Making a complaint against the police

[BeTheChangeYouWantToSee]

Hello

I'm making a formal complaint against several police officers this week and just looking for some any tips or advice you may have.

Brief back story: a 'friend' (a police officer) have me her dog. Totally informal arrangement, trial periods set, all agreed and everyone happy with outcome of us keeping the dog once trial period ended.

She falls out with me shortly after. I don't engage much with her attempts to text abuse me about her grievance (not dog related)

5.5 months later...When at work she turns up at my elderly neighbours-dog sit while I work with her ex partner (policeman and works at my local station) and young daughter Tells husband she wants dog back, threatens police (this is a civil matter isn't it?) later that day calls the neighbours wife begging her not to tell me about visit, reiterates she wants the dog. I receive a very carefully worded text saying I have nothing in writing and she wants dog.

I call 101 and trading standards both tell me it's civil and she'd have to take me to court so I don't reply.

That night 3 large male police men turn up at my door, videoing everything, (I'm a single mum and the dog is of the miniature variety) my neighbour sits with me whilst they inform me I've been accused of theft, (apparently I was just looking after dog whilst she got her life sorted and refused to return it-incidentally I've never refused verbally, in person or in writing.. I've not seen her since dec and only had text abuse from her in that time) old owner has the papers for the dog and they have no choice but to remove dog from my home. (I would never steal and have never been in trouble with the police before)

This was obviously hugely traumatic, harrowing and a horrible experience. This dog was apart of our family and my sleeping children didn't get to say goodbye. I'm told I'm not in trouble unless accuser presses charges against me. They tell me I have to put a civil case forward to have our dog returned to us and as far as they're concerned this is over and done with. I'm not arrested.

Following day a sergeant calls and asks me if I felt the officers responded properly. Asked me for full story. Hand on heart this dog was for all intents and purposes ours and she was given to us. Her ownership in my mind was with us. I explain to him I'm very upset a police woman has lied in order to get dog back. He promises to look into it and get back to me.

He doesn't. I have to call twice (gave him a week before I called) and he sounds perplexed on phone and what it is I want to know. Ummm my dog was taken from my home with a lie.... Do I need to spell it out? He sounds reluctant to give me any info or go into detail. I then tell him I wish to make a formal complaint against accuser.

I asked him if 3 police officers turning up to a single woman's home is usual protocol in light of alleged crime. He says he can't answer that and I have to raise it In my complaint?

Friend of a friend who is ex police hears about my story, tells me I should have been arrested and questioned if they were taking allegation seriously... Because I wasn't arrested they had no powers in which to take my dog as it's a civil matter. Is this true?

Any advice? Duty serg is calling tomorrow to book in appt.

[sykadelic]

Do you have ANY proof that she gave you the dog? Witnesses? Texts? Emails etc? When you say "carefully worded text" saying she wants the dog back, what exactly did it say?

I don't really have an advice but I'm hoping for the best for you. How awful!

[BerylStreep]

I think the police officer 'friend' has a right to make a complaint of theft to police if that is what she genuinely believes is the case.

She has tried contacting you, and from her point of view, have refused to engage, or return the dog, so being the legal owner, with correct documentation, is entitled to make a complaint of theft.

Rules about power of arrest have changed in recent years, that your friend of a friend ex police officer may not be aware of. There is a necessity test, which presumably the police who called at your home felt wasn't met. There is still a power of seizure under PACE.

Who is it you are making the complaint against?

The ex-friend?

The police who called and seized the dog?

The ex-partner who is also an officer?

[BeTheChangeYouWantToSee]

My last phone back up was on 26.12.13 so includes texts and hopefully whatsapp messages where she is explicitly saying I've done her a favour, she doesn't want the dog and am I sure it's ok to have her. Also the first text saying do you know anyone who would have her when this all started. I've not restored my phone to that back up as I don't want to lose what I have now and will have to find out how to do do that without losing Decembers backup.

Her allegation is entirely false and there's no way on this planet she could think differently, genuinely she is lying. The dog was given to me by her, she's a vindictive and selfish person by nature, I am almost certain this behaviour and lying isn't about the dog but her feeling aggrieved that I wouldn't fall over and apologise for what she fell out with me about. The reason I wouldn't was because her feeling angry was pathetic and actually what she did that night was really bad (trust me) she only had dog for 3 months, I had her for 5.5... She hasn't got time or capacity to care for her :-( that's how I know the is to get at me and not about the dog

In feb she asked for sharing of the dog or have her on her days off in one message. my reply was let's meet to discuss dog (and obviously tell her she's a mad woman for wanting shared custody of a dog!!!) her reply was 'I'm not paying petrol to meet you, just have her, I knew you would do this' then sent abuse for a whole day about the falling out. I knew that message was just to engage me in a text fight and nothing to do with the dog, I know her very well and how she thinks... It never crossed my mind it was a genuine request and her subsequent messaging proved that to me. This I won't have on phone back up though. So I have never refused her the dog ever and my texts back to her were limited and didn't engage with her nonsense but I did reply.

