A Point of pride

As any police officer progresses through his or her service they will encounter certain points in that (now) 35 year adventure that they will invariably hold in high esteem and with great regard or the remainder of their life.

Strangely one such moment is the final parade at Tulliallan when your nearest and dearest join you and your college chums as you successfully progress from the classroom to the street armed with a bit of knowledge and a great deal of enthusiasm.

Irrespective of course size you will have made friends from all over the country and history shows that these friendships are enduring, long lasting and meaningful.

If you are fortunate/unfortunate enough to re-attend college for other courses the same "rules" apply and new friendships are developed and will stand the test of time.

Personal progression whether to a specialist department, rising through the ranks or indeed just being the best cop you can be are equally well represented in your personal portfolio of career highlights however there is an event that stands alone like no other and is deserving of special mention.

When you are unfortunate enough to be in service when a friend and colleague passes on you will witness a togetherness between all ranks the likes of which are as rare as hens teeth. The loss is felt throughout the service, from the very top to the grass roots and the sense of extreme loss shared by everyone.

I am probably one of the biggest critics of the performance of senior police officers when they appear on television, making an appeal or information or advising of some new super duper piece of equipment in the fight against crime, I focus on each and every "eh" "erm" "ah" and so forth and wonder how this semi illiterate clown ever got promoted. The one exception to that rule is when the self same senior officer is advising the viewing masses of the death of a colleague at which time my heart goes out to them and for once I am grateful it is them and not me in that position.

A death in service, particularly a death whilst on duty has the ability like nothing else in bringing everyone together, irrespective of post, position or rank. The loss of the officer is felt throughout the service, the relevant force and beyond, given the friendships that will have developed in the circumstances outlined above.

In a utopian environment no one would ever have to be part of such a loss but for most if not all officers in service, it will be an event in your police life that will take place and as a result live with you forever. You will never forget the officer who died, nor should you.

Note: The views expressed in The Station Blog are written by neither a Federation representative nor an employee and are not necessarily those of the Joint Central Committee of the Scottish Police Federation.  If you want to comment on the content please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it