Former city police officer lifts lid on life in the force

Lianne Ryan

14 May 2008

A FORMER city policeman has written a book about his experience of policing the streets of Coventry, from defending himself against violent criminals to bullying within the force.
Paul Browning joined West Midlands Police as a cadet in 1988, serving eight years at Little Park Street police station.
But the 37-year-old walked away from the force after 12 years, disillusioned by the reality of policing - a far stretch from the dream job he had envisioned.
His book, The Good Guys Wear Blue, gives a behind the scenes insight into the police force.
Paul, who grew up in Hillfields, had dreamt of fighting crime since his days as a 14-year-old paper boy, when he chased a mugger who snatched an elderly woman's handbag.
He retrieved the woman's handbag and helped put the youth behind bars - an experience which made him realise what he wanted to do with his life.
"I wanted to be a policeman and help other victims of crime, and I wanted to catch the bad guys and see them punished," he said.
But the reality of the job proved very different to Paul's expectations.
"I don't paint a pretty picture of policing in the UK in this book but it is time somebody told you what is really going on," he said.
Each chapter in the book covers a year of Paul's time in the force, during which he experienced bullying, violent criminals, and dealing with high profile cases involving rapists and child molesters.
Paul said: "It's strange, in the police force you can see dead babies and corpses but no one asks you if you are okay. Police officers are not meant to have feelings, they are expected to have a stiff upper lip and just crack on."
But frustrated by the amount of paper work and politics he encountered in the force, Paul decided to leave.
After leaving the force, he visited a psychotherapist to talk through his experiences of being a police officer.
Finding it a positive experience, he decided to explore his feelings more by writing the book.
The BBC has shown interest in turning The Good Guys Wear Blue into a police drama, and Paul joked: "I'd quite fancy Johnny Depp to play me, I like him."
He now owns his own IT business and lives in Milton Keynes with his partner Donna. The couple are expecting their first child in July.
He plans to launch his own publishing company and release more books about his experiences after leaving the police force.
The Good Guys Wear Blue is available from Waterstones in Cathedral Lanes.

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