Sgt 4300 Jan Kingshott
Devon & Cornwall Constabulary
I followed dad into the police, joining the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary in 1993. Both dad and I took a Masters Degree in Police and Criminal Justice Studies at the University of Exeter. This has had absolutely no effect on my employment whatsoever, as it is more difficult to get promoted these days than it is to fly to the moon! But, don't get me started on that!
Anyway, I'm still there now and just over half way through my service. I have served in both the uniform patrol and traffic departments, with moderate excursions into other areas. I joined, however, to be a traffic officer and that was where I was happiest. I loved it and, if I say so myself, I was good at it.
Me, as a "Black Rat" in the good old days!
Me posing beside a burnt out hay lorry on the main A38 road between Exeter and Plymouth.
Sergeant Jan Kingshott (me!) appeared in The Sun newspaper, one of the UK's tabloids, on 9th November 2001. This was three weeks after getting promoted to sergeant. I was rather pleased to appear on page 3, opposite a scantily clad young lady, and the story concerned a matter of the utmost importance to policing in the 21st century. The story reads:-
PRISONER CELL BLOCK HUTCH A pet rabbit spent the night in a police cell ? after being found loitering in the street at 3.30am.
Night patrol Pc Stephen Paynter spotted the bunny on a housing estate and decided it was too late to wake residents to ask whose it was. Instead, he took the brown and white female back to his station where it was kept in custody with a carrot and bowl of water.
Photograph (c) APEX News & Pictures
The bunny spent 12 hours in cell number one at Exmouth nick, in Devon, before the RSPCA took her to an animal shelter.
Sergeant Jan Kingshott, one of the cops who held her, joked: “She was read her rights and offered the chance to use the phone, but she made "no comment". You tend to occasionally find the odd thing in this job. I once saw an otter running up Honiton High Street. The rabbit was popular with staff. They kept going to see her.”
Police hope someone will claim the rabbit, which was found in a cul-de-sac in Lympstone. RSPCA staff have named the bunny Lizzie. A spokeswoman said: “She is obviously a pet as she has been well looked after.”
What they didn't print was that I wanted to name the rabbit "Stew" ! Never let it be said that I have not made a massive contribution to making the mean streets a safer place for all. Please feel free to nomimate me for a Queens Police Medal by writing to your local MP!