The One with the Frenetic Biro Technique
Conrad and Simon are in Taplow, but heading post haste towards Reading in search of a ‘vamoose’ car (i.e. stolen using keys burgled from the owner’s house) which has been left parked there. They pair up with Roma and Kev to await the return of the thieves in order to capture them before recovering the vehicle. Fortunately, they don’t have to wait long, and pile in to nab all but one of the thieves, who vaults over a high fence while Dave Jones helps his dog over to find any possible trail, despite the heavy rain. Needless to say, the humour flies in thick and fast about the high fence, as we all recall the last time Simon tried to vault one!
Waller and Flipper head to Reading to help deal with a bloke who has threatened his ex-girlfriend with a knife. The threat of the knife is real, so an ARV is deployed – taser on hand – to ensure he doesn’t use it on anyone. The threat of 50,000 volts is enough to persuade the ex-boyfriend to capitulate immediately. Though he brings his bad attitude to the fore again when he spots the camera. Apparently he thinks that it’s there to film him.
Tristan is out with Bella, who is happy to demonstrate her love of public order work for the camera. Showing off over, they head out to Slough to look for a happily blatant shoplifter and it doesn’t take long to find him. Charlie and Mish head in to assist, which is just as well, as the bloke has a pile of drunk mates with him who are eager to intervene on their colleague’s behalf. This is, naturally, bread and butter for Bella – but assistance is probably more important. Once everyone arrives, things settle down again. It turns out that the shoplifter has eaten the evidence – a packet of crisps. Though the drunken pals are still loitering while Tristan has a search, which gives Bella yet more opportunity to have a jolly good bark.
Charlie and Mish respond to a call in Slough to pick up someone who has a similar name to the Crisp Shoplifter from a few days back. He has, apparently, slashed his mother’s car tyres. It turns out, however, that he is the Crisp Thief. Small world!
Simon and Conrad are on patrol in Aylesbury, doing some ‘Crim radar’ work. People are wandering around looking immensely suspicious, and park up to wait for a group of people who are sending off ‘drug use’ vibes. Given that they’ve all ended up at a house which is suspected of being an address used for drug supply, Simon and Conrad park up to observe. When some of the lads re-emerge, they head back to the car and TV31 get in behind it. The driver takes a bit longer than strictly necessary to stop, and drive a bit faster than they should, but they do stop, and thus the questioning begins. Needless to say the ‘I haven’t got drugs on me’ stuff attempted by a passenger is total cobblers, one of them having a stash of Heroin which Conrad quickly discovers – resulting in a far more thorough search down at the nick, and that means everyone in the car, much to the driver’s disgust.
Roma and Kev are out and about in Slough, when they come across a vehicle whose driver appears to think that the roads are his personal racetrack. Once pulled over, he suffers the wrath of Kev. It turns out that he’s been showing off to three young women in the car, which doesn’t help; and the black and silver numberplates aren’t legal either. Kev is willing to waive the charges for speeding in exchange for much clicking on-and-off of a biro and a lecture, as the guy is clearly being a showoff, rather than a habitual moron, but there is a token gesture of a fine for the numberplates.
Back with Tristan, but still in Slough, heading to the scene of a robbery in a shop. A member of the public has managed to apprehend one of the suspects on-scene. He is the first to arrive, and finds a man has been stabbed, the proprietor bashed over the head, and one of the attackers on the floor amidst scattered stock and members of the public who are sitting on him. Tristan broadcasts descriptions of the two other youths who have managed to flee. Being alone, Tristan can’t get on the trail with Bella, so instead assists with the removal of the suspect, who is restrained with legstraps and cuffs to ensure he can’t flee or lash out and must hop to the van accompanied by much angry derision from passers by. As the fleeing accomplices have the knife, Tristan heads out to search for them – but without success.
Charlie and Mish are heading to the Britwell to look for a theft suspect. They team up with Rosie and Daz to form a pincer movement, as the suspect has form for being a bit of a pain when nicked. They corner a suspect, but his determination not to co-operate with them makes things incredibly difficult as they need to know if he’s the man they actually want. They attract the inevitable crowd – who insist that the guy is not the suspect, but without the guy actually telling them who he is, they simply can’t take any action. Finally, he complies and everything can be done and dusted with him to let on his way.
