Police_World_02_2018

Cutlure Corner

Another IPA member joins our growing group of Crime Writers The Fearn Bobby by Ian McNeish

He takes the reader through many ‘every day’ front line situations, such as; the run of the mill anti-social behaviour and the criminal, court appearances, dealing with death, informing the left behind. In one section he covers his policing role in the National Fireman’s Strike, a strike at Highland Fabricators and the miner’s strike of 1984. As Ian moves through the ranks he spends time looking at management, team work and the question, is the police a Force or a Service? Ian was seconded for three years to work for the Chief Executive of a Regional Council, a first, in terms of the model employed. He covers his role in the aftermath of the Dunblane Primary School tragedy, working as The Local Unit Commander in Bo’ness and finally through his last four years and the unmerciful bullying he was subjected to. Why he felt forced to leave a job he loved. And he does it all with stunning honesty, giving himself no hiding place.

‘It is all about the community’, the words of Kenneth Ross, Chief Constable of Ross and Sutherland Constabulary, have guided Ian McNeish through thirty years of police service. They were true then, in 1974 and they are true now. These words permeate the pages of ‘The Fearn Bobby’ like ‘Blackpool’ through a stick of rock.

This story of Ian’s police life starts in 1976 as he holds and comforts a young man who is dying in his arms. It then switches back in time, to 1946, the year of Ian’s birth, as he tries to reconcile that moment in 1976 by examining his upbringing, his early development, experiences and and proper person to wield the power of a warrant card in the communities he served for thirty years. That examination will touch on his early memories of being raised in post war Scotland his relationship with his mum and dad, through to his pre police employment, including such things as placating the Scottish Republican Army and building electronic parts for the Kestrel Jump Jet and Concorde aircraft and more, before moving to England in search of housing and security, then returning to Scotland. He will take you through his attempts to join the police service, before finally getting his wish. Then his formative years in Ross and Sutherland Constabulary and policing Hill of Fearn, where he took on a Hamish McBeth role for three years and not only learned the bench mark for policing in communities but started to understand what the moral compass of policing was about, before family circumstances saw his return to central Scotland. Police where he rose to the rank of Chief Inspector before retiring in 2004. His spare time is taken up with mountaineering, for a time being in Mountain Rescue. He has a family, three boys and six grandchildren. When he is not employed with any or all of the above he writes. Cultural Seminars for 2019 In 2017 a fresh approach was taken to preparing organising and presenting 3 Cultural Seminars for IPA members at IBZ Gimborn in Germany. The Seminars were chosen as a result of listening to member’s comments on developing a programme of non-police related seminars where member’s interests could be explored. T he Seminars were well developed and have been produced for 2018 where members can explore Photography, Walking and Creative Writing. Sean Hannigan would like your help in developing Ian McNeish In 1974 Ian McNeish joined Ross and Sutherland Constabulary within a rural area of Scotland with a population of 6,000 people. In 1978 Ian transferred to Central Scotland

Writers Seminar part 2 , Painting in Oil and Watercolour , and Rocking all over the world…Geology for beginners . So please get your thinking caps on. Gimborn Walking Weekend date correction The Walking Weekend in June is June 22 to 25. Thank you all for quickly pointing this out. There are still several places left on the Photography Weekend May 25 to 28 and the Writers Seminar September 17 to 21. For further details please check out the website or e mail Vice President Sean Hannigan on vphannigan@ipa-uk.org .

Cultural Seminars for 2019. What do you think would make a good Cultural Seminar? Are you willing to help at a Seminar as a Presenter or Speaker? If you have an area of interest that could be developed, then please email Sean at vphannigan@ipa-uk.org Some topic areas for 2019 have already been suggested.

POLICE WORLD Vol 63 No. 2, 2018

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