Is it just me or should i be making a complaint ...

dave_hill

Here's two good lines to throw into any call to the police -

"I think I saw a knife/gun"

"I think I saw one of them pass something that looked like a wrap of drugs"

Notice the "I think" - this introduces an element of doubt and covers you, because quite clearly there is/was no knife/gun/drugs, but the Five-O don't know that.

Those three magic words (knife/gun/drugs) are absolutely guaranteed to have the filth there before you can put the phone down. And if you mention guns, you'll get an armed response unit, too!!

Failing that, get in contact with the local authority and make representations to the policing committee. After all, you pay your council tax (I presume) and you are therefore entitled to decent policing. If that doesn't work, go to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

schmako

Britain is shit, there is far too much scum. We need a new war to send all these idiots off to. :x (pretty extreme view?)

Nik_B

Sadly the police just like many institutions are getting worse and worse bragging about statistics when in reality they basically ignore many criminal activity.

Firstly make sure that you have lodged your crime so that it is on the data base and therefore will be an unsolved crime should they not act. At the very least it will affect their beloved stats and since this is the only thing they seem to care about may get them to do something. Try to get your neighbours to make phone calls and complains as well, because of their love of stats the police will eventually target areas with higher crime rates and channel more police resources obviously at the detriment of someone else’s neighbourhood but hey...you don't live there so not your problem.

Stick with the passive activities like logs and photos and videos this IS evidence otherwise why would this country have 20% of the worlds CCTV cameras installed in it. If you are not satisfied start making complaints to the police after all you are a customer and they shouldn't be aloud to ignore your plight.

Finally I'd avoid confrontations because this will inevitably end up in something very bad happening either you get in trouble for seriously hurting a minor or you'll end up in hospital.

I once caught a gang of kids steeling a motorbike, I got out of the car with my 2 mates and confronted them. After an exchange of words they left and we got back in to the car. A minute later one of they threw a very large sheet of metal through the back windscreen nearly hitting one of my friends in the head, then my door got pulled open and while I was sitting there in my seatbelt got punched in the face with a rock several times until my other friend managed to hit that guy and they ran off. They did get caught but I had to explain a broken nose and two black eyes to my wife who returned from holiday the next day. It just isn't worth it.

Finally here's the kind of good policing we are getting used to. Two teenagers and some girls got into an altercation with my neighbour, he tried to do the right thing and call the police and not fight them. They smashed windows assaulted him very badly but he hung on till the police arrive. The senior police officer didn't even arrest them and told them to be on their way! On seeing this I walked up to them and let them know this was unacceptable. Not only had they assaulted a man but they threatened to kill him which is a serious crime. Their response...."We can't do anything because we're on call"

KnightofCydonia

Schmako wrote:

Britain is shoot, there is far too much scum. We need a new war to send all these idiots off to. :x (pretty extreme view?)

mass sterilisation & throwing them into a volcano should do the trick.

missmarple

(I've edited this bit as you know what the Police are like, you state your views and the next thing you know they'll coming knocking at your door. Pathetic.)

You have a right to protect your property, perhaps lock your garage or get a cheap Argos alarm that you can conceal somewhere. Air horns, in their ears - anything that isn't touching them cannot be considered as assault.

Failing that, dial 999 every time it happens. :evil:

Anonymous

I find threads like this very sad indeed.

I'm a sergeant with Greater Manchester Police and I see these sort of incidents every day and believe me, most of the officers on the ground try their best, as do I.

Unfortunately there are some poor officers.

Furthermore we are so bound by priorities and and so bloody busy that it really is luck of the draw most of the time as to whether an officer is available at that time.

In Manchester, the policy is for an officer to turn up within 20 minutes of a burglary being reported. This unfortunately does not happen very often.

It is so frustrating that we can't get to all jobs immediately and this is exasperated when public confidence is lost further when they receive poor service when on the phone to a call-taker or from an officer that does attend.

It is also immensely frustrating when we catch the offenders, send them to court and they get off very lightly indeed.

In an ideal world there will always be officers free to patrol the streets thus reducing the number of incidents but when, for example, you are parading 12 officers on for the WHOLE South Manchester division on a nightshift it is nigh on impossible.

All I can do is ask you all to make a complaint if you have had bad service, write to the press, write to your MP.

The worst crime is apathy, we all need to get the situation completely and openly in the public eye and hopefully put pressure on those responsible for policing at the highest level (i.e. the PM and Home Office) to do something.

To the original poster, you need to speak to the duty inspector about your ridiculous situation at the earliest opportunity. I can't condone falsely increasing the gravity of the situation to get the job listed as a higher priority but I understand why people do it. It causes problems if there is a genuine call of that nature...

I hope you get things sorted.

