The Long Arm of the Law

The stakes for the edging for our two new strawberry beds

The long arm of the law reaches all the way to Pilsdon. Last week we welcomed a trainee Police Community Support Officer to stay and work with us for four days, and this week we have a trainee Police Officer for the same duration. Either the police are seeking to ensure their new recruits are exposed to forms of community life and active rehabilitation, or they’ve just decided to keep tabs on us. 

Our PCSO, let’s name her Sally, was in her early to mid twenties and had left her native South Wales for Exeter, a city where she knew no-one, because she had found a job there answering the 999 emergency line. Even during the couple of years she did this she found working conditions deteriorated with more pressure exerted on them to deal with calls in a certain time. There was no flexibility allowed to let them deal longer with elderly or confused people. She said it had become like a call centre, so she got out and onto the trainee scheme for PCSOs for Dorset. The training programme is based in Bournemouth but she has asked to be assigned to Beaminster in West Dorset (not far from us!) so she can still feasibly commute from Exeter, still over an hour’s drive each way. She loved it at Pilsdon and plans to pop in from time to time - we hope she will! 

The police officer in training, who we shall call Steven, is perhaps a few years older, in his late twenties. He’s from Dorchester, just 45 minutes drive from Pilsdon, and has also requested to be stationed in West Dorset somewhere, presumably so he doesn’t need to move house. Given that all his spare time is taken up with organising his own wedding in the summer, this makes perfect sense. He’s previously worked in the prison service but has followed his kid brother into the Force who apparently already has something of a superstar reputation, so he’s having to get used to that. Apparently Steven’s been sworn in (“attested”) to the police so he is already a bone fide Police Officer with all the powers that go with that, but doesn’t yet know how to wield them as he’s only three months into training. A slightly scary thought but he calmed our fears by saying that if a trainee constable did go and do something silly they wouldn’t be a copper for long. 

Both Sally and Steven got stuck into community life with gusto, making meals, hacking back brambles, hefting wood, and chatting with everyone. As they weren’t wearing their uniforms they could have been anyone, visiting Pilsdon for a few days for a break. With luck they will have taken something away with them back to their jobs when they finally go on the beat. We’ve certainly enjoyed their company. Maybe the other emergency services could start sending their newbies our way too! Young firefighters, paramedics and lifeboat rescuers all peeling our spuds for us, can’t wait.

Ready for the strawberries!