A British Bobby on a Different Beat!

Following the tragedy of September 11th the British Police Charity ‘Protect the Protectors’ raised $100,000 for the families of New York Police Officers, both from the NYPD and the Port Authority Police, who had been killed trying to rescue others on that day.

On the first anniversary 340 British Police Officers travelled to New York at their own expense to present the cheque and show support for their American colleagues. I, along with five colleagues from Nottinghamshire was among the group.

Whilst there we went to the church service held for the British victims, and on Sept 11th helped to form an Honour Guard at Ground Zero, standing shoulder to shoulder with American Police and Fire Fighters. It was quite a sight seeing British Bobbies on the beat in New York.

It was a very emotional day and it would take up to an hour to walk just a block as people wanted to have their photos taken with us or would just come up shake our hands thanking us for being there. One lady, who worked in Wall Street and had narrowly escaped death the year before by being late for a meeting on the 106th floor of one the towers, took the six of us from Nottinghamshire for a drink to thank us for our support.

As President Bush landed in his helicopter in the City the local police allowed the six of us from Nottingham to stand with them. The President did a ‘double take’ on seeing six British Bobbies stood there and acknowledged us, giving us the thumbs up.

The week was full of memories not least being stood at top of the Empire State Building in uniform, on a private floor with only a three-foot high fence surrounding us, three floors above the public viewing level, looking down at the City by night.

Simon Blincow,
Nottingham, October 2002