Nik_B

Well I'm no expert and obviously I can understand Napoleon's frustration but the laws exist allready to deal with such behaviour. In the case of my neighbour They could have arrested the two little scum bags on a number of offenses. Drinking under age, public disorder, assault, threatening to kill which I believe is a serious crime and the list goes on. The appathy was from the useless WPC that was in charge, her male counterpart (less senior) was noting furiously at all the things I said but she just didn't care enough. The neighbour had been kicked repeatedly in the groin and he was heavily bruised but showing increadable restraint he didn't fight back but just kept them occupied untill the police turned up. He wasn't appathetic and in so many cases the public isn't but they are allways on the losing side. Regardless of the rediculous justice system they still have to be arrested and punished. Funny how speeding motorists doen't suffer the same attitude where the PC says "Blimy this paper work isn't worth the effort lets let him off".

Another incident my classic SAAB was kicked repeatedly by a drunk male, I went out in a rage wanting to kick this guys head in to be honest. Another bystander had allready called the police and calmed me down so I opted to do 'the right thing' and let the police do their job. After being told "Listen mate I could rub you up and down that car all day and it wouldn't do that kind of damage" the drunk was arrested but released with a caution so I couldn't see him in court and attempt to get damages.

In the incident where I was attacked, my contact lense had been knocked out so I was partly blind. The didn't make any effort to help me get home or offer to at the very least call me a taxi. I wandered through Fallowfield half blind with a head injury to my mates house.

My dad was racially abused but because he was white they didn't want to persue the case even though there were witnesses.

When I had been broken in to and had all my stuff stollen, I get a call 3 months later saying that the police would like to inform me that they'd caught the guys who'd done it. I asked if they'd recovered anything and they said no. Am I seriously expected to believe that some one would just hold their hands up to a crime when there was NO evidence to link them to it? Obviously they'd cut some kind of deal where they said admit to all these 30 crimes and we'll give you a lighter sentence.

Who's apathetic

Anonymous

Nik, I really do think you missed the point of my post.

Nik_B

Napoleon

Actually I totally got your point and I wasn't directing that at you but rather the frequently used term 'apathy'. While I agree with what you said it seems like even when the public isn't apathetic in the case of my father, my neighbour and myself we tried to do the right thing and the result is still a joke. The stress of doing the police line up when we knew the families of those scum were basically waiting for us outside and then having to go to court was enough for me to never want to do that again. I couldn't help but imagine what might have happened if they'd found out where I lived.

However you are very correct the over the years people seem to care less about politics which is the bigest problem because we ultimately are the ones who can change things if we want but people are no doubt more interested in watching the TV or reading about Jade Goody instead of writing to their local MP and actually changing things.

I do genuinely feel for you all it must be absolutely soul destroying.

ride_whenever

rules only serve those who don't obey them, completely excessive punishments are the only way to control crime.

Make the consequences so horrific that crime no longer becomes worth it, why do the people who opt out of the rules of a society deserve fair treatment? I believe it was rousseau (sp) who said something along those lines in The Social Contract, its a fairly interesting read and certainly makes sense.

Anonymous

Nik, I was also talking about apathy from the police side.

mattbarnes

Being a serving officer with one of the countries finest forces, I ask the reasonable people of this forum (and in any other walk of life) NOT to take the 'advice' given by some of the contributing members of this thread. Those who have simply guessed at how the law stands with regards to situations similar to those dicussed on here, I can offer you this peice of advice from the Criminal Law Act 1967 (sec 3):

'a person may use as much force as is reasonable in the circumstances or in the prevention of crime or in the affecting or assisting in the arrest of offenders, suspected offenders or of those unlawfully at large'.
The main area to focus on is in the first few words - use as much force as is reasonable in the circumstances . This means that should you find one of the local ne'er-do-wells trying the drivers door of your neighbours K-reg Astra, you will not be justified in taking your lovingly crafted piece if two-by-four with the six inch nails hammered through it and beating him/her to within an inch of their life. Unfortunately, these people have rights too although I am a firm believer that such rights should be waivered once they've stepped over the line.
On the other hand, should you be awoken in the night by someone taking your 72" flat srceen out of the patio doors and when challenged by you they pull out something sharp thats going to do you some damage and you are in genuine fear for your life , then swing away! There is not a court in the land that would convict you of any serious offence providing you can justify your actions.
As hard as it is to advise in these situations, are any of your possessions, including your bike(s) really worth losing your, job, family, freedom or life for?

Its always easy to belittle the local constabulary. Unforutnately, NapoleanD is right. There are officers who are lazy or incompetent or both. But it is extremely frustrating for the officers like myself who want to help but are hindered, not only by these colleagues but by the cross section of society that don't help themselves. A prime example being "Aye, I just left me bike propped up against this wall while I went into me mates house. I didn't both lockin' it 'cos I was only in for a couple of hours. Are ye gonna get it back for 'is?"
These are the kind people who critisise the police for not finding their bike. Prevention is better than cure...

And one more thing; do you honestly think we haven't grown wise to the 'I think they've got a Knife/doing drugs' line? Pray the day never comes where you're faced with someone who REALLY DOES have a knife and the only police officer on duty is the lazy, synical one who thinks you're 'crying wolf'.

tlw1

advert in the local paper warning people about the scum bags complete with a picture & log of the Police "action".