[willy]

Different world back then my friend.

When I started on the P.D thirty six years ago we had three bars, one in particular was a big rock and roll club and lots of problems. We also had the motorcycle gang called the Pagan's, who used to come in once a month and raise some hell at that bar and then the Scotchwood Diner after it closed.
Twenty to forty man brawls, with accompanying crazed drunk tattooed bimbettes were a frequent Friday and Saturday night occurrence.
We would go there with four or five guys if we were lucky, and call for back up from the bordering towns and would have a melee where we would literally crack heads and knees, get knocked around ourselves pretty good. Maybe lock up one or two of the worst who assaulted the Police and then everyone would jump on their bikes and in their cars and drive off. We always had to have at least three or four hauled off in ambulances to bloody to get off the ground on their own.
Usually because they put a hand on a cop.
We would all be back at HQ by 3:30 or so, drinking coffee and shooting the breeze.
The junior man, Me for a long time, usually had to write a quick report. About two paragraphs, fill in all the boxes, add a couple of names of the two or three who were in the lock up passed out. Quick arrest report and issue a couple of summons for disorderly person.
Today these incidents would have been accompanied by news vans, all night calls from the press, meetings with the politicians and the press and statements by the prosecutors office in the morning.
Different world all together.
I miss the old one.