My complaint is against her lying and also the attending officers. It was incredibly intimidating and really scary experience. I've never been in trouble before or put myself in a position that would lead to serious trouble. Pretty normal tax payer here with bad judge in character! I also want clarified if procedure was followed and if I was treated differently to another person accused of the same thing. Was chatting to my neighbour about it tonight, she was saying how intimidating and dictatorial they were being and that they made it clear I had no rights in this situation except to take her to civil courts and they weren't leaving without the dog

Another friend was saying apparently a trained dog handler is only allowed to remove dogs from homes.. This didn't happen that night. Is this true?

Her text that day said basically; you need to return her, you don't have in writing owning her, I have papers. No mention of theft, police involvement, nothing. She also said my neighbours husband was happy to give dog to her there and then but she didn't want to be sneaky and take her.She claimed that my neighbours won't dog sit for me anymore and as I work full time it means she's a better carer for the dog .. Both a blatant lies as they never said that.

On my phone so can't scan to posts to see if I've covered everything.. Hope so. Thanks so much for replying

[BeTheChangeYouWantToSee]

Forgot to say, duty sergeant called today to book appt for complaint. I was told they didn't understand why it needed to be done before serg in charge of case returned to shift as he had already actioned some things (don't know what this means) and it would possibly confuse things if another serg got involved. I happily agreed to wait for when he returns to shift but feel perplexed how things have already been actioned when I haven't made a formal complaint yet (though he is aware of my side of things)

[ElsieMc]

I don't know anything about the legalities in this situation. Howevever do beware if they ask you to accept the local resolution process. The investigation will then be undertaken by another officer (senior) at the same police station and it is quite intimidating to sit in the workplace of those you are complaining of. Ask for it to be dealt with by headquarters. Again, your chances are not great. In our area, out of around 400 complaints per year, 15 were upheld.

I think they may ask you what questions you want answered ie why were three officers deployed to retrieve a dog etc.

My feeling is they were doing their colleague a favour and this is wrong but as others have said, she has accused you of theft.

[nickynananumbo]

Hi. What police force area are you in? You need to make a complaint to the Professional Standards in your area. They are the police that investigate complaints into police officers.

From what you say it sounds like they have abused their position of authority.

I suggest you put it in writing and clearly state at the top 'FORMAL COMPLAINT INTO ACTIONS OF POLICE OFFICERS'

This will kick a formal process into place and somebody more impartial will investigate.

If you google 'police professional standards [enter your local policing area ie. Avon and Somerset]' you will get all the info you need.

Here is a link from one force as an example.
www.thamesvalley.police.uk/aboutus/aboutus-depts/aboutus-depts-profstd.htm

Good luck and stand up against police abusing their powers. I have.

[BerylStreep]

But it is not clear if police have abused their powers.

There appear to be a number of issues here:

1. Ownership of the dog - which is far from clear.
   
2. The ex friend reporting the matter to police as theft.
   
3. Action of police in calling to the house and seizing the dog.
   

I personally think it is pretty low to involve someone's employer in what is essentially a falling out between former friends over a dog. Would you like your former friend to approach your employer about this? You would, rightly, claim she was being vindictive if she did this.

The former friend tried to speak to you about this, and you have refused to engage with her, which is your right. But you can't then be surprised that she reports the matter to police as theft. And rightly or wrongly, you can't prove that the dog was given to you. She is the lawful owner, and has the papers to prove it.

IMO the only aspect where there could be a potential complaint is if the matter wasn't formally reported to police using the correct channels. If she formally reported it, there will be a log of report and of the decision-making process that was utilised, and a supervisor will have signed the matter off. It will have been dealt with no differently than if it had been reported by Joe Blogs.

If she has phoned some of her mates to call round and seize the dog, without it going through official channels, that is another matter entirely and would involve the former friend abusing her powers, as well as the officers who called to the house.

I also think you are being given dud advice from friends of friends who were once in the police.

[nickynananumbo]

Exactly. It is not clear. But sending around 3 police officers to collect a dog that someone reported as stolen is highly suspect on the face of it. If you report to professional standards they will investigate. They will find abuse of power, or they will not. They will report back to you their findings. Either way they are the only ones who will be able to look fully into her report of theft and actions taken after that. I would not trust making a complaint just via the police station itself.

Been there.