Geoff goes back on patrol again

13 October 2022

A West Midlands Police Federation member has helped give a retired officer a trip down Memory Lane after learning he was suffering from dementia.

PC Dean Wainwright went above and beyond after staff at The Knowles care home in Tile Hill, Coventry told him they wanted to arrange a Blue Light Breakfast for former West Midlands traffic cop Geoff Brown who is now a resident.

But what started out as a small event became a major celebration featuring a classic police car, a police motorbike, a mocked-up crime scene, visits from serving and retired officers and a slap-up sausage and bacon breakfast.

Dean said: “My father is in The Knowles and the manager told me they had another ex-police officer in the care home whose dementia was progressing and that they wanted to do a Blue Light Breakfast for him. 

“They said they wanted to make it really special because Geoff is a former Coventry traffic officer and one of the first guys on the new BMW bikes back in the 1970s. So I promised to see what I could do.”

Dean then tracked down some of Geoff’s former colleagues who all attended the special breakfast and he also managed to locate a 1990 Rover Vitesse traffic car which he took along to The Knowles on the day which he arranged and attended during days off.

Geoff returns to patrolling.

Staff there had pulled out all the stops to convert the home’s front garden into a dummy crime scene complete with body lay-out, CSI numbers and blue and white tape.

And the highlight of the day was when Dean took Geoff out for a ride in the old police car and “patrolled” the local neighbourhoods.

Dean, who is based in Park Lane, Aston, and works with the West Midlands Police drone team and in corporate communications, said: “It was great to see Geoff enjoying himself and being able to recall his time in policing.

“The police family never forgets one of its own and Geoff spent many years as part of our traffic team in the ‘70s and ‘80s. 

“The care home came up with the idea of the Blue Light Breakfast and I tried to create a traffic police theme as much as possible.

“I managed to track down some of his former colleagues, who kindly came along, and was able to source a vintage car. 

“We also had some of the current Coventry neighbourhood team pop in, and all the other care home residents seemed to enjoy the occasion.”

The Blue Light Breakfast caught the attention of the BBC Crimewatch Live team who featured the event on one of their national broadcasts.

And, as a result, the initiative has gathered pace with similar events taking place in other care homes across the region.