Ah, the joys of the "Bomb Car." I have no idea if our County Mounty Cousins have this pleasure, but I'm sure my Met Colleagues will know what I am talking about.
For the uninitiated, depending on the terrorist threat at the time each borough will put out a bomb car, with list of vulnerable or critical sites to visit, in a random order over the course of a tour of duty. The bomb car is not available for calls unless related to their core task - eg unexploded bombs or threats etc.
Don't worry though - they give us a bag with a loudhailer and two rolls of tape, so in the case of a terrorist attack we are fully prepared. And our hi-viz jackets of course.
The lovely thing about the callsign is that not only are you given a break from the endless calls, you also actually get a chance to be proactive, something that really never happens usually except for between the hours of 0300hours and 0500hours. When, of course, there is a huge amount of people about to stop...
So we wander around the borough, stopping random cars and people for anti-terror checks. Funnily, most members of public are very supportive when we tell them why we are stopping them (and sometimes searching them), to deter terrorism is a popular aim through most of society.
There is usually an embarrassing moment though, when Mr and Mrs nice who you have stopped in their Ford Mondeo ask the crucial question: "If it turned out we were strapped up with explosives, what would you do?"
Er...
Well, we've got this bag you see...
Our sites have to remain secret of course, but there are obvious targets and not so obvious ones. I always like to pop over to the Army barracks and tell the guys standing with SA80s that we are here to protect them from terrorists. If they fail to show the appropriate level of respect, I often get out the bomb car bag. The rolls of tape do it every time.
I can see it in their eyes, the squaddies wishing we had been there with our loudhailer and rolls of tape to help them out when they were in Iraq.
So I had a successful set of bomb car duties. No terrorists found, but a couple of self generated arrests, a decent amount of traffic process (no insurance and no D/L) and a chance to put the hat on and actually do some foot patrol.
Anyway, back to the domestics now...
As a side note, Twinings emailed me about his post on Burma. Check it out and leave a comment - and does anyone know if someone has started one of those government petition things about it yet?
For the uninitiated, depending on the terrorist threat at the time each borough will put out a bomb car, with list of vulnerable or critical sites to visit, in a random order over the course of a tour of duty. The bomb car is not available for calls unless related to their core task - eg unexploded bombs or threats etc.
Don't worry though - they give us a bag with a loudhailer and two rolls of tape, so in the case of a terrorist attack we are fully prepared. And our hi-viz jackets of course.
The lovely thing about the callsign is that not only are you given a break from the endless calls, you also actually get a chance to be proactive, something that really never happens usually except for between the hours of 0300hours and 0500hours. When, of course, there is a huge amount of people about to stop...
So we wander around the borough, stopping random cars and people for anti-terror checks. Funnily, most members of public are very supportive when we tell them why we are stopping them (and sometimes searching them), to deter terrorism is a popular aim through most of society.
There is usually an embarrassing moment though, when Mr and Mrs nice who you have stopped in their Ford Mondeo ask the crucial question: "If it turned out we were strapped up with explosives, what would you do?"
Er...
Well, we've got this bag you see...
Our sites have to remain secret of course, but there are obvious targets and not so obvious ones. I always like to pop over to the Army barracks and tell the guys standing with SA80s that we are here to protect them from terrorists. If they fail to show the appropriate level of respect, I often get out the bomb car bag. The rolls of tape do it every time.
I can see it in their eyes, the squaddies wishing we had been there with our loudhailer and rolls of tape to help them out when they were in Iraq.
So I had a successful set of bomb car duties. No terrorists found, but a couple of self generated arrests, a decent amount of traffic process (no insurance and no D/L) and a chance to put the hat on and actually do some foot patrol.
Anyway, back to the domestics now...
As a side note, Twinings emailed me about his post on Burma. Check it out and leave a comment - and does anyone know if someone has started one of those government petition things about it yet?
9 comments:
as someone noted today, there is more chance of you being killed by the NHS than by terrorist activity - maybe you should be patrolling A&E more
They're mad on bomb scares where we are, not entirely sure why considering the only lethal gasses to be let off will be from farmer Giles herd of fresians but there you go. It means all the old dears in town are talking about it for a few days afterwards & it causes a bit of excitement! Lol
Heh, we have the added FUN of people who think its a laugh to phone in a bomb scare. Even better we have a few left who do still make bombs.
Suspect device - an empty box left on the footpath in a well to do area
Elboate hoax - See above but containing bits of electronics or wires
Viable device - An actual if crude attempt at a bomb. Most often found near police stations where the incompetent AND lazy terrorist can't get it over the fence
pipe bomb - Easy to make, easy to throw, had to aim, apprently
west belfast door knocker - see above, discovered in the front garden the next morning.
I bet those squaddies were truly in awe. An acquaintance of of mine has also done an excellent post on Burma, well just read it you will find out something you didn't know about the whole thing I'm sure. I have no idea how do you links in comments so here's the address: http://marranci.wordpress.com/2007/09/30/the-other-invisible-suffering-of-burma/
whoops the end is missing, stupid blogger nvisible-suffering-of-burma/
Guys,
Thanks ASNT, the only petition link I know is the one on my link. Please sign the petitition. I have heard it all before that as cops we don;t care, but the eality is, we do. Let's show our unity. Take care. These a******** have got to stop this shit in Burma.
Twining.
The mental picture of you visiting the local barracks to tell 'em you are protecting them had me in stitches!
bomb cars are threat to society, they involved innocent people ,you can't walk anymore besides a car without worrying.....nice review...
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