LONDON'S "BOBBIES”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 822, 16 November 1929, Page 29

LONDON'S "BOBBIES”

HOW POLICE RECRUITS ARE TRAINED LONG PROGRAMME Few people who admire the London ; know anything of Peel House, Westminster. S.W.. where kindreds ot shv youths are daily | earning the lessons that will make lem worthy members of a great force. Jhere is nothing heavy or stodgy ! h ut the young police recruit today, ae old-time policeman has given way can think and act quickly, u the men at Peel House are there Muse their mental faculties are in epmg with their physical fitness, j a awn j s no longer the only recom- • Rdation for a police career. 9 ° re a recruit begins the ten „.. J? Gaining which is necessary to ! ' ,'a him to wear a police con*s uniform for the first time, he .pjamined both medically and men- ‘ at Scotland Yard, uu Monday h and Tuesdays recruits ! X”® ** Peel House, where they are ' f be senior officers, SuperinG e u nt and t'hief Inspector on * From ibis stage until they » out. f Programme evolved by e *J* r * e nee is followed by every '‘jctmfm recruit. Doii? m * the firsf * *be spirit of the Dan 9 j l ' ft inculcated into every and when the course is entered ru.- * are determined to bid for a p. 0Q f be roll of honour. Dan s,, bject useful to the policotaught by practical men. For .A" 1- * five w eP k- »h.- men pass vmt aK . P tn liml, ' r lh« rtirt-tt ot inst ructors. X 1 *' 1 the more i.itri.-atu work, inG '*• *n* r >ns other thlnus a knowof the taw or evi.len,<\ is a,M** * senior "»-•«' takes com°f 1,11 typPS of mocha niralty :,i y*hiclfs ore daily in use ’ 3n siti„?.' rUc,l . onal purposes, and sup■h» , *l* cc W*nts and offences enable <ojj jhers to brias homo their lesru.H* n “tanner, the student is 3 thl ® Vemhins bus a bearing “• Wotor and traffic Acts. 1 p Evening Classes LB ,!. ?«recruits work from !» - *° o ... ‘ this is The time necessary Vt«i sh thf ' day's schedule. | ... OUs student studies his book • ■ - officially ■ ire rtluntarv evening classes Ailahu tea,-he,- are always „ *0 help him in his difficulaPPcar to the unlniti■'Jdv , matters arc given serious »opVr J Tery recruit must learn the . av to blow his whistle, and -ht »uy a p. <ll ' S hl ' -uneheon. The J arrest a \ <>leut prisoner

without injury to anyone is the work of the drill instructors, who are expert equally in boxing, defence exer- | cises, and physical jerks. Observation is naturally one of the I strongest features at Peel House. Probably 30 recruits are sent to roam aimlessly about the courtyard while their colleagues attempt to “arrest" a described man in turn. Kach student fails if he cannot pick out his man in three minutes. As the recruits near the end of the course many develop an unerring instinct for spotting the right man. The men are not. too long at the same task, and a period of blackboard work in the classroom may be followed by physical exercise and mock accidents, burglar hunts, pickpocket arrests, and other work that keeps the men keen on their work. Every recruit enjoys the “police court.” where the subdi visional inspector acts as a kindly but firm magistrate, with a sergeant-instructor &s the prisoner. Each recruit in his turn acts as the policeman who makes a charge. The “magistrate" corrects his mistakes for the benefit of the class, and the “prisoner” demands and receives fair play. The “police court” is the culminating sccue in a series in which the ••policeman” makes an arrest, then charges his prisoner at the police station, and finally carries the case to court. . . The vouns constable is on proba- , tion for a year, and on joining his ; division enters upon a further course j of instruction for a minimum period , of 8 s months, under the direct supervision of the chief inspector.