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One often hears these days of Police brutality and vice versa. Harold Taylor joined the Horsham Police force in 1948 after serving in World War II with the Merchant Navy. Harold's recollections are of his days with the Worthing force after transferring from Horsham.
In my day, recalls Harold, these were very infrequent, in fact almost non-existent. The only instance I can recall of this was when, after causing the police considerable annoyance a fellow, Johnson was caught.
Det. Sgt. Turner interviewed him at his mother's house, where he not only gave him a lot of cheek but was rude to his mother. I do not know if the father existed.
However, because of the man's conduct, Turner asked the lady if she objected to him giving the man a good belting, as clearly she was incapable of doing so, and he showed little regard for her. This passed off all ok.
I was in the station yard when the offender was brought in, handcuffed. After the main occupants of the car went inside, a constable acting as CID Aid was left to bring in the prisoner, whereupon he gave the fellow several hard thumps.
The prisoner complained about his treatment in court, but of course the culprit was not there, and of course it was denied.
I do not recall any attacks upon police, other than my own situation, which was not grievous. There was a character, who lived in Newlands Road, who I suppose was a schizophrenic.
Periodically we would receive a call to his house where he had beaten up his wife and left her with some cruel injuries, but always in the end she would refuse to lodge a complaint, despite the fellow's own father encouraging her to do so.
One night I attended with a Sergeant and the woman had received a real battering about the face and, we believed, had a broken arm. Despite our suggestions she was not even going to attend the hospital and we left, unable to do anything.
Later during the night I was on patrol in the Brighton Road area when I heard the shattering of glass. I subsequently found the glass of a jeweller's shop shattered, but it would appear that nothing had been taken from the shelves. The key holder was called and cleared the shelves and was boarding up the windows when I resumed patrol.
I was going along the seafront chalets when I was attacked with several large bricks. Because of the dark, I could not see where they came from, but I followed in the general direction and inspected park properties as I did so.
As I was coming into Lyndhurst Road from the park I could see that the lights were on in the casualty department of the Hospital, and I thought I could make out the form of a person looking through the window. When I got there, however, I could see no one.
I therefore went to the casualty dept. where I found them treating the wife we had seen earlier.
They had been conscious of this 'peeping tom', but did not realise it might be the woman's husband. They requested that I stay whilst they treated the woman as they had had trouble with this man in the past.
Knowing what I did of the breaking shop window, the unprovoked attack on me and the loiterer at the hospital, I contacted the Police Station and a search was made.
I am not sure now whether it was that night or later, but the husband was eventually arrested and committed for the attempted break in, although it was really only malicious damage.
He was sentenced, but I believe it was on condition that he submitted himself for treatment at the Mental Hospital.
Harold Taylor, West Sussex, 2001
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