Total Recall

I've just got over the surprise of reading this article,

http://tonysharp.blogspot.com/2007/04/police-managers-massaging-detection.html

and decided to calm myself with a bit of total-recall from a dim and distant past. Can anyone remember parading for duty at 15 minutes before the hour, actually stood in the briefing room whilst the Sgt carried out the briefing, told you what beat you would go out on foot patrol ? Out on patrol almost on the hour and then occasionally produce your appointments upon demand, at any time ? The pre-arranged RV's at a certain junction at a certain time to give the nod that all was well on your beat. Back in at 5 minutes before the booking off hour for a debrief and any handover information. Everything was done by the Sgts or through the Sgts, you never saw the Inspector unless you were in the cacky or had done something exceptional, and normally this was only expected as being part of the job. Bugger would always sign, time and date your PNB on the next free line. If anyone wanted to know anything about you they asked the Sgt. This figure of enormous power and respect who would bollock you for just about any small thing out of place but would defend you with his life if anyone else had the nerve to slag you off, one of his boys. The staff appraisals where the Sgt wrote about individuals, the kind of job they did, how individuals performed and the word of the Sgt was accepted, it was gospel. And they were always called Sergeant until you got over 5 years in and then it relaxed to Sarge because you had earned it. I can remember all of that. How things have changed.