So, I have almost finished my career.
Thirty long years in the police, the last nine and a half here in North Wales, and at midnight tonight it will all be over.
I am completely institutionalised - I don't own my own mobile phone or Blackberry, I don't possess my own car, or even insurance (I'm named on my wife's).
I haven't been into a garage to buy a tyre or get a car serviced for a decade.
You may be wondering how I'm going to cope out there in the real world. I certainly am.
But before I hang up my boots for good I look at North Wales Police in mid-2009 with real pride in what we have achieved together over the last several years.
NWP is now one of the very best performing forces in England and Wales and we continue to improve.
Crime is way down, detections are way up, our roads are much safer and so indeed is our whole society - in fact the evidence shows North Wales now to be just about the very safest place to live in the whole of England and Wales.
And we are dramatically improving public satisfaction with our standard of service, aiming for real excellence there too in the near future.
But that's not all. Due to good planning aided by our outstanding Finance Dept we are OK financially, and despite a very uncertain economic future for the UK I am confident that we will be able to maintain police numbers for some time to come.
We have the best kit available anywhere, the envy of our colleagues in other forces (many of whom are now copying our lead - the very best form of flattery).
We are leading the service with mobile coputing and use of the internet, and our whole community policing programme is cutting edge. I could go on and on - many of you will recall just how true that threat is!
However, although I will resist the temptation to witter on endlessly, I simply must mention two more things which have made us so special.
Firstly is our successful attack on our local organised serious criminals - Gizzi and his ilk.
I can remember years ago when the force was almost afraid of tackling him and his sort; now he's been to prison and we've got his assets. And he is not alone.
We don't just catch speeders, we attack hardened criminals and we win. They don't like it, at all. Serves them right.
The second point is totally different but of crucial importance. We have wholly changed the perception of North Wales Police amongst the Welsh speaking community.
We are seen now not as an English-speaking army of occupation but rather as the bilingual local police force, a true part of the community that is North Wales - and I have been inducted into the Gorsedd of Bards of the Island of Britain as a result, an accolade for us all, which almost no-one outside Wales can or wants to comprehend
The fact is that we have made a big difference, and we have done so because we, all of us, are very good at our jobs. We know what we're doing, and we're 'up for it'. This is not luck - it is us, doing our job and doing it well. True professionals; the best.
I have been very pleasantly surprised over he last few weeks since my retirement became public knowledge by the overwhelming warmth towards us felt by large numbers of the public.
I am constantly getting stopped in the street or in the shops, often by complete strangers, and thanked for what we have achieved.
The public have noticed the improvement we have made to their quality of life; a fabulous antidote to the sanctimonious sour note of the malign Daily Mail and the rest of the tabloid press.
A real feelgood factor which makes it all worthwhile - and we earned it together, as a team. I'm proud as hell of us and I hope every one of you feels the same, because you deserve to.
The future for policing in North Wales looks very good. But I won't be part of it, because I've done my bit, and now I'm off. I've sold my house at at a painful knockdown price and am going sailing round the world with my wife just as soon as we can buy the right boat.
Or perhaps I will enter politics, after all. You never know.
Good luck and fondest regards
Good bye.
Richard Brunstrom
Y Prif Copyn
Chief Constable of North Wales 2001 - 2009Link The Leader
Everyone and his/her aunty will be trying to get a letter in The Leader over the above.
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