gpssti4

iTrader: (6)

A few weeks ago I had a spate of bad events happening. First my father died, then 5 days later one of my cars was stolen.

I dialed 999 and was told that it's not a crime in progress. WTF, it's just happened, within the last 40 minutes. So, I had to get a lift to the Police station where I had to use a phone to report it as they don't have police there for that sort of thing.

I reported it on the Wednesday evening and on Thursday the police sent me a letter to say that they had closed the case, due to lack of leads. Had they done anything? Oh, I got the crime reference number for the insurance company, but surely the police are supposed to investigate this sort of thing? I'd like to know where my hard earned taxes are going.

Oh, and to top it all, I passed under a motorway bridge today at just over an indicated 70mph and there were the lazy donught eating b*****ds. Just my luck to get a ticket too.

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

sounds about right...all about detection and clear up rates. Cameras detect and get you there and then. Much easier to make the figures look good.

speye91

It's not the police,its the *******s who make the rules,****ing twating ****s they are.

The modern police can't do **** all to the proper crims,thats why the second rate crims get it all(motorists)

Tam the bam

Exactly, nail on the head

I got one of the windows on my car shot out by a ned with an air gun, police said as it isn't regarded as a crime no officer will attend We'll phone you back with a ref no for your insurance, I never did get a call from them.

The police are only revenue collectors now, 'if there isn't a fine it isn't a crime' is their new moto

Lee247

I have no complaints about the Police. Living out in the sticks we often get prowlers, the Law are here within minutes.

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

good for you, glad to hear it

For the rest of us, they get worse each year They used to be good. They used to come out when house alarms went off etc etc. Now its hard to get them out, and when they do get there, they are much more interested in checking all of your paperwork to see if they can fine you.

gpssti4

iTrader: (6)

They don't even come out when house alarms go off around here. I called them 6 months ago when an alarm was going off and I still haven't seen them.

The last time I was stopped was in the rain whilst driving my beach buggy home. They stopped me and looked over the car and told me that they don't see many beach buggy's in the rain. No Sh*t Shirlock. They then laughed and got back into their nice warm Vectra, leaving me soaking wet sat in a puddle of water in the go-cart seat fitted to the buggy.

All a waste of space IMHO.

pwhittle

999 is the emergency number - was it an emergency?

billythekid

Just because the call taker did not sound that interested then dont be too sure they are doing nothing in the background.

I would say that most likely your vehicle details will have been circulated over the radio quite quickly and traffic or the stolen vehicle unit (assuming your force has one) would be out looking for it - esp if its a scooby.

However I do know how frustrating it can be talking to the call takers, they have call flow charts they use and your answers can often mean your response is a lot slower - or you dont even get one.

Leslie

The authorities have no concern for the electorate any more. They dont give a stuff if we get burgled or vandalised any more. All the police want is to be able to fill out enough paperwork in order to fulfill the targets set for them so that it all looks good on paper and massages the statistics. To hell with actually doing the job effectively!

Les

simonbb1328

May be more would be done if the government got their fingers out and got more police instead of these PCSO's. At the moment the police officers are so strapped and dont get chance to deal with the decent tax paying members of the public due to non tax paying scum living off our hard earned money abusing the system. 96% of time is spent with these people who dont contribute anything to society and spend their handouts on driugs and alcohol and mating like rabbits instead of being in the area and deal with the people that deserve a service....
rant over

Felix.

I have posted to similar threads on here in the past. The basics of it are that the police are stretched due to numbers. Our job queue at the moment is running between 150 – 200 jobs waiting to be dealt with. In anyone shift you can receive about 30 emergency calls plus a further 200 – 300 non emergency calls. Each of us carries a work load of about 5-10 jobs which require investigations and on shift change over there will be a number of jobs which will be handed over for the next shift to deal with.

The jobs which we get in have to be graded as to their seriousness and necessity for police involvement. In the original post – if the car has gone 20 minutes ago, then making it an emergency would not achieve anything. The car has gone and with it your biggest piece of evidence together with the suspect. This would be circulated as stolen for police units to try and track down on their travels.

Last night we had a response shift or about 15. Of these 5 were tied up with 5 missing from homes and 1 had a rape allegation – so you are down to 9 before you start. Emergency calls start coming in and so the entire shift is quickly tied up and there is no scope to start breaking into the job queue. People on the queue just have to wait until officers become free – and then do you want to be awoken at 0330 to discuss your next door neighbour’s son playing football against you wall earlier that day?

