For one of our lasts placements we were asked to got out on response with the Charles Cross team. There section of Plymouth is mainly the city centre. I was met by Sergeant Green at the front of the building who escorted me to there briefing room. I was met with all the officers on shift for that and was told I was partnered up with Alex and Ryan. they were both a similar age to which was really refreshing as I’m normally partnered up with someone around 45 plus! After the briefing the three of us went downstairs to grab a car for the evening.

Our first job we went to we had intel to suggest a woman had possibly fallen over in her flat as she hadn’t got in contact with anyone for a couple of days which was very unlike her. After a long time of coming up with a plan we eventually entered the home where unfortunately the lady was deceased. From what we could see she had trip over her table and hit her head. She was an older women who had within the last few months been diagnosed with a tumour in her ear which causes her a lot of them time to have dizzy spells. we believe this was the case for this woman.

My second job was a violent domestic. A daughter who had suffered for many years with behavioural problems had woken from a nap to find the pills she put by her bed had been taken. (She often takes overdoses) When she noticed they had gone she awoke quickly and ran downstairs to her mum where she started to attack her. She grabbed a kitchen knife, slashed her mums arm and then picked up a chair and hit her mum round the head with it. Upon arrival the daughter, who is well known to the police, had actually fled the scene. luckily one of the officers had seen her and ran after her. I went into the home where the mother was crying on the floor with a bloody tissues covering the wound on her arm. I ran upstairs to the bathroom to grab some more tissue to put on her wounds. The other team arrived and we were able to arrest  her and put her in the van. It took 5 police officers to restrain her.

After these two dealings we went back to the office where we wrote up the reports and statement given by the second arrest.

Today was a completely different insight into the way the police deal with the public. My shift was meant to be 9pm to 2am but I ended up staying an extra 3 hours because I was enjoying every minute of the experience. I had been precautioned that we might have been walking into a deceased body on our first job, I’m so thankful I was pre warned as we did in fact ended up having one. the first few minutes of this experience I honestly don’t really remember. I felt very anxious and almost excited to experience my first deceased body. As soon as we opened the door the smell was astronomical. After about 5 minutes of being in the flat I felt comfortable to start looking around and giving my own forensic opinion (In my own head of course). It was very interesting to see how the police were trying to make sure they didn’t interfere with the crime scene, as for all we know this could have been a murder, she may have been pushed.

The second job I felt a lot of adrenaline in me. On arrival we were arresting someone, I had to support a woman who was bleeding until the other officers arrived. A whole load of feelings and again with this assault I was able to see the forensic side of things. The mother said she had the chair thrown at her head and when looking at the cut on her head, it matched perfectly with indent on the chair leg. An array of feeling went on throughout this shift but it was a very eye opening and rewarding one too.