The Zohan

My experience last week.
I called 999 to report a apparently drunk man who was walking down the slip road close to the Hilton Hotel (use the pool/gym there). The man was wavering and wandering and at some points into the inside lane of the A45 carriageway. I used my horn to signal my presence behind him and he got aggressive and abusive, shouting and waving his fists at me along with other rude gestures infront of my two young kids. This man then carried on walking down the slip-road so i was unable to get past him or use the slip road to gain speed and join the dual carriageway, We just sat there. I had to wait, stationary on the slip road until he walked off of the end of it before i could enter the carriageway.

Give the boys in blue thier due The Police X5 arrived quite swiftly (only some 1.2 miles or so from Mereway), i saw them stop the man by a laybay pulled up in said layby just up the road to explain what had happend and the officer badge number 457 (i believe) was off-hand, disinterested in what i had to say and told me to go on my way and so far this man had not committed an offence. I belive wandering about and a dual carriageway and preventing traffic from joining the carriageway and threatening to 'kick my head in' which the drunk would have warranted him being removed from the side of the road and a night in the cells as for not committed a crime how about, threatening behaviour for one.

The officer was not interested in what i had to say or contribute or having to do any work. All he managed was to wind down his window to tell me to go away.

the Police police this country by consent and the cooperation of the people in this country. I will think twice about getting involved in future and putting myself and family out to help the police if this is the prevailing attitude.

I am sure if i had been speeding down the a45 they would have shown a lot more interest.

GMballistic

iTrader: (1)

You obviously where unlucky and met an ar*e hole copper....there are a few about
I say good on you for reporting the drunk prat. The Police man should of thanked you for bringing the drunk to there attention IMO. Without members of the public reporting things half the crimes in this country would go unsolved or reported. I would have thought the drunk was guilty of a Section 5 from the Public Order Act 1986;
Section 5: Harassment, alarm or distress

(1) A person is guilty of an offence if he—

(a) uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour, or

(b) displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting,

within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby.

(2) An offence under this section may be committed in a public or a private place, except that no offence is committed where the words or behaviour are used, or the writing, sign or other visible representation is displayed, by a person inside a dwelling and the other person is also inside that or another dwelling.

(3) It is a defence for the accused to prove—

(a) that he had no reason to believe that there was any person within hearing or sight who was likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress, or

(b) that he was inside a dwelling and had no reason to believe that the words or behaviour used, or the writing, sign or other visible representation displayed, would be heard or seen by a person outside that or any other dwelling, or

(c) that his conduct was reasonable.

(4) A constable may arrest a person without warrant if—

(a) he engages in offensive conduct which [a] constable warns him to stop, and

(b) he engages in further offensive conduct immediately or shortly after the warning.

(5) In subsection (4) “offensive conduct” means conduct the constable reasonably suspects to constitute an offence under this section, and the conduct mentioned in paragraph (a) and the further conduct need not be of the same nature.

(6) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale

Eitherway I think you did the right thing

Will

I agree with ^^

Will

I agree with^^

gallois

best to report ar5eholes like him, say how it has changed your views on reporting crime etc etc....you have his badge number.

Scooby Dan

Sounds like a bit of an idiot.
I am surprised he didn't get out of the car and check your tyres, tax disc etc.

The Zohan

Perhaps the 2008/09 crime figures give some idea of the current attitude to crime and crime reduction - not good reading really - considerably worse than the UK 'average' figures in all respects;
http://www.upmystreet.com/local/crim...rthampton.html

billythekid

The BiB might have been off with you - which is wrong - but to just want the guy thrown in a cell for his actions is maybe not the right line of enquiry... maybe he just had a death in the family, or maybe had a domestic, or mabye he has mental issues... not many normal people walk down slip roads.

I would rather take the person to a place of safety than arrest them (MHA) if I thought they were going to do something daft.

Still, as for the way you were spoken too - sounds a bit rum to me - I mean if you had not called the guy could have ended up as road kill....

HTH.

s70rjw

iTrader: (2)

Sounds to me like you received a poor service, good on you for reporting it. Please don't let this bad experience put you off reporting matters to the police. Maybe a brief letter to the police outlining how the officer dealt with you and how you felt may assist in developing him into being an officer fit to meet the public.

