A little different to my normal reading, however it popped up in my amazon suggested list so it ended up on my reading pile as I’ve randomly stumbled across Sgt Tangye’s blog previously. This is an autobiography full of humour, and a look at how one spends 30 years within the police force along with the changes during that time.
Starting with a childhood full of explosions and danger and moving on with how he got involved with the police this is a refreshing look at how someone may join the police because they want to do good. And the differences in how it was done back then versus how it is done by degrees now and why this may not necessarily be a good thing.
Something a lot of vets are familiar with is imposter syndrome, the feeling that you are not good enough to be doing what you are. However outside of medicine I have not really considered this as being present, Sgt Tangye has opened my eyes here as to how this can affect other professions. This is something alone that is worth reading this book for.
Sgt Tangye does well to avoid diving into politics; however revelations include how it can take an entire shift to do the paperwork for a single arrest. How a city may have as few as 6 police officers on duty to deal with everything. And how there is misunderstanding between how different types of units work and why they should not always work together.
Sgt Tangye also covers how police dogs previously classed as property under UK law (so killing one is equal to criminal damage) have been given extra protection with #FinnsLaw. This is an amazing step forward and one that needs to continue to ensure that animals are given the protection they so desperately deserve in their service.
The last part of the book looks at how Sgt Tangye became a twitter sensation, and the complaints and problems that arise from being in the public eye. He contrasts this with where twitter has helped get a frontline point of view across to substantial plans to alter how things are managed.
This is a book I’d recommend as light reading to anyone wanting to understand a little more about how and why the police works the way they do…
