actually as I don’t have any boots yet!). All good fun!

Besides working, and the occasional trip away, and with another trip coming up imminently, I’ve been enjoying life, getting on well with my colleagues/boss/missus (no order of preference by the way ) and not been too worried about the Police application. My contract has been renewed for about ermmm 12 months (so I won’t be on the dole - YAY!!!)  so life has been good to me… must be Karma.

L.

A respite is almost near…

… and oh-my-gawd do I feel I need one!

This weekend sees a group of about 20 of us going away to Wales for some hot-canoeing-action (probably less hot judging by the weather forecast but never mind!)… this is a short break but at least one that is away from my home town by quite some way (try about 170 miles) and involves meeting up with people some of whom I haven’t seen for 3 years or longer (in one instance).

However, then it’s back to a 4-day week with a brilliant holiday in Devon starting Saturday morning (got Friday off to do last minute shopping).

I am at a point where I feel totally run down (then why the hell am I doing canoeing?!) and need a holiday… not having had a break for over 14 months with exception of bank holidays and one day here or there is starting to take its toll… my total lack of enthusiasm for my current job and the tasks involved is quite frightening… I hope to be a more refreshed and positive me very soon!

I may even start revising the legal definitions again… which I managed to forget all about! At least the gym-work for the fitness test is going well! GO me!

Have a nice weekend every one!

L.

The return…

… of common sense.

I read an interesting article on the interweb this morning about how 4 Police Forces are foregoing government targets and giving its officers more discretion in dealing with issues that they are confronted with. The idea is to instill a new confidence in the Police in the minds of the public… I find it just such a shame though that it has to be a Government-led initiative… that would be the same loonies who introduced the target-led tick-box mentality in the first place.

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, but the government has done just that with the UK’s Police Force. Whilst MP’s are finally having to divulge just how much of our tax-monies they plough into their very own coffers, my local force is facing a severe funding shortfall which they can only reasonably manage by reducing new officer intakes… I pity those that have applied there, the wait must be agonising and I sympathise.

On a more positive note, one of my friends who is in the throes of training this very moment, is absolutely loving the cammaraderie, the discipline, and the educational element to his training… I can’t wait to join him.

For me personally, my revision has gone out of the window, I have committed 15 months towards this application process, and of those 15 months, 9 months have been spent waiting for a call following confirmation that I have been security cleared… during these 9 months I have been revising definitions… now I shall put them on back burner until I hear some news about the next intake… I need some “us” (fiance and I) time.

I stumbled across a blog today that I have lost track off: http://totallyunpc.wordpress.com/, Well worth a read and I know some of you already do.

Have a nice weekend, the weather seems kind at the moment… fingers crossed.

L.

… they think it’s all over…

… it is now!

No… not the waiting game with the Police, nor have I withdrawn my application.

I am talking about my wedding plans… and no… they are not scuppered either!

Looks like my other half is quite good at organising stuff:

• Date - Set (Summer 2009)
• Venue - Sorted
• Church - Sorted
• Vicar - Sorted
• Dress (hers of course) - Ordered
• Decorations - Sorted

Ooer… it looks like it’s all taking shape! I am so excited and can’t wait… she’s a diamond!

L.

PS - no news yet on the other thing… the Police one!

Roll on…

… October.

The next intake is full, and I am once again the unlucky one not to be on it… some people might start to question the motives of a Police Force, to want to employ more officers but then asing them to wait (to date) 15 months! I am sure it is not all their own fault, government capping of budgets of many Local Police Authorities surely won’t help but 15 months is starting to get beyond the reasonable… no?

I applied in February 2007, and one of my other co-applicants (who had his application AFTER me, but his Assessment Centre 1 day BEFORE mine) got the call last week to tell him he’s “in”… I felt overjoyed for him at the time, now, with the excitement worn off, I am starting to wonder whether I am just crazy wasting my life away waiting for the call to join.

Work has been the usual dull dross, with the added negative that the weather has been so fantastic recently, most people stared longingly out of the window wishing to be somewhere else, rather than in the office.

