to pay, and got arrested in possession of some false
ID by a uniformed officer from Earlsfield station. Before I was charged I was told
that the CID ‘wanted a word’. I was approached by a rather dapper CID sergeant who
told me that he knew from my record that I was involved in the heavy (armed robbery) and he was interested in ‘nicking some
blaggers’ (armed robbers). He was obviously very ambitious and saw that nicking
people for serious crimes was his way upthe ladder. At first he
tried putting on the pressure, telling me that he knew I was at it and that the credit game was just a sideline. He intimated – in fact, insisted –
that because there was a trilby hat on the back seat of my car I was obviously out
on a ‘recce’ to find places to rob, using the hat as a disguise. Notwithstanding the
fact that he was right, I casually denied it and laughed him off. He knew the
evidence against me was flimsy so, next, he offered inducement. If I were to give up
the names of a couple of likely lads who were at the heavy, he would make sure the
false ID charge disappeared – and there might even be a few quid in it for me! Not
wanting to ruin my chance of bail I told him I’d certainly give it some
consideration, though he’d have had more chance of growing another head than of
getting any information out of me. If I wouldn’t name my accomplices at the Old
Bailey when facing eight life sentences, I certainly wasn’t going to cough up names
in order to get bail on a petty false ID charge! But I strung him along, saying I’d
consider it and be in touch. As I was leaving the station he had an afterthought
that illustrates the casual corruption and racism of a lot of police in the 1980s.
‘Listen,’ he says, ‘what would be ideal would be a couple of spade robbers, and if
we could catch them in the act, that would be great! Juries are more likely to
convict darkies with guns!’ Then he gave me a big, shit-eating grin and walked back
into the station.
So, talking as a criminal, dealing with
the police is sometimes no different from dealing with other criminals.
100-YARD HERO
----
100-yard hero is how
police refer to anyone who shouts insults or obscenities at police cars or police
officers in the street, and implies, usually quite correctly, that the perpetrators
are not so mouthy up close. In some areas of the country it’s the done thing to
shout insults at the police, especially on ‘problem’ estates, where the police are
hate figures.
1664
----
1664 is police code for
a female who looks sixteen years old from behind but sixty-four from the front.
See Three Ns
ACAB
----
ACAB is an acronym for
the well-known and well-used criminal phrase ‘All Coppers Are Bastards’. It is often
seen as graffiti in prison, in police and court holding cells and it’s also a tattoo
popular among young lawbreakers. The big problem with tattooing the legend ACAB on
to your body is that, whenever you’re arrested, the police will check and record all
distinguishing marks, and this includes tattoos. Needless to say, they’re never best
pleased to see their legitimacy called into question so indelibly, especially on the
flesh of someone they consider to be a scrote . At the very least,
you may ‘trip’ several times on your way to the cells. Or, if you’re under eighteen,
you might be given a ‘good clip around the ear’ (a police euphemism for a good
kicking).
See the Bizzies , Borstal dot , The Filth
ACTON POST OFFICE
ROBBERY
----
On 15 December 1988 an armed robbery took
place at the main post office in Acton, West London, which was to have far-reaching
consequences for both the police and armed robbers. The four men, armed with
semi-automatic weapons, had been under police surveillance, and on this occasion the
Flying Squad were lying in ambush. At this time the Flying Squad were still using
the standard police-issue Smith
ID by a uniformed officer from Earlsfield station. Before I was charged I was told
that the CID ‘wanted a word’. I was approached by a rather dapper CID sergeant who
told me that he knew from my record that I was involved in the heavy (armed robbery) and he was interested in ‘nicking some
blaggers’ (armed robbers). He was obviously very ambitious and saw that nicking
people for serious crimes was his way upthe ladder. At first he
tried putting on the pressure, telling me that he knew I was at it and that the credit game was just a sideline. He intimated – in fact, insisted –
that because there was a trilby hat on the back seat of my car I was obviously out
on a ‘recce’ to find places to rob, using the hat as a disguise. Notwithstanding the
fact that he was right, I casually denied it and laughed him off. He knew the
evidence against me was flimsy so, next, he offered inducement. If I were to give up
the names of a couple of likely lads who were at the heavy, he would make sure the
false ID charge disappeared – and there might even be a few quid in it for me! Not
wanting to ruin my chance of bail I told him I’d certainly give it some
consideration, though he’d have had more chance of growing another head than of
getting any information out of me. If I wouldn’t name my accomplices at the Old
Bailey when facing eight life sentences, I certainly wasn’t going to cough up names
in order to get bail on a petty false ID charge! But I strung him along, saying I’d
consider it and be in touch. As I was leaving the station he had an afterthought
that illustrates the casual corruption and racism of a lot of police in the 1980s.
‘Listen,’ he says, ‘what would be ideal would be a couple of spade robbers, and if
we could catch them in the act, that would be great! Juries are more likely to
convict darkies with guns!’ Then he gave me a big, shit-eating grin and walked back
into the station.
So, talking as a criminal, dealing with
the police is sometimes no different from dealing with other criminals.
100-YARD HERO
----
100-yard hero is how
police refer to anyone who shouts insults or obscenities at police cars or police
officers in the street, and implies, usually quite correctly, that the perpetrators
are not so mouthy up close. In some areas of the country it’s the done thing to
shout insults at the police, especially on ‘problem’ estates, where the police are
hate figures.
1664
----
1664 is police code for
a female who looks sixteen years old from behind but sixty-four from the front.
See Three Ns
ACAB
----
ACAB is an acronym for
the well-known and well-used criminal phrase ‘All Coppers Are Bastards’. It is often
seen as graffiti in prison, in police and court holding cells and it’s also a tattoo
popular among young lawbreakers. The big problem with tattooing the legend ACAB on
to your body is that, whenever you’re arrested, the police will check and record all
distinguishing marks, and this includes tattoos. Needless to say, they’re never best
pleased to see their legitimacy called into question so indelibly, especially on the
flesh of someone they consider to be a scrote . At the very least,
you may ‘trip’ several times on your way to the cells. Or, if you’re under eighteen,
you might be given a ‘good clip around the ear’ (a police euphemism for a good
kicking).
See the Bizzies , Borstal dot , The Filth
ACTON POST OFFICE
ROBBERY
----
On 15 December 1988 an armed robbery took
place at the main post office in Acton, West London, which was to have far-reaching
consequences for both the police and armed robbers. The four men, armed with
semi-automatic weapons, had been under police surveillance, and on this occasion the
Flying Squad were lying in ambush. At this time the Flying Squad were still using
the standard police-issue Smith
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