Each ward across the Capital now has two named officers who will act as the “key contact” for residents.
While the reintroduction of good old-fashioned policing has been welcomed, it’s hardly groundbreaking.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIndeed, in days of yore, the bobby on the beat was a familiar sight on the streets, but in recent years they became an endangered species because of deep cuts to police budgets.
Older generations often reminisce about the local bobby who they all knew and trusted and was part of their community.
If, for example, as a child youwere out riding on your bicycle on the pavement and you saw a policeman, you quickly jumped off your bike and the policeman would then without doubt give you a few cautionary – though probably friendly – words of advice about your future behaviour.
Had you been up to no good, you were probably met with the customary, “Hello, hello, what’s all this then?”
In one of our pictures, we see three police officers getting on their bikes to do their duty on a cold January day in 1984.
In another, Sergeant Robinson phones in from a police box (remember when they didn’t sell coffee and bagels, anyone?) to headquarters at Braid Place to report on the night’s progress.
In another picture we see two officers talking to children – are they telling them the time, or telling them off? – while walking their beat at Wester Hailes in the early 90s.
