Times-Advocate, 1988-11-23, Page 32Page 16A
Times -Advocate, November 23, 1988
A policeman's
By Yvonne Reynolds
EXETER - Midnight. The yel-
low cruiser bounces over the ruts in
the back alley, noses onto the
street, then turns again to manouv-
re around the darkened yard of a car
dealership.
The driver's eyes move constant -
Records - Constable Powell checks the day's occurrences before start-
ing his night shift.
_Testing_tbo-radar -.Before starting patrol, Constable Powell uses -Vin-
ing forks to test the accuracy of the radar unit.
lot is not always a happy one
ly. Was that a suspicious move-
ment to the left? A flick of a
switch, and a powerful beam of
light stabs from the side of the
cruiser. Nothing. This time.
First class constable Brad Powell,
Exeter police force, has been on
shift for six hours. Four hours to
go, and he will head for home, but
not to bed. Not yet. He will still
be on call for another two hours.
Powell's shift really begins at
5:45 p.m. The 15 extra minutes are
spent with the constable going off
duty, reviewing what has already
happened today, and noting any fol-
low-ups.
Powell has his first cup of coffee.
This is his breakfast. The caffeine
will help keep him awake for the
,next 10 hours, tackling the two
main_components of a policeman's
job - paperwork and patrol.
Five criminal charges this week
mean more paper than usual.
Eaeh official procedure - informa-
tion (laying a charge), summons,
search warrant, arrest - has to be
sworn before a justice of the peace.
In Exeter, police must convince JP
Doug Wedlake that each request is
justified.
Need an information on a bad
cheque. Phone call to Wedlake.
He's home.
Put freshly recharged batteries
into flashlight and portable radio.
Hook radio onto belt, and close sta-
tion door behind you. Into patrol
car. Record odometer reading; ex-
pect to add the usual 100 km before
the night is through. Test accuracy
of radar gun with tuning forks.
Right on. Ready to go.
First stop is Wedlake's. Swear on
Bible that information is correct.,
Obtain official signature.
Patrol begins. The Godcrich dis-
patcher's voice crackles intermittent-
ly over the car radio. Central dis-
patch keeps constant check on
patrols in Exeter, Seaforth, Clinton
and Godcrich.
Car stolen from Kincardine. An-
other missing in Goderich. Powell
receives identification of ownership
of occupied pick-up truck spotted
earlier in private parking lot.
Tonight is quiet. Nothing seri-
ous; two "domestics", and a. third
downgraded to that category from an
'original complaint of "break, enter
and theft".
During the night, Powell travers-
es Exeter from all points of the
compass. His patrol includes two
or three checks on all the industries
lining the highways at the edge of
town, and houses whose owners
have reported -they arc away on holi-
day. Sometime - never the same
time two nights in a row - he parks
the patrol car and walks the Main
St. beat, testing the front and back
doors of core arca businesses.
-One-door is insecure. Phone the
owner to come down and see if
cause is a break-in or forgetfulness.
Coffee break First constable Brad Powell stops for a cup of coffee during his night shift. He is served by
Heather Pinner.
HENSALL CIVIC CORNER
PARKING
NOTICE
To facilitate Snow Re-
moval, residents are re-
minded that 016-88 pi-'
hibits parking on the
streets of Hensal be-
tween the hours of
2 AM and.7AM
Village Christmas Events
Tree Lighting Ceremony
Friday, December 2, at 7:30 PM
at the Town Hall
House Decorating Contest
4 Categories — 1st., 2nd., 3rd., And Apartment
(Window, Balcony, Etc.)
Winners will be announced on or after December 16.
Show Your Christmas S/Slrit — Join in The f=un!
Hensal!
Arena Events
Wed. Nov. 23
2:30-3:30 p m. -Moms & Tots
5:30 p.m. -Huron Park - Novice
7:45 p.m. -Huron Park inoWee
Thurs. N».. 24
530 p m.-Ringette
815 p 'n -Rec. I-
Frt. Nov.5
4 15 p m Hen- -0" r Skating
7:30 p.m
8:30 p .n-Hensali Minor
Hock,
1:01 , Public Skating
3 3(• .1 p s _Ringette
70)n -Or :e
Sur,. Nov. 27
r z J0-2:30p.m.-Public Skating
2 30.5:30 p.m.-Ringette
Mon. Nov. 28
•a p.m.-Hensal) Minor Hockey
Tues. Nov. 29
115 p.m -Hensall Figure Skating
8 , m-Broombdll
This advertisement sponsored by
St
Ga.scr Kneaie insurance Brokers Inc
G K Remy and Insurance Inc
trete 6','d rend Cloned MMsen
It's forgetfulness. Maybe bei
roused from bed at 3:00 a.m. w
make store owner more careful
future.
Another stop for coffee. Back
the patrol car. Getting sleepy. R
call that police college instruc
said humans are programmed
function in the daylight, and sle
at night. Roll down window
Turn on all interior lights in patr
car. Poor substitute for the
thing, but feel more alert.
Back to the station. An hour
go. Complete shift report. L
and cross-index all occurrences
Reach for another form to fill oilAnd another. And another.
Shift over. Home.
* * * *
First class constable Brad Pow
is a cop, and doesn't mind the nic
name. He knows it originated
England as shorthand for "constab
on patrol".
The Toronto native did not sta
out to be a policeman. He was o
credit away from a degree in soci
wort( in the co-op program at th
OntArio Bible College when he ac
cepted a job in the guidance depart
ment of a high school. In 198
the day after his final exam, h
joined the Metro' Toronto polic
force.
"I felt I would be more benefit t
young people as a policeman tha
as a social worker", Powell said.
