Ex-police officer releases unfiltered book about life on the beat in 90s Portsmouth
Former Portsmouth police officer releases book shining light on life on the beat in the city during 90s
A former Portsmouth police officer has released a new memoir offering an unfiltered, often humorous, and deeply human look at life on the beat in the city during the 1990s - a period many officers remember as dramatically different from policing today.
STOP, POLICE! by Richard Foster was officially released on Amazon last week and has already climbed to number three in police biographies in paperback on Amazon worldwide.
The 53-year-old’s self-published book explores his life on the beat in Portsmouth as a police constable between 1992 and 2002 before he moved into serious organised crime.
Richard served nearly 30 years in the force, beginning his career as a probationer at Portsmouth Central. In the 90s he was a uniformed beat officer covering Old Portsmouth and Portsea before becoming an area car driver responding to 999 calls across the city. “Those years shaped me, and they shaped the city. They were fast‑moving, often funny, sometimes tragic, and always unforgettable,” he said.
STOP, POLICE!, captures the era through real stories ranging from minor shoplifting to murders. Many of the tales unfold against iconic Pompey backdrops that readers will instantly recognise: The Rock Gardens, The Wheel of Fortune, Gunwharf Quays in its early days, and the tight-knit streets of Old Portsmouth.
One chapter even revisits a moment when Richard turned to The News itself for help: an appeal to the public to solve the mystery of thousands of dumped Jaffa Cakes found in a wheelie bin.
He relives the time when fears were aroused as pyrotechnics were let off at the old Tricorn shopping centre - which fortunately turned out to be for filming of an episode of Casualty on BBC.
The author also recalls an incident at the Spinnaker Tower before building had been completed. “There were intruders who broke in at night and got up to the top which was exposed to the elements and quite scary,” he said.
“We thought it might be terrorists or thieves but it turned out to be two drunk lads having a laugh and a dare who were knackered after climbing up all the stairs after not knowing the lifts were working,” he said.
The Bishop’s Waltham author’s array of anecdotes also feature football violence outside Fratton Park which he described as “terrifying”. Under the tutelage of a Pompey fan in the force, Richard was well versed in the local hooligan culture, with him recalling how things were “a lot worse back then”.
The worst occasion saw him in the midst of trying to stop a brawl in Goldsmith Avenue after Pompey had played Leicester City. “Missiles were being thrown at us by the opposing fans as we tried to stop a riot,” he said. “It was still rough and ready back in those days. Things have been cleaned up a lot today. You look at the ring of steel for the Saints match recently and how well that worked.”
Richard says policing has changed dramatically from his time on the front line which saw him head out on patrols with a wooden truncheon and no pepper spray to disarm offenders, while things were also different back at the station too. “There were no computers…it was all pen and paper. It was totally different,” he said.
“The book offers humour, nostalgia, and a candid look at a very different era of policing before smartphones, body-worn video, or social media. It’s a slice of Portsmouth history told from the pavement level, by someone who patrolled it day and night.
“Technology has definitely helped things but I would not have as much fun if I joined now. It was a great career.”
Richard was inspired to pen his book after he nearly died when his career came to an abrupt end in 2020 when he collapsed while on duty. He had suffered a brain hemorrhage due to an undiagnosed rare condition called Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM). “While at work I collapsed and was taken to QA and then by blue lights to Southampton General Hospital. I had brain surgery and had part of my brain taken away,” he said.
“I made a massive recovery and was lucky to survive. Very few people make it to hospital. I didn’t see my wife or kids for three weeks after that. I couldn’t see, walk or talk properly afterwards and was in a bad way. It was touch and go whether I would survive. I left the police force a year after that.
“After the major surgery I instantly felt amazing and different in how my head felt. I had to learn to walk again. It was a long, slow learning curve.”
Richard now lives with minor issues with his eyesight, balance and energy levels - making his feat of writing the 500-page book even more of an achievement. “Writing the book has been a bit of a challenge. I could only type for one hour at a time due to my brain injury. It took me four years to write after I started in 2021. It’s been time well spent though,” he said.
And Richard says he has been thrilled with the feedback. “It’s gone much better than I could have imagined. I’ve had really good feedback. I would never have considered myself an author but people have said it is well-written and witty,” he said.
“I just want to keep spreading the word. The book is for anyone who likes true crime and is interested in Portsmouth. I also want to raise awareness of this brain condition.”
He added: “This book has been a long time coming. Policing Portsmouth in the 90s was raw, unpredictable, and full of moments that stayed with me for life - some funny, some difficult, and some that are nearly unbelievable.
“I wanted to capture the reality of that world before it disappears from memory. The people of Pompey are special and make the city what it is. I’m proud to say I have been a part of that city now. I’m also incredibly grateful for the early support and hope the stories resonate with anyone who lived, worked, or served in the city.”
Richard hopes to have the book in Waterstones and other bookstores in the coming weeks as well as independent stores in the area.
For more details go to: mybook.to/stoppolice