Guns, drugs, favourite fast food and out-of-shape officers.

These were just some of the topics covered in a Reddit ‘Ask Me Anything’ session by a man claiming to be a GMP cop.

He describes himself as a Police Constable of four years, having spent three years working as a Special.

He is a verified Reddit user and attached a ‘selfie’ showing his police kit including vest, radio, bodycam and Taser as ‘proof’.

“In my short service I’ve already seen the bizarre, the hilarious and the down right depressing,” he said.

What followed gives a fascinating insight into the day-to-day life of working on the frontline in GMP.

Some topics are serious, with questions on the impact of budget cuts and how to deal with the ‘war on drugs’.s

Others are a little more light-hearted.

What cakes cops eat, for example. Or what their favourite condiment is (tomato sauce, obviously).

Here is the best of the Q&A...

What was the weirdest person you’ve had to take in?

I took part in the arrest of a guy for murder once. He’d brutally murdered a young girl, a complete stranger to him. When we arrived to arrest him, he was sat in the dark, waiting for us, as if he was relieved.

I couldn’t pinpoint any particular thing about him, but his whole demeanour gave me the creeps. He made me uncomfortable but at the same time he fascinated me.

What makes a human being do something like that? I’ve also done a lot of search warrants for sex offenders, and it goes without saying that some of them are incredibly weird.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

Have you ever said ‘you’re f***ing nicked sunshine’? I’d say it every day if I was a copper

I know a colleague who shouted ‘DETAINED MOTHER****ER’ once. We’ve got the body worn video footage saved for when we need cheering up.

If you caught me (a 26 male) smoking pot in a remote yet public spot. What would you do? Asking for a friend.

That would depend on your previous, how you were when I spoke to you, and other factors. It’s safe to say, though, that locking you up would be way down on my priorities.

(Image: PA)

What do you think about police officers not being in good physical shape? Is it difficult to be effective on the street if you have a weak body?

I have to say, it can be really difficult, because 99 per cent of the time, your fitness is irrelevant. So much time is spent doing paperwork and investigating stuff, and even most of the people we arrest come quietly.

Very rarely do you actually have to run or fight. There’s also a lot of roles that are office based, and away from the front line, so setting an appropriate fitness test isn’t straightforward either.

Working shifts and not getting a lot of downtime also means it’s very easy to get out of the habit of exercise, and into the habit of picking up fast food and not eating healthily, which makes it all too easily to get out of shape. I’ll hold my hands up and say I’m not as fit as I probably should be.

Problem is, of course, that 1 per cent of the time, your fitness could be the difference between getting hurt and not.

Every cop should do their best to maintain their fitness, it’s their responsibility, but personally I think we aren’t given enough help. In some roles you’re given access to gyms, and time to use them, but that’s very rare.

My station has a gym, but it’s woefully under-equipped and we have to pay to use it. The fire station down the road on the other hand has one of the best gyms I’ve ever seen, the fire fighters have time in their shifts to use it, and they get the opportunity to eat better, which I think makes a big difference.

You say you’ve seen both ends of the spectrum, the crazy stupid to the darkest stuff. What would you say the craziest and/or the nastiest things you’ve seen are?

Nastiest is always death. I’ve also had to deal with the death of children. They’re always the hardest.

Craziest is a harder one. I’ll have to come back to that.

Why did you want to become a police officer? How has is lived up (or not lived up) to your expectations?

I think probably for the action and excitement when I was a kid. As I got older, it looked like a good career, plenty of opportunities, decent(ish) pay, job security.

It’s a job, same as any other, and there are days when I’d rather stay in bed, but I can’t think of any job I’d rather do than this one.

Is there a Hot Fuzz fandom among the law enforcement community where you work?

1,000 per cent, yes. I love that film. I may even put it on later.

Hiya mate. I was a special up north for a couple of years and I loved it. Only thing was the radio and general communication issues, basically no one could understand me being from the south, haha.

“Eh up lad, ain’t got owt clue what you’re talking about,” and so on.

Anyway, question time. What cakes do they do up your end of the north when you cock up? It was mostly Sainsbury’s donuts and hob nobs for us.

Those cheap donuts every supermarket does for a standard cake fine, Krispy Kreme for when you’ve really messed up! Make a mistake, get fined. Fines are paid in cakes for the team.

Obviously for trivial stuff, being late etc. I got cake fined for leaving my phone on top of a van once, which then drove off.

Ex GMP here! How do you feel the force is as a whole since the budget cuts and if it has had an affect what in your opinion has been impacted the most?

