POLICE HISTORY
his service in that he did not require the help of the Federation on many occasions but in 2011 - after retiring from the City of London and joining the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) - he was diagnosed with leukaemia and the City of London Police Federation helped to advise and support the CNC Federation to resolve an unfair pay situation. “My employers at the time were suggesting that leukaemia wasn’t a life- threatening illness for me because as I was receiving chemotherapy and other treatment, there was still some hope that I would survive,” he explained. “My consultant at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford told me that I was more likely to die than live, it was a very difficult time for me and my family. “The City of London Police Federation
stepped in to help me, together with the CNC Federation, even though I was no longer with the City. After an appeal, they resolved the issue which made my home life a bit easier.
“With that extra worry it would have made it more difficult to come through it, so I am incredibly grateful for the excellent
support and representation.” Today Chris also helps at the City of London Police Pension Association, working alongside the National Association of Retired Police Officers, which helps retired officers keep in touch with each other. Throughout the year it arranges various gatherings and meals as well as meeting at
Now it’s PAVA, Taser and body armour.” When asked what has been the highlight of his career, Chris responded: “Last year I was lucky enough to be
“With that extra worry it would have made it more difficult to come through it, so I am incredibly grateful for the excellent support and representation.”
the Lord Mayors’ Show every year. “It’s a way of keeping in touch with your old colleagues and you still feel like you’re part of the police family,” Chris said. The force even invites retired officers
to meet with new officers during coffee mornings to share experiences and knowledge. Chris recalled what policing was like in the 80s. “When I first joined, we just wore a tunic and a helmet, and we had a wooden truncheon we kept in our pockets out of sight, unless we needed to use it of course.
selected as one of the many officers working during Her Majesty the Queen’s funeral and when she was lying in state. As I was a guardsman at 16 and then carrying out public duties guarding Buckingham Palace and the Royal Family, I have sort of been in Her Majesty’s service all my life, so to be there at her funeral was very important to me. “When I was on The Mall
with the cortège going past and the band playing it was a humbling moment and it felt right that I was there.” Chris was also posted to the island of Saint Helena in the 90s as a tutor constable training the small force’s PCs, and still holds a role in assisting new intakes today. He volunteers as a role player for his local force, during probationer training, usually on traffic stops, drink driving arrests and public order offences – so gets ‘arrested’ on a regular basis.
35 | POLICE | AUGUST | 2023
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