Christmas Number One

I don’t mind working Christmas Day, it’s not my type of gig and it gives others the opportunity to spend it with their families. I get paid well for it too, which will go towards getting the “Clever One” through another term at university.

There is a lack of pips at my station, and a bit of risk management going on. Nobody wanted to draw the early shift and be Christmas number one. I can understand this, the inspector’s job is really shit and the salary not really worth putting extra in on a Bank Holiday, let alone Xmas day.

I would have hoped for a quiet day, which invariably picks up in the late afternoon. Not really going to happen is it? – I came into work to a serious critical incident so lost officers to cordons straight off. Add another for a hospital guard on a victim of domestic violence and already we’re looking pretty thin. First domestic call came in before 9am and by mid afternoon the Christmas spirit had been truly flowing. There was room at our Inn and a few kids wondering where Daddy had gone on their special day.

I spent some of the morning squaring away a complaint. Luckily I knew the woman, who was upset her son had been arrested on Christmas Eve. She didn’t like the attitude of the officers, who likewise didn’t like the attitude of her son when arresting him for drugs possession and public order. We call it a draw and all’s well until next time.

Work though is a happy place. The core team have organised food and games and in between relieving the crime scene, morale is breaking out. I had to decline a game of Twister on health grounds. Each and every call is responded to without question, which is a fair trade for some fire brigade policing early doors. We run out of officers before shifts end and nights will be busy once the prisoners sober up. Near double figure domestic calls and no officers late turn from the domestic violence unit to deal. Somebody should have seen this coming. Isn’t it the same every year?

And not forgetting the SMT, the Big Boss was in himself till 6am and must have done 12 hours on a call out. They get much flack but he always comes out – and today gave up his Christmas too.

Hoping you all had a peaceful Christmas.