There’s a lot less of you turning up to jobs. It’s also nearly impossible to get a dog or the helicopter to turn out if you’re not in the city now.

Pursuits don’t get authorised because the nearest traffic patrol is on the far side of the force.

Have you had the opportunity to change someone’s life for the better and believe that you made a strong enough impact on that person’s life to make them change?

I went to a domestic incident a few months ago. She told me that nothing had happened, and brushed it all off. It was obvious to me that she was in fear, so I just spent time talking with her, reassuring her, and giving some advice. She was adamant that she wasn’t going to tell me anything, but a few days later she called in again, and reported all the abuse for the last six years.

She later said it was because she felt I believed her that she could open up. Her abuser is in prison now.

What is your favourite thing about being a police officer?

The people. Both my colleagues and the public I get to meet. Cops have a unique sense of humour, and if you get on with your colleagues it often doesn’t even feel like work.

Oh, and driving fast with blue lights and sirens.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

What do you carry with you while you’re on duty?

On me I’ll have sepura airwave radio; axon body cam; TCH rigid handcuffs; CS spray; Taser x2; Monadnock autolock baton; limb restraints; and Gerber multitool.

My pockets are stuffed with a few different forms, notebook and lots of latex gloves. I also get issued a phone, only a crappy Samsung J5, but it has access to the police national computer, and all our local systems, which is very useful.

Our van is filled with various bits of kit for forcing entry to addresses - crowbars, bolt croppers, lock puller, ladders, shields etc.

Do you ever get frustrated at the CPS for not following up and pursuing to court crimes you’ve made arrests for?

Yes, massively.

They’re under the same pressures we’re under though. They’re trying to do more with less.

How are you feeling the effects of the government’s current funding levels?

We’re struggling, really. We don’t have enough staff or enough resources to do what we’d like to do. Everything comes down to money. It’s difficult to even get new equipment and vehicles that work.

I think the biggest challenge is morale. I’ve said this for a while, but the police force runs on the cops making it work. We rely on cops starting early and finishing late. We rely on people volunteering for overtime shifts, and if that goodwill goes, which it will, it’ll be a massive problem.

As more and more cops get disheartened and leave, the experience levels of cops is disappearing. Some of our response shifts have more student officers than those confirmed in rank already. We’re losing that experience and knowledge base.

My favourite thing is working with good people, who are all trying to do our best to do the right thing. If you get on a good team, with good people, it makes things so much better.

Us Yanks are informed on how the British police operate based on many of the fantastic TV series by the BBC and Channel 4. But given the creative license taken by American TV producers in American cop shows, I’m sure these British shows aren’t completely accurate.

What do these shows get wrong? What do they get right?

I think time is the biggest thing. Everyone watches these shows and expects that we can deal with anything and have it all nicely wrapped up within the hour. The shows only seem to ever focus on crime too, and that’s actually a small amount of what we do. We spend a lot of time dealing with mental health, concerns for people’s welfare, and protecting people completely unrelated to crime.

Missing people take up a lot of our time.

(Image: ASP)

When you and your fellow officers are in full riot gear, with citizens pushing and cussing at you, how are you feeling? What goes through the officers minds?

Annoyed mostly. I don’t really want to be there, I’m not taking one side or the other, I’m just there to make sure it all passes off as peacefully as possible. I’d much rather everyone got along and we be able to police it from the van, with our kit in the bags.

I think some people think we want it to all kick off, but honestly, if it gets to that point, I’ll be hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable, and I probably won’t be finishing on time. Once it does kick off though, it’s mostly adrenaline tinged with a bit of fear. I don’t really want a brick thrown at my head, thanks.

What’s your favorite condiment?

Heinz Tomato Ketchup. Although kebabs have to have garlic mayo.

I’m an American, so the fact that you don’t carry a gun is a foreign, but interesting concept to me. Do you ever think it would be nice to have one? Do you ever feel under-equipped?

Honestly, no. Guns are so rare here that I’d never use it. I’ve not, so far, had any incident where I’ve thought ‘I really wish I had a gun right now’. I know that’s not the same elsewhere in the UK, and officers in some parts of London may disagree.

What was one of your most terrifying crime scenes you have investigated?

As in, terrifying for me? I don’t think I’ve ever actually been scared at the time. Adrenaline usually takes over and you’re too busy trying to think about what you’re doing.

One incident where I thought ‘****, that could have gone wrong’ was a job where a guy had been assaulted on the street outside his flat. We were told the offender lived in a flat across the road.

As we stood deciding what to do, the offender came to the door of the flat block. As we were talking to him, he produced a can of lighter fluid and a lighter and sprayed lighter fluid up the inside of the glass door and lit it, with a big fire ball.

