PW_2_2021

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A Fulfilling Retirement Paul Amoo , New Scotland Yard Branch Paul Amoo looks back on five years of a very rewarding retirement. M any say, “My retirement is going to be spent doing nothing.” Ironically, this can be a contradiction in terms, when

was immediately offered a zero hour contract. It has been a fantastic experience; watching T20 matches, going to T20 finals day in Edgbaston, seeing the Australian touring side, being featured in a ‘YouTube’ video about Arundel Castle cricket club, marshalling at Elton John and Rod Stewart concerts, and getting to finally understand the rules of cricket. School Exclusion Appeal Panel & Admissions Appeal Panel. In my educational world of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, there were no such thing as School Exclusion Appeal Panels (when a child has been permanently excluded from school) or School Admissions Appeal Panels (when a child has not been allocated one of their preferred schools). Despite having never experienced these modern innovations, my police skills came in extremely useful. Interpersonal skills honed from 30 years of policing enabled me to make decisions after actively listening to all parties present. Whatever decision is made will impact on a child’s future, so being focused and professional makes it easier for all parties to accept the panel’s decision. These activities have significantly enriched my post retirement life. I have been to many places, met many people, and had many experiences that I would have missed out on if I had not been involved with this diverse lifestyle. Now when I meet someone new and they ask how I spend my time, I can speak of whichever post retirement activity I’m currently engaged with, and this gives me immense joy and satisfaction.

they really mean: spending time with their family, travelling, taking up new hobbies or making new friends. Often though, these admirable intentions go wrong when your timetable does not coincide with other people’s commitments, and life gets in the way of your best laid plans. In 2016 I found myself approaching retirement. I was already involved in several activities, which I continued post-retirement. I realise now that they brought me immense enjoyment, new skills and exciting experiences, and they gave my life a whole new meaning. So, in post-retirement, what am I doing that has given me this whole new lease of life?

Presiding Officer at UK Elections. During my career I policed many elections, so I took an interest in working at my local polling station. In 2014 I applied to my local council to be an election official. Since then, I have been a polling clerk, counting officer and presiding officer. Doing this activity has reaffirmed the importance of voting in a democracy. Local Authorities are always on the lookout for new recruits, so if interested, give your Local Council a call. Independent Monitor Board (IMB) member for local prison. Wandsworth Prison officers went on strike in 1989 and the police had to step in. I vividly remember those tours of duty and saying to myself, “Paul, never do anything to get you locked up”. Then in 2017, I found myself back in prison, although this time it was as a member of my local IMB. The IMB is a statutory body found in all prisons and immigration centres, monitoring the fair and humane treatment of inmates. Usually the prisoners do not know I was formerly “Old Bill.” Although on one occasion a prisoner came running up to me to reminisce about causing me grief, over 16 years earlier. To my surprise, he was genuinely pleased to see me, and on parting wished me well. The IMB role is one of observing, recording and monitoring. Prisoners can seek you out for advice, so I found that my Police Federation Rep skills came in handy. My police background does help in working with the staff, as I am not viewed as a ‘well-meaning but naive do-gooder’, so when I do bring a concern to their attention, I am given a more than fair hearing. Details on how to become an IMB member can be found at www.imb.org.uk Cricket Club Steward. Growing up in East London, I didn’t really get cricket, so when a friend kept bugging me to become a cricket steward, I was not initially keen. Eventually I relented, and went for an informal chat at my local county cricket club. To my amazement, I

Grass-roots Football Referee. This is an activity that found me. In 2013 I had a child who wanted to play football. There was no local team, so I had to start one. To keep the matches going, I took an FA referee course. Now, seven years later, I am a qualified senior county referee, and was named my county’s Match Official of 2020. Local football matches occur all year round, on all seven days of the week. This activity has enabled me to remain physically active, mentally agile, and I visit places I would have otherwise not given a moment’s thought to. All grass roots team activities e.g., hockey, rugby, netball, basketball and cricket, need people to train as officials. I should add that because it is classed as a hobby, match fees and expenses are tax free.

POLICE WORLD Vol 66 No.2, 2021

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