Will

Paul i bet they see you as a queer and took no notice what so ever

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

I'm in agreement here. Like any profession, people can have the wrong attitude, but don't lose faith completely. As said maybe write a letter of complaint, or (and I don't know how all this works) go to the station and ask to speak to a senior officer and explain what happened. Tell them how you are not happy with the attitude you were presented with, but be reasonable and calm.


I see what you mean but maybe Paul was of the mind of 'lock him up' as not only was he being a nuisance/danger, he was also agressive. What if this bloke came across someone else on his wander that he didn't take kindly to? Not many people do the above, or countless other things that seem to just happen when excess alcohol is involved. Maybe there was a story behind it, but there often will be, it doesn't mean people should just get away with things. People get locked up for a night for far less just in towns during the weekend. Maybe the safest place for the bloke was in a cell for a night.

Ultimately, if it were me, all it would've taken was for the policeman to say thanks for reporting this and we'll take it from here.

Leslie

I agree with that. It was a very poor attitude to display and the points made by gallois are quite correct.

I imagine he was trying to avoid having to fill in a yard and a half of paperwork which is enough to put anyone off from taking action, but that is no excuse when it comes to protecting that drunk from himself and maybe another driver from having a nasty accident.

I would certainly report him, no difficulty in identification there, and it might even eventually go some distance towards removing all the red tape etc. which is so restricting for the police when trying to do their job.

Les

r32

Did you get his number? If so make a formal complaint. It will have to be investigated.

Fiona Pilkington, like others had similar police treatment.

The Zohan

Being i had the notion to whine about this on here the least i can do is make it official with a written complaint to Northants Police, which i did yesterday afternoon.

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

Good on you.

Just let us know what happens.

Leslie

Well done, it will be interesting to see their reply.

Les

urban

iTrader: (1)

I think some police officers are just plain and simply tools.

I rang 999 a few years ago whilst driving down the M2 from Belfast as there was a couple of kids walking on the motorway albeit in the central reservation.

Cop on the phone actually asked said to me after giving details "I hope thats a hands free call your making"

In my own opinion it seems that the "youngster" officers are the tools(Maybe its peaked cap and all that) with the more mature officers actually being OK

Sgt_Pepper

You are allowed to use a hand held mobile if you are phoning the emergency services!

Snazy

I had a strange interaction with the police a couple of weeks ago, well a 999 operator anyway.
I passed a CIT van parked up at the roadside with is "help help, post office vehicle under attack, please call the police" alarm going.
I parked up near by, observed for a moment to see if it was being worked on or something, then put a call in to 999.

After taking my details and location etc I was then somewhat startled to be asked to approach the vehicle to see if anyone needed help. While I am certainly one for offering assistance when and wherever I can, approaching a CIT vehicle which is possible in the midst of being robbed by armed robbers...... Well thats slightly out of my comfort zone, especially as im "not good enough" for the Met lol.

Seemed a strange thing to be asked to do. I can understand that people could be hurt and need help, but surely better to wait for the proper trained people.

urban

iTrader: (1)

We'll fact is I was hands free

However - thats not the point really..............

Whats more important

The fact that there are 2 kids on the motorway, on foot, on their own

Or

Whether the caller is using a hands free mobile?

How did he even know I was driving FFS - I could have been a passenger

ScoobyWon't

Funnily enough, I find it's the PCs and the Sgts that go out on the streets on a regular basis, no matter of age, who are ok. It's those who sit behind a desk, no matter of age, who simply don't have a clue.

Funnily enough, I tried posting the same response at 14:00 today, but it seems not to have made it here.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

My last and final try at "helping the police" occurred in 1978. I drove to the local plod shop on my way home from a night out where I was the designated driver, and reported a man lying in the gutter in an alley about half a mile away.

The plod ouside then gave ME a hard time, insisting on breathalysing ME before they took any action.......the guy could have been dying.

Coppers: bully boys, enforcers and auxilliary tax gatherers for the government, to be trusted about as far as you could chuck them AND their car