Head stamping

The group are bought to our attention by a local pub. It’s a very rowdy group of males probably on a stag evening (its early yet) and the licensee has had enough. He has successfully ejected them but keeping it that way…

He asks us for help. We swing the camera to his do and sure enough there are 6 burly young men fighting to get back in. The door takes a real hammering but as one of our more historical watering holes i have a solid wooden door rather then a silly glass one and the only thing even dented is their pride. We call Police HQ for assistance and patch through our images. Then we realise its “wannabee CCTV” on their radio. This is the time when our ability to pass images becomes a real liability. You see, its early, these guys are already pickled to the gills before most people have left home. They WILL be a problem later.

She listens intently as we pass details then says the fateful words. Can you keep a watch on them, I have nobody available. Contrary to this an officer pipes up “I can take a look if you want?”, no its OK we have them on CCTV it all looks OK.

Well fair enough by this time they HAVE moved on but I wouldn’t have said it was OK as they guys are very rowdy. We still have shoppers on the street and this really isn’t enamouring them to Smalltown. Instead they send a PCSO with the explicit instructions “not to engage” as this wholly pointless move will of course solve everything. (rather then just removing a PCSO from elsewhere).

Then they fall on one of their own, removing his trousers and pants, running off an leaving him fully debagged in front of the young and old of Smalltown. This indignity finally gets our recalcitrant dispatcher to do something, so she sends PC Ineffective.

They are just heading off up the main run of roads in the night economy when PC Ineffective arrives. He has a word (from the comfort of his car) and drives off. His write off is “They are going home now, can I book State 4? (lunch)”

We continue to watch the group who of course do go home.Via the local Wetherspoons. By this point hair is physically being torn from heads as we call up to the Control Room again. Oddly there is no-one available.

About 30 minutes later I am informed by another venue nearby that there are two groups who seem to be having “a disagreement”. I swing the nearest eye around and lo and behold is 4 of our 6 lads facing off against 3 lads and 2 girls. The argument is obviously heated. It turns to fisticuffs and one of our newcomers lands a lucky punch on a very drunken lads chin knocking him to the floor right by the safety railings. The attacker is quickly pulled away and the melee is considerable.

One scene haunts me even today. One of the “ladies” steps forward and grabs the top rail, jumping fully into the air and landing surely, with both booted feet, entirely on our prone males head. He had just began to lift it from the floor and he is knocked back down.  

Our offenders make off and in amazement at what I have just seen I jump back onto airwave, unusually for me, demanding that officers attend on an A-grade. Thankfully she acquiesces.

Officers are dispatched to the victims, thank God its not PC Ineffective. We instead get PC Confused. he quickly tracks down the victim and details of the vicious assault are passed. He looks at the guy and decides not much has happed. He must have an iron skull!

We continue to monitor the offenders on another camera. They are in no hurry to leave the scene and are literally a street or so away. The woman of course shows her shame and guilt by laughingly re-enacting her double foot plant for a couple of passers by, obviously friends. Thankfully we direct more units to these and insist that CCTV evidence is such that they must be detained. They are.

I then, as always, start to doubt what I have seen, Maybe it wasn’t as bad as i thought? Thankfully Sergeant Placid decides to pop down to the Bunker to see exactly what has happened so he can decide what is to be done. I play the footage.

His response?

“JESUS CHRIST, SHES GOING AWAY FOR THAT!”

He also posits his surprise that the victim wasn’t more seriously hurt.

She initially intends to plead not guilty but changes her mind. I believe she was given a suspended sentence. Sometimes i still think of it and shiver. I wonder if she even remembers?

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