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SPRING 2024 TOP COVER 23

TEAMWORK TAKES ANDY TO THE TOP

three days of serious rioting followed. (small public order teams comprising a Broadwater Farm riot in 1985 saw
The police were just not prepared for sergeant and 10 constables) and later as PC Keith Blakelock savagely hacked
the ferocity and level of violence on the a riot training instructor, a post he held to death, and over 400 police officers
streets of South London or the copycat from late 1984 through to1992. injured during a night of anarchy.
disorder elsewhere across the UK that “I remember vividly hearing the
followed in the summer of 1981. Team cohesion details of his injuries described on the
“I remember we were drafted in on By this time, he was playing radio channels that night; savage and
serials, all hands to the pump. The thin international hockey for England and barbaric,” added Andy. It was another
blue line seemed thinner than ever. It becoming enthused and fascinated by watershed moment for British public
was terrifying – bricks, masonry, petrol the ethics of team functionality: “The order policing.
bombs – and we had shields, but no importance of team cohesion in both From 1987, the Met had its own
tactical awareness and no personal public order policing and international centrally based public order training
protection aside from the trusty beat sport were coming to the fore,” said instructor team based at a purpose-
duty helmet. A real siege mentality Andy. “This was a theme that was to built location in Hounslow, West
and sense of togetherness developed stay with me for the rest of my career.” London. The instructors were like-
through that period.” Based in North London through minded souls; the job included
The Met’s answer to developing the mid-1980s, Andy was working teaching all ranks up to commander, an
a response to public disorder was of as a beat bobby at Tottenham, and operational capability, and demanded
genuine interest to Andy, initially as doubling up as the area riot training high levels of fitness. Working as a
an operator on District Support Units instructor. Times were tough; the local cohesive unit was paramount.

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