I spoke with my boss the other day to check what is happening with my contract, will I get a renewal? If not I’m in a pickle, having a wedding to pay for (it’s almost planned, and a date already set!) and having had my little car fail its MOT recently due to some corosion on the sills prompting me to change car… well it is 12 years young this year, and would have plenty more time left with below average miles… however I need something that will securely see me through the next 5 -10 years… so I indebted myself to my parents by taking on their Hire-purchased ‘06 car… and she’s lovely.

More updates this coming week… I will find out then if I have a job to go to or not… shame it’s not THE job!

L.

Nothing new…

… to report yet.

Most recent conversations have revealed that the next intake in for starting in July will be bulked up by another 15 recruits… not sure if I already mentioned that… the next intake will then be August and then finally October being the last intake in 2008.

In the meantime, the drudgery at the office continues. Recent conversations to have my contract extended have not yet yielded any results either… my boss is being a bit of a strange one… I approached him about getting my contract renewed because otherwise between starting with the Police and finishing there, I would have up to potentially (at least) one to (at the most) 4 months of not working and getting money in (unless I temp), and rather than being quite positive about me asking to stay on he’s quite tentative to the point of making me worry…

Without being able to go into too much detail (as as not to reveal my identity), I thought the amount of time invested into me, in terms of training and development to date, the number of contacts that I have made, and the amount of time it took to find someone with my skills in the first place, would have made the answer to my question a lot more obvious, a lot more positive, and a lot quicker… instead I am now faced with having to justify my position and make a business case as to why I am still needed?!?!? Go figure! I shall take this as another reason for leaving the private sector, I have had enough of being screwed over at every turn by employers only out to fulfil their own political ambitions, and/or line their own pockets… buggers!

I send an email to an insider at the force I have applied to… I wanted to know if the coming July intake is now set, and when the calls for August may be coming out… I await with baited breath what the answer will be… fingers remain firmly crossed!

L.

CHAMPSDG

Cattle

Horse

Ass

Mule

Pig

Sheep

Dog

Goat

 

for those of you who googled it and ended up here… it’s a mnemonic for the Police definition of an animal.

 

L.

The Long Walk…

… where my lady and I went for our first walk togeter, was todays venue for a very important question.

… and she said “Yes”!

YAY!

L.

GOWISELY

Grounds for the search

Objective or purpose of the search

Warrant Card if in plain clothes or if requested

Identity of the Officer(s)

Station to which the officer is/officers are attached

Entitlement to copy of the Search-record

Legal Power

You are being detained for the purpose of search.

 

For those of you interested… the stats show it’s been looked for twice already!

 

Regards

L.

 

A new hope…

… always wanted to use that title, reminds me of Star Wars

In recent days I have had my hopes dashed and rebuilt at some astonishing frequency. The original intake numbers for the upcoming recruits were for some reason about half, which of course meant a lot of disappointed people left in the queue waiting for that call… of course with myself amongst them.

Then through some contacts it transpires that the intake will be brought back to its original full compliment, which means a renewed chance of getting in at or shortly after the time my current work contract expires. If however I am not successful in that round, the next intake will be in August, rather than October.

If anything, the recruitment process has been long drawn out, with more ups and downs than a roller-coaster; hopes being raised, dashed, expectations set and then disappointed. I guess the one thing that all this time has allowed me to do is to look at my motivations for joining the Police, versus staying in the current line of work, making new contacts along the way - some of whom I now wish to count amongst my friends and exploring new levels of diplomacy and drawing on new levels of patience that I never knew I had.

Even though this process has been longer than expected, and is still not yet completed (no call yet remember?) I think it’s been quite a positive experience. Had it taken less long I could have rushed into a new profession without really weighing up all the options. It is nice though, that I am still comitted to achieving my childhood dream of becoming a Police Officer, albeit the motivations have changed from driving in a fast car with flashing lights to stop nasty robbers in stripey black-white jumpers carrying a large sack labled “SWAG” to making a difference in the life of those in my community, hopefully reassuring them in their times of need that someone is looking out for them.

Some things just feel right.

L.