From the best of my knowledge, I do not believe I knew Corporal (Cpl.) Edda Ambris before I became a police officer; however, I had the privilege to work less than a week under her direct supervision, as a police officer fresh out of training School assigned to beat and patrol. Just before the week ended, I was officially transferred to the Transportation section. At the Transport Section, my responsibilities were to drive the police vehicles.
Once and unknowing to Cpl. Ambris, I overheard her speaking to someone, about me, in what was suppose to be in my absence. Cpl. Ambris and another person was sitting in the room, immediately behind the station office at the Central Police Station, which was reserved for dealing with reports and recording statements. I had just drove into the yard and exited the vehicle, then I heard the Cpl. said to the person, “Look at how the authority wasting that boy Palmer, they have him driving police transport; and he is such an intelligent fellow. Unlike the other drivers, who works at the Transport Sections, he is always willing to work; Anything you want to get done, just ask Palmer; he never say no.”
Of course, I pretend like I did not hear the conversation; after all, it was not meant for my ears. Ms Ambrist was a hardworking single mother, and she was a good police officer. One that had the respect and the confidence of the people around her. I get the impression, the higher ups did not like her very much. That may have been because she stood up for herself and the men under her supervision. One day Ms. Ambris called me into the station’s office at the Central Police Station, where she was the Station Officer; she said to me, "Palmer record a statement from that man for me." When I was finished recording the statement, I handed it into to her, it is then she said to me: “Palmer, you must come in to the station office and help out, so when you are transferred to outstation, you will have an idea what to do.”
As a result, I took up the Corporal's offer, and often, I worked as her station orderly, when her team was short staff, along with my driving duties. When the other team leaders (NCO) at the Beat and Patrol, saw me working station orderly under Cpl. Ambris supervision they too began to use me to hold on at the Station Orderly while their Orderly took their break and or when they were short staff. With Cpl Ambris' help, I learn a lot. I learn how to make cohesive entries into the station diary, how to update the number 9 the petty offense register, and the petty offence statistic, and how to cross-references the same with the station diary. I learn how to book prisoners into the station, how to take, log and secure prisoner’s property.
Although the Central Police Station, station’s office do not have a number 8 or a crime register and an accident register, from her teaching, I got to understand the basic principles of updating the said logs. As a result, a few months later, when I was transferred to the Barrouallie Police Station; and Cpl. Noel Patterson was burdened down with being the station orderly, the station officer and was expected to also do the monthly returns of the station, I volunteer to work the station orderly.
Of course Cpl. Patterson was hesitant. Because I was a driver and the drivers did not know how to do police work. However, Patterson handed over the station orderly to me, he took the logs and went upstairs to do the monthly returns. He told me to call him if I need help. Patto made some checks to see if I was doing ok.
However, later that day, when Cpl. Patterson came down to examine the diary and the other document including the petty offence and crime register their statistics etc. While going through the records, and the statements I had recorded, I hear Cpl. Patterson declare; “Ah way the fuck me ah hear ya! And you ah driver!” He paused for a while as he continued to examine the record and to read through the statements I record while the station orderly, then he said: “Naa me have to bring this to specky’s (Inspector Dougan) attentions, you doing better work then most of the police here and them got you driving fucking police transport.” His voice competed with the culture music that was blaring in the back ground; the music he always play and sing along to while he work.
Had it not been for the counsel and the help of Edda Ambris, I would not have been as prepared as I was upon being transferred. As a result, of Patterson’s intervention, my duties were doubled, I was now assigned as the other men were assigned, along with my driving duties. But I did not mind the extra work. I was and am not afraid of hard work and I was not a new comer to hard work.
However, around this time, I was back at the Transport Section, at the Central Police Station on another assignment there. I was beckoned to the station’s office by Cpl. Ambris, she said Palmer I have a crazy man at Ottley Hall behaving bad, I want you to take two men and deal with the matter for me. the Cpl. assigned the two men and I departed to deal with the incident. The NCO’s at the Central Police Station knew how I work; When I was the senior person on the mission they instructed me. They knew I am not the kind of person that dropped juniors to an incident sit back in the vehicle and what happened, happened. I understood my role as a police officer and I understood the responsibility of my seniority.