Powell had second thoughts afte
being injured twice. He also foun
many of the Toronto police depar
ment rules petty and oppressive.
.As one minor example, -officer
were not allowed to smoke, cat, o
drink coffee in their patrol cars; th
only authorized place for these ac
tivities was the police station.
Powell left the Toronto force i
1985. Following in his family'
tradition of selling cars proved t
lack challenge, so Powell began hi
own business as a franchiser fo
AMMCO Tools. He was makin
"a lot of money", but his heart wa
still in uniform.
Powell heard of a job on the Ex
eter force from his wife's aunt and
uncle, Exeter residents Read an
Diane Hackwell. He applied, wa
hired, and became a policeman agai
August 1987.
"Exeter is a friendly little town.
There's not the same anti-polic
feeling as in Toronto. The two en-
vironments are totally different"
Powell said.
However, Powell docs not feel as
safe in Exeter as in the large me-
tropolis. He points out that here
police officers work alone, and
back-up is limited. And in this
semi -rural arca, many people have
legitimate ownership of guns for
hunting. Mix that with alcohol,
the common element in most
crimes, and you have -mac potential
for trouble.
Though Powell is in at his cho-
sen career, he would agree with Gil-
bert and Sullivan that a policeman's
lot is still not always a happy one.
"It can be very depressing. We
come in when something is
wrong", Powell said.
Overwork and not enough time
off add to the stress. Officers testify
in court on their days off. Thcy re-
ceive an extra week's pay annually
as a bonus for being on call two
hours, a day, five days a week, 50
weeks a ycar. (While on call they
must be available, and cannot con-
sume anything, alcoholic.)
The Exeter force Fisting of
Chief Larry Hardy. I nye innstablcs
and five auxin it policemen, has
been short -suit amount of
overtime hoc itouhl. „ I three years.
The recc ,>roval for a sixth con-
stable means the work -load should
bc somewhat lighter once the new
person is hired and trained.
Pay for first class constables will
increase S500 to S34,500 on De-
cember 15 Powell could make
about S8i.00 0 more in the 5,000 -
member ()PP, but prefers to bc part
of a small force.
The Young Offenders Act docs m
not ntrc a policeman's lot any eas-
ier, and some parents' attitudes add
to the difficulty, Powell revealed.
"When you phone parents to
come and pick up a young offender
you have arrested, they either say
Johnny is a perfect kid or 'so what,
he only stole a chocolate bar'...The
kids soon learn if they get in trou-
ble and make enough noise. they
may get the policeman 'in trouble.
That has happened to each officer in
Exeter."
Ont the other hand, young people
come to Powell's home to ask for
advice.
Although the Exeter police arc
paid by the town, they take an oath
that states they will uphold the laws
wherever they may be.
Most use their discretionary pow-
ers fairly.
"Anything can and docs happen.
A lot is not reported", Powell said,
pointing out tie could sit for 10
minutes at the nonhend crosswalk
and charge 30 people for passing a
ng left -turning vehicle." "But I-can'i
ill pull over one and let five go".
in
Powell expressed admiration for
to fellow officer George Robertson,
e- who has been a policeman for over
tor 25 years. Powell, now 28, isn't
to sure whether he can put in 26 years
ep to pension or not. He knows the
s. statistics on police burn -out, marri-
oI age break-up and suicide paint a
real rather gloomy picture.
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ell
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Now Taking Orders
Christmas
Fantasy
Ginger Bread
Houses
A gift of joy,
a labour of love.
Call 238-8861
a
In the meantime, he keeps going
because he believes in what he is
doing.
"Someone out there has to keep
people in line for society to exist.
It's easy to get frustrated with the
systein, but you can't take the atti-
tude you are a supercop who can
change the world. If there is no
crime, we have done our job. If
there is crime, it's our job to solve
it."
Lots of Paperwork
If law and order could be main-.
tained by paperwork alone, our
jails would be empty, and our
world denuded of trees. This has
not happened. Instead, the
amount of time spent filling out
forms must be deducted from the
time a policeman allots to active
duty. Even the processing of an
NSF cheque is a complicated pro -
NS -Pick up the cheque from the
store where it was cashed.
-Write details in notebook.
-Enter in log at police station.
-Write out a general ,report,
called an occurrence.
-Check into'person's background
and past history to determine if
there is evidence of intent to de-
fraud.
=Type out an information for a
search warrant of bank records.
-Swear out information before a
justice of the peace, and have war-
rant signed.
•Arrange convenient time to vis-
it bank, which could be 100 miles
away. Bring information back to
police station.
- Decide to lay. a charge. Type
il,out. Go back to JP to have ar-
rest warrant officially issued.
-Fill out crown brief, putting
photocopy of information to ob-
tain warrant inside.
-If the accused pleads guilty, a
final report- detailing the charge
and the outcome is filed.
-If not, back to the JP to have a
summons issued.
-If accused is an Exeter resident,
an -Exeter police officer serves the
summons; if the accused lives in
another municipality, that police
force is asked to serve it.
-Complete the hack of the sum-
mons, take back to JP to swear a
true copy has been served. Court
date is set.
-If the officer decides an arrest
and release under certain hail con -
di .ons arc in the public interest,
he use go back to the JP again
for a . ant.
-When e warrant has.bcen ob-
tained, put the data into.the police
computer.
Making It legal - Constable Powell swears out an information before JP
Doug Wedlake.
Taking a call -.Constable Powell tells a caller that no confidential infor-
mation can be given out over the phone.
ALL THIS WEEK
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ALL FABRICS
McCaIIs Patterns
Buy 1 Get 1 Free
1:001000t FABRICS
373 Main St., Exeter
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