It was a pleasure to support Brewin Publishers yesterday at Touchwood Centre in Solihull for their ‘meet the author’ event. Great to be able to discuss ‘Top Secret Worcestershire’ and other projects with the public and of

course to meet ‘Mr Brummie’ himself – the iconic Carl Chinn.

The last in this latest series. The written content for the latest book is now three-quarters finished and contains some great recollections from retired officers. We are still looking for a few more covering the West Midlands Police and the period 1974 to 1999 – have you got a story that you have always had in your head that could now go into print in a book that will support a very worthy cause. Today’s appeal is a bit of a ‘mixed bag’ so we are looking for memories of the West Midlands Black Police Association being set up in 1997, the Mounted Branch before it was abolished in the late 90s, Underwater Search Unit, any members of Force netball,swimming,basketball, and cross country teams and last but not least some comment on ‘police bars’. Please respond on the post initially and we can sort out contact details – the memories can be as long or short as you like (The picture is just a favourite but signs off for this little series)

Just a few more posts for ‘Reporting For Duty’ to illustrate the areas of research we are interested in. The new book will cover the history of the West Midlands Police from 1974 to 1999. We are still looking for recollections from retired colleagues who have memories of policing during this period. These are just a few of the current chapter headings : ‘The rise of the National Front – 1976’, ‘The Ladywood Riots – 1977’, ‘The Battle of Digbeth –  1978’, ‘The Battle of Cronehills in West Bromwich – 1979’, ‘The Handsworth Riots – 1985’. (The picture features the then PC Derek Rowe in Newton Street, Birmingham, beside the last gas lamp in 1976. Courtesy of the Birmingham Post & Mail who have agreed to allow us to use it as a front cover.)

Mike Layton and Steve Burrows are currently researching a book called ‘Reporting For Duty’ which will chart the history of the West Midlands Police from 1974 to 1999. It will be a historical book but also include recollections from former officers as well as over 100 images. Several successful appeals have been made on the ‘Bostin Books’ website, and Facebook page, and the project has moved at a staggering speed. Within the book will also be listed the names of twenty-four West Midlands Police officers who died on duty, or on their way to commence duty between 1974 and 1999. (The list accords with that compiled for the Force Roll of Honour as found on a Google search for anyone who wants to check). We will be donating 50% of any future royalties from the book to the Police Arboretum Memorial Trust. If anyone has personal memories of any of the officers that they would like to share with us please get in touch and contact arrangements can be sorted out. (The pictures were taken recently in an area known as ‘The Beat’ at the National Memorial Arboretum where ‘fallen’ police officers are remembered – lest we forget)

Research into our latest book has gone at an astonishing speed with more than eighty images collected and recollections obtained or promised from over fifty retired officers in just two months. The book will cover the history of the West Midlands Police from 1974 to 1999 and will be a broad-ranging insight hopefully into as many departments and historical policing events as possible with an emphasis on ‘people’ with the service. In this post I am appealing for recollections and insight into the recruitment of Black and Minority Ethnic staff into WMP over that period. (the pictures shown are

circa 2000 following a visit by a senior Indian Police Officer to H2 OCU)

Today’s offering from our research for the new book ‘Reporting For Duty’ with accounts completed or promised from nearly fifty retired officers who were members of the West Midlands Police between 1974 and 1999 – ‘Between Wednesday 14th March 1984 and March 1985 the West Midlands Police provided officers on mutual aid to Cleveland, Derbyshire, Durham, Humberside, Leicestershire, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and West Yorkshire Forces. More than 73,000 days were committed to the dispute during which ninety-two WMP officers were injured.’ Recollections would be welcomed. (photo courtesy of Paul Rainey)

The research for our new book ‘Reporting For Duty’ has gone at an astonishing pace and we now have nearly forty recollections from retired officers about different aspects of policing in the West Midlands Police between 1974 and 1999. The book will contain about one hundred images so space will be at a premium but today’s plea is for recollections from dog handlers who served during that period with stories to tell. (pictures are courtesy of a well-known handler on the ‘H’ namely Paul Richards, and feature ‘Max’ and ‘Jake’ who was one of, if not the first Rottweiler taken on by the Force.

Today’s post in this series – ‘In 1975 the Sex Discrimination Act came into Force at the end of the year. This led to the abolition of dedicated Policewomen’s Departments and female officers performing the same duties as male colleagues for the same rates of pay. It was also the year that the age at which you could join the police was lowered to 18 and a half years. With 903 officer vacancies the West Midlands Police was also finally awarded an ‘under-manning allowance’ in recognition of the difficulties the Force faced. (Picture courtesy of Express & Star Walsall – twenty-five years on) We would welcome recollections from 1974-1999.

Today’s offering for our ‘Reporting For Duty’ series – ‘On the 1st May 1976 the West Midlands Police became responsible for policing Birmingham Airport (I seem to recall that there was a small ‘private’ police force at the airport before) . Officers who were selected to work there attended a one week bespoke training course at Tally Ho Police Training Centre in Edgbaston to acquaint themselves with airport procedures. There was an increase in the authorised establishment of the Force of thirty-eight officers to cater for this.’ It would be great to hear from former colleagues with experience of policing the airport between 1974 and 1999, or indeed any other recollections of policing major events from that period. After yesterdays post about football violence a former officer got in touch who was on duty at the match in question – another recollection for the book! (The picture is from one of the many great ‘Birmingham’ sites on social media and is of the old Elmdon Airport – acknowledged with thanks)

The next one in our new series relating to research for our new book ‘Reporting For Duty’ – the history of the West Midlands Police 1974 to 1999. Today’s is a subject which has been covered in detail in other books and arguably has not gone away – that of violence relating to football

– ‘On the 29th February 1992 Birmingham City FC played Stoke City in a league match at St Andrews in Birmingham. A serious disturbance took place involving a pitch invasion towards the end of the game. A post-incident investigation code-named Operation ‘Mission’ led to sixty-six people being arrested and charged.’ If anyone was at the match or involved in the investigation it would be great to hear from you. Research into the book is going well and we have already been contacted by thirty retired officers who have promised or already provided some exceptional  memories.