Time Is Up

I don't ask much from the staff who work for me. Turning up on time is one thing that I would expect to be in any person's must do's in any job, but in the policing environment it is vital and tells you alot about an individual.

Everybody is late from time to time when circumstances are out of their control, be it car accident or train cancelled. I freak about it and on early turn will be awake prior to the alarm clock going off because I fear being late and crashing it. I'm usually into work an hour before my shift starts leaving time for a shower, a quick e-mail scan and getting the postings ready. I can't remember the last time I was late. Of course this is ingrained in me from the army when you would only ever be late once. I never was, but still had to take part in dress parades when somebody let the side down.

I also witnessed people being sent to the glass house when standards dropped. I say witnessed, but as a regimental policeman I was one of those either side of some unfortunate being double quick marched by the duty corporal. I was knackered yet it was his beasting. I only rested when he was undergoing some strangely thought up sadistic punishment, and boy there were some.

I'm not advocating that we should do this to errant constables or PCSO's but we are supposed to be a disciplined service. Some people just take the piss all the time. I've rung people after parade who haven't had the good grace to ring in saying they're going to be late and they've been in bed still. No apologies, no concern just a yawn and " Yeah OK I've overslept I'll get in as soon as I can ". They then hang up before I've even had the chance to say anything else. They then wonder why two hours later they are in my office and I detect actually think I'm out of order for even speaking to them.

I've done the chats, performance interviews and bollockings with one individual and still he can't sort his life out and turn up for my parades. I think there's only one option left .. standby for accusations of overbearing conduct OR worse. For what challenging a piss taker? Bring it on says I.