I had two very young police officers, who had just passed out of training school. Cpl. Ambris’ last instructions to me was. Palmer don’t go over there and get injured, if you cannot deal with the man leave him and let the authorities send SSU. That is what they are there for.
On arrival I saw a large crowd of people standing in the street looking up into the veranda of the two story wall house. all of the attention was focused on the second floor the building. This house appears to have a business on the ground floor. No one appeared to be at home all of the doors and the windows were lock.
I saw some of the people from my neighborhood who have occupied squat lands and now have their home in the area. The first person to address me was my old neighbor Pat for Ruth or Patricia Telemaque, whose mother's name was Ruth. Ruth was a family friend and a neighbor. She said to me; “Allan why them send you, instead them send SSU. "Na go up they mak that man push you over that banister yon na”.
One look at the crazy man standing in the poach, and the young police began to panic. The man was naked as he was born. If my mental recollection served me correct; he was about five feet nine inches tall, I was just a hair taller than he was. And he was all bulging muscles. I looked at the community in distressed and the interest the community had in this situation; and I knew that I cannot just turn around and go back to the station. What kind of police I would be to leave the community in distress; what kind of example would I be setting for those who knew and respected me.
One thing I knew, whatever happened today, I will leave that place with the respect of everyone present. not for foolishly trying to be a hero. But I was going to do my best. Because, I noticed their apprehension, I did not want to make the job any harder for them, by forcing them into actions they were not mentally or otherwise prepared for. As a result, I told the young police to stay at the transport, if things go wrong call for back up. I walked up the steps to the poach. There came that voice of cautions from pat again. Allan na mek that man push you off that poach yon na.”
I had a plan it was not the best or the wisest plan but I had to appear to be doing my job. I turn my back to the wall in the same manner the man was standing, and I began to inched my way down to where the man was standing on the poach. I extend my right foot side first and then I bring my left foot to meet my right foot. By approaching the mentally deranged man this way, I did not open myself to be thrown off the veranda. And by the looks at this man’s muscular frame he could have done so with ease.
As I inched my way down to the crazy man I never once took my eyes off of him. If he even flinched I must know. However, and fortunately for me, the man did not move a muscle. I was in an arm’s length of the man, it will be foolish to get any closer, I do not know this man, I had not background information of the man and what he was doing prior to the call. It would have been foolish for me to get any closer to him. At lease I had taken some action to justify my attending the scene. He did not react to me getting within arm’s length of him; Now I must push the envelope a little further.
Now I must see how he will react to being touched without getting into trouble with this well-built crazy man. As a result, I slowly stretched out my right hand to my right then, I gently touched him on his shoulder to test how he was going to react to being touched. The crazy man had allowed me within three feet from the man. May be he will have a different reaction when being touched. In my mind, I should be able to react fast enough and get out of harm’s way if anything should go wrong. On hindsight, I was really in harm’s way all the while.
Then with my outstretched right hand, I gently touched the shoulder of them well built unnamed mentally insane man. Then something happened; the man moved at my touch. His movement was not rough, brisk, and neither was in aggressive. It was a sudden and unexpected casual movement; The Crazy man turned and he walked as if to walk off the veranda. I did not remove my hand from his shoulder; then I realized he was following my lead, so I lead him off the veranda, down the steps and over to the transport where the two police were waiting with a pair of old screw hand cuffs to put on him.
I told them no; no handcuffs. This man was cooperating with us, no need to do anything to anger or cause him to stop cooperating with us. I led the man into the police vehicle, I told the officers who were with me, to sit on either side of the man, however if he start acting up then we will have to restrain him and try to put the hand cuffs on him. Then I got into the transport and I began to drive that vehicle with my accelerator to the floorboard. I by pass police procedure for admitting patient to the mental health center. I managed to get him to the Mental Health Center safe and I hand him over to them staff there. It was now up to them in dealing with this man. he was no longer my or the police responsibility. Technically he was still the police responsibility until his admittance paper work was completed.
But they Staff at the Mental Health Center understood the situation on these encounters and often forgo the procedures to accommodate the re-hospitalization of potential aggressive patient.
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