Inspector chips in patrol code
In days of old the job of policing was much more relaxed and easy-going. Our police station was controlled by a night inspector on the verge of retirement. It was the custom of the constables to ask control to request the patrol car to bring in portions of fish and chips for their suppers.
But the inspector retired and was replaced by an efficient military-style inspector who announced he was going to make changes.
For a start we were no longer to send messages in plain speech. Criminals listened to us on their short- wave radios so he introduced a system of codes, using A to Z and1 to 26.
This had two disadvantages. We could not remember all the codes and had to carry crib books and even worse, we could no longer order our fish suppers!
However, if we couldn't remember all the codes neither could the inspector. So we added our own codes - 27 for fish and chips with C for cod etc, followed by the number of portions.
I was on traffic patrol one night when I received a radio message: "Control to Zulu 1. Code 27 C4H 1"
Almost immediately the radio burst into life again, and I heard the inspector's clipped, terse voice. I could see myself being taken out of my cosy, warm patrol car and put back on a bicycle.
"Inspector to Zulu 1," he said. "Amend that last code. H1 to H2. And make H2 two portions, I'm peckish."
We got on well after that.
Jim Wood, Holmer Lake
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