We kicked the door down and I ran in after him. We got to the top of the stairs and he turned, pointed the lighter fluid at me, and tried to light it.

Fortunately, my colleague behind me Tasered him, and we all (about four or five of us) jumped on him, and he was arrested without injury. It was only later I realised how close we’d all been.

You just kind of do things automatically sometimes, relying on good training and your instincts.

What do you think about the graduate fast track detective scheme in London?

I think you learn your trade as a PC. You get your basics of investigation there, and no amount of courses will replace that.

I’m going to be applying to be a PC as soon as recruitment in my home constabulary opens. Any tips for newbies like me, for recruitment or starting out?

Being a special helped me massively. I got to experience what it was really like, I could make my mind up on if it was right for me, and it gave me loads of examples to use when I applied. It gave me a realistic expectation of what I was letting myself in for too.

Personal opinion on the war on drugs? Do you agree cannabis should remain illegal? I would bet a lot of police time goes toward drug crime? Mostly cannabis?

I don’t think we spend much time on cannabis now. We have different ways to deal with it that don’t involve arrest. Personally, I can’t stand the stuff, but if people want to use it in their own home I can’t say I’m that bothered.

The issues for me is that while it is illegal, the cultivation and supply remains in the hands of organised criminals, and usually goes hand in hand with violence, so I’ve got no issues with dealing with those involved robustly. Other drugs are more serious an issue though, and drug use is a factor in a massive amount of other crime. We spend a lot of time targeting the supply of Class A drugs, as they ruin lives.

What is a typical response like for an officer being attacked by a guy with a knife? Let’s assume the Taser doesn’t work. How are you equipped to handle a violent subject that is armed during a traffic stop?

Honestly? I’m not. If my Taser fails, my next option is run, pretty much. Fortunately, I’ve not had to do so yet.

What are the best qualifications to have when trying to join the police service?

It’s all going to change, and you’ll need a degree, which I don’t agree with, but for me, as long as you can get by in most subjects you’ll do fine. I have nothing more than GCSEs.

What does your ‘typical’ day look like?

There isn’t one! The majority of our time on the unit I’m on is spent looking for wanteds, so we’ll start our duty and be told who the priorities are for the day. We’ll review what information and identify addresses we want to visit, and people we want to speak with to try and track them down. We have office based staff who can do other enquiries for us too.

Other days we might be tasked with assisting other units with arrests and house searches, and we also get used for executing search warrants.

What is your opinion of the online predator hunting community?

[They have] god intentions, and I’ve no doubt they’ve done some good work, but it’s dangerous territory. The investigation of such crimes is very regulated and complicated, and rightly so as they’re so serious. These groups aren’t subject to the same checks. I also question some of their motives. If you’re doing it out of a sense of public duty, do you need to broadcast it over the internet?

I’m guessing you can’t describe specific cases, but has there ever been a moment where you could swear someone was guilty, but never charged? Did it worry you that they could walk out freely?

Regularly. I wouldn’t arrest someone if I didn’t think they did it. Of course, sometimes my mind has been changed later when something else has come to light, but there have been plenty of times I’ve been convinced someone is guilty as sin, but I just can’t prove it. I don’t tend to worry though, they’ll come again.

I would like to ask, what are your opinions when comparing the way police handles situations in Europe vs United States? Is there something you wish that England would implement or get rid of on the system?

I wish we could pursue cars like they seem to in America. My 1.3l diesel Hyundai doesn’t really compare to the cars you use over there.

I hear that some police forces have all but de facto decriminalised cannabis, and will not actively pursue/prosecute recreational cannabis users. How accurate is my impression? Do you have any guidance on this from your superiors, or are you still supposed to follow the law to the letter? I realise your resources are increasingly thin and with an upswing in violent crime, I imagine you are increasingly having to prioritise offences. I’ve met many a copper who simply says it’s not worth their time or effort to chase up cannabis complaints.

All cops have discretion. We can deal with crimes as we see fit, as long as we do so in the right way, and can justify what we do. Is a simple possession offence for cannabis worth me getting taken away from my duties while I arrest and deal with the prisoner? A lot of the times it’s not, so I’d consider other options available. That doesn’t mean you get away scot free, it just means I deal with it another way.

Is it true that you/other teams have been tasked with prioritising social media hate crime over burglaries/assaults? Or is it a myth being spread on Facebook?

Myth. Everything is judged on T.H.R. What threat is posed, what harm could be done, and what is the risk.

Salary?

Not enough.

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