Rookie police officer brought a giant 8in SNAIL with him to work… to calm his nerves (but it died)
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Novice Police Officer Brought A Giant 8-Inch SNAIL To Work… To Calm His Nerves (But He Died)
- New recruit allowed ‘Sid’ to put the snail to work in a ventilated box
- Some fellow officers were unimpressed and personally objected to the snail
- Another officer was allowed to wear a blanket on her head to help with anxiety
- Former Met DCI knocked both down and said there was no place for it in the Corps
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A new police recruit was allowed to take an 8-inch snail to work to calm his nerves — but he’s since passed away.
The snail, dubbed Sid by colleagues, was kept in a vented cardboard box at Bournville Police Station in Birmingham.
Some of the recruit’s fellow officers were reportedly unimpressed and objected personally, but no official complaint was made.
Former Met Police DCI Peter Kirkham, 61, was furious when he learned about the snail, saying there is “no place for pet snails in police stations,” the mirror reports.
It is believed that the West Midlands Police Department has not received a complaint as officers were being prepared for an unofficial ‘wellness’ policy introduced in an attempt to ensure the recruits got through their training.
It is believed that some officers were unimpressed by the snail, but no formal complaint was made. (File image)
The rookie officer has since left the force alongside Sid, who has since passed away.
In the latest police revelations, sources also revealed that a female officer was allowed to cover her head with a blanket on her desk as a coping mechanism for her anxiety.
“Many officers are shocked by what has been accepted. In my opinion, the caliber of new recruits is not what it once was and these coping strategies should compensate for that,” said a source.
“Police is a tough profession. This kind of indulgence doesn’t help to make good officers.’
The giant 8-inch snail was kept in a ventilated cardboard box at Bournville Police Station (pictured) to help a new recruit calm his nerves
DCI Kirkham also suggested that blankets do not belong in a police station unless they are being used for an inmate in a cell.
He added that “police work is not for everyone”. “We don’t want to go back to the Middle Ages, but we have to find the right balance between caring for officers and recruiting officers who are able to do the job. That doesn’t seem to be the case here,” he said.
Former Met Police DCI Peter Kirkham (pictured) said there was ‘no place for pet snails in police stations’
But after the pandemic, a survey of 12,471 regular officers from the Police Federation of England and Wales found that more than three-quarters admitted to having had mental health or well-being problems in 2021.
Last year the Bournville Police Department advertised an ‘Assistant Director of Honesty and Connectivity’ and an ‘Assistant Director of Talent and Organizational Effectiveness’ – both had salaries of around £74,000.
And Chief Constable Sir David Thompson stood up for his recruits, saying his officers are dealing with “one of the busiest, most challenging areas in the country.”
He added that the reality of policing “can be discouraging to some,” which could lead to them resigning before their training ends.
Bournville has seen 2,881 crimes committed in the past 12 months – with the highest rate – 38.1 percent – being violent and sexual offences.
West Midlands Police were unable to verify the claims about Sid the snail.