Our shift is not committed to figures and detection rates – you simply deal with the next job that is thrown at you.

stilover

Don't know about that. I reported a hit and run a few months ago (lad on motorbike ran into the side of my car then took off) at my local Police station. Guy behind the desk just didn't want to know. The face on him was unreal, right miserable b*stard. Huffed when I said I wanted to make a statement and report the crime.
After seeing another copper who did take my statement, they were more interested in me. If I had insurance, driving licence etc. If I didn't, do you think I'd be stupid enough to walk into the local cop shop and report a crime? Columbo's job is safe.

The government are a major contributor in the state of the Police these days, but you can instantly tell a good copper from what is becoming more and more a Police force full of workshy c*nts.

Felix.

Do you think we would be stupid if we didn't ask

stilover

The thing was though, it wasn't just asking. They phoned me up a few hours later wanting policy numbers, expiry dates, insurance company details etc.

They had my Licence plate number to start with, so could have found out all that information anyway. Apparently you have a database with all this information on. It just seemed that instead of collecting information (I suggested checking the local CCTV. Oh yes, thats a good idea was his exact words ) that could have got a conviction, he spent most/all of his time seeing if he could do me for something. All without having to get off his @rse.

OllyK

Sadly in the real world, most of us have to deliver to SLAs which are worded in such a way as to ensure delivery of service. If we don't deliver we get kicked out.

The Police have government set targets which allow them to measure stuff. Sadly the government are incompetent at setting the right targets so all the effort goes in to meeting the targets rather than delivering the service the customer wants.

Most public sector is the same, look at what happened when a target was set so that patients shouldn't have to wait more than 2 weeks to see a doctor. Doctors just stopped taking appointments more than 2 weeks in advance. Overnight the target was met and those in whitehall patted themselves on the backs at how well they had done without actually realising that most patients were now worse off as it was next to impossible to get an appointment at all. Even more of an annoyance for somebody who sees the doctor and is told to come and see them again in 4 weeks, but can't book that appointment there and then but has to fight on the phone 2 weeks from the date they want.

_Meridian_

iTrader: (1)

There are crims that stupid and more. Like answering bail at the police station while carrying drugs. Etc.


M

GC8WRX

Alright lads, the police round our way are crap! i gave them the number plate of a metro that drove into the back of me and drove off and they did **** all about it! i went into the station two weeks later for a progress report and was told not to hold my breath! And the next day my mate had an unplanned HOME visit from them cos someone reported his 'plate for chucking a *** end out the window! priorities all wrong!!!!!

noobyscooby

I was rear ended while stationery in Brum two years ago.

My car still driveable despite £4K of damage and the offender's Honda was a write off.

We exchanged details, but I got mobbed by the toerag's Somali mates, and had to be helped out by a Pakistani gentleman who saw the shunt as he was taking some HUGE West Indian bouncers to a night club.

Anyway, I drove off and went home.

I reported the accident to insurers the following morning and then realised that during the mobbing my notebook with the toerag's details had been nicked.

So I went to the plod shop on the way home from work and explained what had happened, etcetera, and could they please help me.

Counter plod listens to my tale of woe and says "What time did this happen yesterday?".

"About 5.30 pm" says I.

He looks pointedly at the clock behind him which says 18:15 and says "You do realise that you must report accidents to the police within 24 hours if you have not exchanged details."

"But I did exchange details" says I.

"So where are they?" says the plod as the clock ticks on to 18:16 " Because I can't see them and you have passed the time limit for reporting, so would you like to give me your details so I can report you for not reporting an accident or would you like to leave the station, sir?"

No wonder I think Thames Valley Police are all sh*ts.

fatherpierre

A car being stolen after 30 mins isn't an emergency in the 'book'.

No leads are just that. It's gone and remains on the police nat computer as stolen until found but it's been broken or exported.

**** I know, but how many people do you expect to be lookin around the streets of the UK for one of thousands of cars stolen?

You want a great, expansive all-seeing police force, but then everyone moans that we live in a police state and over policed with too many cameras and CCTV. The same cameras that catch the slag that steal your stuff.

Abdabz

I found Roxanne and Message In A Bottle didnt age as well as Walking On The Moon... I guess it's each to their own though...

gpssti4

iTrader: (6)

I was appalled at the way they showed zero interest. The 999 operator could have put a flag on the reg plate and then told me to go to the poilce station, but she wouldn't even do that.

The case was closed less than 24 hours after reporting it.

And yes, I do want the police to be out there actively looking for my car. They get paid enough.