general gopher

[krisstte]

Just want to be sure if I understand the meaning in a right way. Here's some context:

Detective Superintendent Mairéad MacCullagh is bent over a toilet bowl inside Bournemouth Central police station when her phone starts shrilling. ..... It’s Halley, her DS and general gopher, calling from an internal line.

S. Lloyd "The Memory Wood"

I know, that gopher means an employee who is often sent on errands. But is this the same in police (UK)? Does it mean, that Halley is Meirida's assistant officially?

 

[jutfrank]

Yes, it's the same meaning.

 

[Skrej]

If this ranking is accurate, it would seem that MacCullagh is of mid-upper rank on the hierarchy, while a DS is of the 2nd lowest rank, so it makes sense for the DS to report to her and handle the more mundane, tedious tasks.