Phyllis Dobbs

Infobox character
name = Phyllis Dobbs


caption = Phyllis Dobbs
first = The New World| gender = Female
occupation = Police Officer for Manchester and Salford Police
title = Woman Police Constable (WPC)
episode = 15/16
portrayer = Noreen Kershaw

Woman Police Constable Phyllis Dobbs is a fictional character in the BBC One Sci-Fi police procedural drama "Life on Mars", although no mention is made of her in the spin-off, "Ashes to Ashes" and appeared not to have moved to London with the CID team. She is played by Noreen Kershaw.She appeared in all but the first episode.

Personality

Phyllis, despite being a woman, is regarded by other characters as "one of the lads", and socialises with them in the pub after work which is the "male domain". In a time of social upheaval and women being treated as inferiors to men, Phyllis's no-nonsense attitude earns respect with the male fraternity because they know that, whatever rank they are, she won't tolerate their disrespect. Inappropriate comments to her or her friends may provoke a rude comment or a clip around the ear, as DC Chris Skelton learnt the hard way.

WPC Dobbs usually plays by the rules, although in "Wrongful Death", she intervened to save young Annie Cartwright from being dismissed after DS Ray Carling assisted by DC Chris Skelton forced a prisoner to eat un-cut cocaine confusing it with a truth inducing drug, which proved fatal.

Job Role

WPC Dobbs' usual role at the police station is manning the front desk, allocating cells to arrested prisoners, and performing half hourly welfare checks on them. She exercises some power in this - in "The New World", she allocated a prisoner who had annoyed her to a cell where someone had previously been sick.