DeVille on DeVille

“I seemed to have been noticed around about the time of the First Hatton Garden Vault robbery in 1972-3. I was appointed as uniformed officer set to guard the front door. 
I had been selected by C.I. Walker who then recommended me to work as Inspector – that was in about September/October. At that time we were allowed to ‘act up’ as non-uniform for a period of up to ninety days a year only, as I think I mentioned before. Anyway, this gave us bobbies the chance of experiencing detective work and helped to build rapport with C.I.D. As it happened I then worked another ninety days, back-to-back. So I had already been doing a fair amount of continuous plain clothes work when I took my probation exams. This was very unusual. Basically I was fast-tracked because I was jolly good at the job! But then again, I had been taught by some excellent people – ex Services, good Detectives, people who believed in what they were doing, in the importance of how they did it,  and who wanted to pass on that whole ethos, as well as the relevant skills and techniques. I was very lucky.”