Police sergeant's brilliant response to complaint about officers' Costa Coffee break

Sgt Harry Tangye tells man upset about Exeter get-together to give the force a break

A high-profile Devon police officer has given a brilliant response to a man who complained that his on-duty colleagues were drinking coffee at a Costa Coffee near Exeter.

Sgt Harry Tangye replied to the member of the public who said that officers were “availing themselves of the facilities” with their BMWs and Volvos outside.

The armed response and traffic officer, who has a big following on social media, said that police deserved a break as they dealt with everything from cot deaths to suicides during a 10-hour shift.

And he pointed out that there was nowhere else to go, with no canteens in police stations anymore.

Sgt Tangye said that having a break in public was a policy supported by senior commanders in Devon and Cornwall Police.

It is not the first time that police officers have come under attack for having a break in public.

The Sun published a picture on Plymouth Hoe of officers enjoying what they said was a 45-minute stop-off at a coffee place in August 2017.

But readers rallied around the officers, pointing out that they were entitled to a break and may even have been having a work meeting.

Another reader sent Plymouth Live a photo of officers doing exactly the same thing in January 2017. The site’s opinion piece supporting the police was one of its biggest-read articles of the year.

Sgt Tangye told the latest person to complain that the officers were likely to have been not on active duty but on a driving course for the highly-skilled tactics they need on the road.

He added: “I would like to advise you of the following however, as it may help the next time you see this on another occasion with other police vehicles, even response cars. There are no longer canteens in any stations whatsoever.

“Officers are having to work through meal breaks and often don’t have any break during a 10 hour shift; they are often single crewed and have to attend many serious incidents such as fatal road traffic collisions, cot deaths, violent assaults, suicides, domestics and much more.

“You will be aware of most of this, however it is clear policing is incredibly stressful and welfare is a huge priority now because of this. Often, I will suggest to my officers especially on a day shift when things tend to be a little calmer, to meet at a coffee shop, American-style, and have a debrief, welfare or rare get-together to cement the Section and basically de-stress and talk issues through in a relaxed atmosphere.

“This is something the public are mostly fully supportive of now or are getting familiar with it and I make no apologies for this happening as I will indeed encourage it, especially as it has the full support of the Command Team in our Force. I hope this explains matters fully.”