Collapse of confidence in police

@toothfairy73
Thanks, but the man is dead now.

Well my experience of the police over the years has been dire, so I would agree with this. I know some are good and care, not all police, etc. But

• First experience. My mothers partner when she seperated from my dad was abusive. I came in from school when 15 and he was shouting in her face and threatening to 'teach her a lesson' (for what, who knows..). I called the police after getting my little brother and sister upstairs away from it all and telling them to lock their doors. Was told it would be 'about 20 mins' before anyone could come. I feared, honestly, he would have killed her by then. And yes, I know this was wrong also but I felt I had no choice. He hit her twice infront of me, she crumpled to the floor and this just kind of happened instinctively. I got a kitchen knife and basically held him against the wall with it until the police turned up...half an hour later. They told him to go home and not come to my mothers house again, and threatened me that they could lock me up for my actions and not to do it again, then threatened me with being arrested as I was really angry with the response and called them 'fucking useless bastards who won't' act til shes dead'. I didn't get arrested as I shut up for fear of arrest. That was it.

-Second experience. Same guy, stalking my mother for weeks. Police had no interst and said they could not act until he 'did something'. My mother pointed out he had already assaulted her, and they had seen the broken nose etc when they came and instead they threatened me for basically, keeping her safe! Kept stalking her, police still not interested. No action.

-Third experience. He turned up again, hit my mother multiple times. Police did turn up in minutes that time (possibly as they were afraid I wold actually stab the bastard this time). Asked him what was going on, he said domestic dispute, and they fucking left. Seriously. Rang again, came straight back, told him to go home. No action taken despite more bruises ad blood clearly visible.

-Fourth experience. Not my experience but along the same vein and I believe my mother when she tells me this as there is no reason for her actions (which I do agree were against the law also..) otherwise. He randomly turned up at a work party. Shouting, threatening, multiple witneses. Hit her, told her he was going to kill her, actually had a knife this time. Everyone apparently just looked shocked and noone intervened..so she ran, got in her car and drove home. He called the police immediately and told them she was driving when she had been drinking. They somehow managed to get to her before she got home and she was arrested. Not sure if mitigating circumstances would apply here, as she did drive over the limit but for fear of her life, and also just over the limit, not that that matters in reality. But..arrested, held for hours, then charged, loss of license, nothing done to him. AGAIN.

-Fifth experience, Same guy, again. Mother had moved on and not heard from him for a few months, was having a drink in the house with a male friend. He turned up, usual threats and hitting her, male friend overpowered him, possibly went overboard in violence but hoestly, it was well deserved I think. Finally, when the police appeared, they arrested male friend, but as the guy had hit him too, he was arrested! Finally! Once he hit a bloke.

Not sure what happened to him after that, purposely tried to forget him but male friend got a warning for violence as far as I remember, but we never heard from her abusive partner for years, so assume he did get locked up, though my mother was ever called to court oddly..

Experiences as an adult.

• Got my own house at 17 as it was possible then where its not really now. Few months after I moved in, creepy guy from up the road starts turning up at my door saying vile things, managed to get my number, also called with vile things often. Wuold shout stuff to me in street, infront of many people. Reported this, was againt old, unless he does something we can do nothing. A lot of women in the street I found out had had 'experiences' with him. He finally assaulted me when I was coming home drunk from a party. I called police, was questioned about why I was drunk at 17, why I was wearing the clothes I had on, told me to get inside and lock door and they fucking left. Thats it. Didn't even bother speaking to him so obviously blamed me. No crime.

-Creepy guy gained confidence. Turned up at my door and tried to force his way in. I fought him, and yes might have been OTT in aggression as I did end up breaking his nose, but in all honesty, I was terrified and 'reasonable force' when someones breaking in to assault you is...hard to stick to, or even think of at the time! Long story short. I got a record for assault. He got nothing.

-Same guy again, trying to kick my door down when I wouldnt answer door! Eventually broke window to get in. Police..will be there asap, no time frame Had a few male frends there though who restrained him. He hit one of them and broke his jaw. Eventually police turned up, and did arrest him. Again, once a bloke was hurt. Its hard not to be..well skeptical about the police and their want to protect women.

Have had a few other incidents with the police over the years, but each and every one of them, action was only taken either when a man was hurt, or when a woman was actually put in hospital (as my friend, was, 10 times calling police, useless, finally he nearly killed her and action was taken)

Father in laws car was stolen also, police told him to send in cctv footage (had cctv due to other incidents, lived in a rough place), then he never heard anything more despite clear pictures of the guy, called up and was told case closed!

I have absolutely zero faith the police would ever help me if I needed it, based on experiences spanning 20 years. But I also know, if I ever insulted/offended a man on twitter, there is a large chance they would turn up and arrest me.

(NC as identifying) I'm a GP. A patient seriously assaulted 2 members of staff in front of a waiting room of witnesses. Both members of staff needed medical treatment and one of them was so traumatised that she has never come back to work.

Guess who the police charged?....... The two members of staff.

The patient claimed that the staff had attacked him. The police apparently took seriously his claim that a 5'2" middle-aged female receptionist had spontaneously attacked a much larger man. Did the police bother to contact any of the witnesses who had the true story? Nope.

We were told by another police officer that this had happened because the patient was a Mason. IDK if that's true but certainly something extremely odd was going on.

I was amazed. I'm not naive - I have worked with the emergency services in deprived areas all my career, and have seen the police throw their weight around (as well as meeting many excellent police officers). I'm old enough to remember some of the big miscarriages of justice like the Birmingham Six, and I have lived in countries where the police are frequently corrupt. But what happened at our Practice to entirely law-abiding victims of crime was not something I ever expected to see in the UK.

@Bananabixfloof I'm sorry the police didn't listen in 1989 re childhood abuse. It is possible to report again and it will be taken seriously now warriorwoman.blog/

More surprised if people have got confidence in the police & criminal justice system. So much corruption, racism, sexism been going on for years & contempt for the public.

Orgreave
Daniel Morgan murder
Battle of the Beanfield
Hillsborough
Stephen Lawrence
Jean Charles De Menzes
The absolutely disgusting Spycops abuse
Sapphire Unit
www.channel4.com/news/sapphire-sex-crime-unit-guilty-of-shocking-failings
Rotherham, Oxford, Rochdale,...
Deaths in Custody - see Inquest for info
Shana Grice
Natalie Connelly

Personal experience has not changed my POV, at all. Arrogant, bullying and brutish in the main. Not to be trusted. Willing to break laws themselves and be untouchable (no seatbelt, using a mobile phone & laughing about tax avoidance when I was in a police car with one not too bright example)

Thought the idea was for them to serve the public but too rarely see that in evidence.

Well we had the chance to elect a government prepared to invest in public services and we didn’t do it
It's not solely a this government thing, I've been very wary of the police for decades now.

Childhood abuse reported 1989, a statement was taken. There it ended.

Burgled 1998, they didnt care. I called them cos me and my young children were in the house as it was being burgled. Terrifying. But no one even came out.

Reported lead stolen from roof circa 2000, not even a crime number.

Police at my door several times looking for a specific person, would not believe that I had no clue who it was. The final time they came to arrest me cos "i was sheltering the person" then they finally look at the paperwork, find out it's the wrong fucking street. Circa 2005.

Police at my door telling me to put my bonfire out, I kind of stared incredulously at them, because I didnt have a bonfire burning. Despite me showing them the next door neighbour had a fire that was fuck all to do with me, all the officer kept saying was "you need to put your fire out". Thickest person I've ever met. Circa 2009

One of my children assaulted. They sent two officers out who just harangues me to forget about it. Not make a fuss etc. Left me in tears. I had to report them. That was 2009.

Pretty much every time I think I should tell the police stuff, I think again and dont bother.

I had one horrendous experience with a policeman which left me with a diagnosis of pstd but I rationalised it by telling myself the fact that he was a police officer was a red herring. He was also a complete and utter bastard who committed a crime and hurt me really badly mentally and physically.

But since then it's been a slow drip. Working with them and hearing the most disgusting comments about my service users who for various reasons had turned to prostitution (mostly drug dependency). The fact that they terrified one of my teenage clients by smashing down the door to her temporary accommodation whilst looking for someone who had moved out weeks ago. No apology was forthcoming.

The racism shown to my black flatmate at University when she was attacked by a group of white men and the change in their attitude when I opened my mouth.

Throwing them out of my inlaws house when they tried to bully dh into admitting he'd hit a car and then left the scene of accident. The fact that he had proof he was with his accountant cut no ice...apparently accountants lie all the time.

Dh being repeatedly targeted when we first got together in our early twenties because he drove a Nova and therefore must be into drugs. He got threatened one particular night for "acting dumb" just because he didn't know what "wacky backy" was. Fair enough he was probably the only 20 something in the country who didn't but still...

The policeman who saw marks on my wrists (from moving furniture) whilst we were sat next to each other at a meeting and decided that dh must be abusive. He went from the "you can talk to me" all understanding to being quite aggressive about it frighteningly fast. I also got a visit at work from a domestic violence specialist officer. Then for the next so many months the referal forms to the domestic abuse support workers kept turning up on my desk.

I have zero faith in them.

A man seriously injured (came close to killing) one of my children, through extreme negligence . I assumed he would be prosecuted, but no. The police believed the lies that it was a random accident, and he has a clean DBS check still, and is able to continue working with children. I have lost all faith in the police.

The Daily Mail is also reporting the statistics uncovered by the Telegraph which reveal 120,000 people have non crime incidents recorded against them, potentially affecting their employment opportunities

Scarily similar to the social credit system in China. Behave, or suffer the consequences

Now they take on jobs for special interests groups there's nothing left to respect. Visiting people who have not committed a crime to threaten them makes the police just another gang to deal with and avoid.

Lasttrain, that is shockingly true.

@BovaryX have you seen the comments on that article, god it's so depressing.

I was brought up to respect the police. Back in the days when kids were told to go to a police officer if lost or in trouble. I was exactly the sort of person who would respect the police by default.

Gradually they tore that confidence away by refusing to follow up on crimes where the guy was seen and known. By refusing to respond to an ongoing problem of a gang of youths lighting fires on carpets inside the hallways of flats.

By a long series of mostly minor incidents down the years as witness, victim or friend/neighbour of victim.

Now they take on jobs for special interests groups there's nothing left to respect. Visiting people who have not committed a crime to threaten them makes the police just another gang to deal with and avoid.

Potentially more of a threat to me than the drug dealers in the town center who have never caused me any trouble.

/me spreads hands

I can't speak to motives. I'm not remotely connected to criminal justice and couldn't claim to see into their hearts. All I can say is cui bono.

Generally I have confidence in The Police but a few years age a close friend and her boyfriend were threatened by a gang of youths late at night at a train station. They ran and she fell down some banking and broke her arm. The youths said she was running away from her boyfriend who was threatening her and they had tried to intervene to help her. The boyfriend was held in cells overnight and not given any information about her, despite her being taken away in an ambulance, he was also slightly hurt. CCTV backed up their story but the British Transport Police warned him (off the record) that if they didn’t drop it they would go after him for assault instead.They said that a stage couple had been drinking (his birthday, they had been out for a meal) they weren’t credible witnesses but it seemed a gang of youths already known to The Police were.
My friend was also visited in the hospital by a “domestic violence specialist” officer who harangued her to admit she was scared of her BF to the extent a nurse intervened and basically threw them out.
I know DV sadly happens and women are too scared to report but it seems that the Police had made their mind up that’s what this was, or perhaps it was easier to go after a nice young couple who could easily be intimidated by The Police rather than a bunch of scumbags had been in trouble many times before and knew what to say and not say

@Lojoh what is the motive for concentrating on hate crimes? I don't understand either or see the link. Politics? The fact it's less complex?

IDK if you're familiar with this "Something must be done" fallacy: "Something must be done. This is something. This must be done." ?

I completely accept that abuse and harrasssment happens. I completely accept that sometimes it can escalate into terrible crimes and have appalling consequences. I also agree that something must be done.

I don't accept that THIS is what must be done, as I haven't seen strong evidence presented that this is a good solution and that the problems this solution creates are less harmful. If there is evidence, I am open to it.

I don't see a causal line for example between recording 120,000 citizens as hate criminals without trial and preventing/reducing the domestic murder of women, or the tragic suicide of a powerless carer. That's where I'm coming from. I have looked for the arguments but found nothing. I'd like someone to at least make the case before throwing out the magna carta.

Violent criminals are not going to be deterred by having a hate incident recorded against their name. Actual accusations we've committed a crimes we have an opportunity to prove innocence in court.
I honestly can't see the point of recording hate incidents especially when they don't cover al, protected characteristics in the equality act.

I'd only call the police if I needed a police report number for insurance

I'd like to think something will be done about this

The number of female homicide victims in England and Wales has risen to the highest level since 2006.
There were 241 female victims of murder, manslaughter and infanticide in the 12 months to the end of March 2019, up 10% on the previous year.

Almost half (48%) of female victims were killed in a domestic homicide, with the suspect a partner or ex-partner in 38% of cases.

The whole system is under strain. Courts have been closed and the CPS has been cut resulting in fewer cases going to court. I have friends who work as criminal solicitors and their caseload has fallen dramatically, The Times within the last week or so reported that paedophile cases were taking 2 years to get to trial and the long delay was jeopardising the outcome. I think the Tory party will have to act as they are the party of law and order and it is ridiculous to be pursuing these types of incidents at the expense of actual crime. It will start to shine a light on the whole area. I think the Labour Party will find it was an unfortunate time to sign those pledges - people can see what they actually mean.

I do think hate incidents have their place though. I remember a case where a mother and her disabled daughter were abused and harassed by local ‘youths’. They reported the abuse many times but the police took no action as they were not crimes and a pattern wasn’t built up. In the end the mother took her own life and that of her daughter as she couldn’t cope. In this case they could be useful.

I'm not sure that expanding the definition of hate crimes even further is a good solution to people being criminalised without due process. I mean where does it end. Once the woman in the pizza place was rude to me. Hatecrime her! My neighbour called me a bitch for telling him off about parking over our dropped kerb. Hatecrime him. Play the rough music!

I saw Goody Osbourne with the devil!

Catting exactly. Of all the hate crimes, hating and abusing women arguably leads to the most injuries and deaths.

Lojoh, that’s a disgrace, outstanding even amid all the other horror stories. I hope your husband has recovered from the hit-and-run injuries.
Twenty years ago, when i called police over harassment from a petty-criminal neighbour, I was surprised and impressed when the police came and warned them off. They were also helpful a couple of other times, which totally restored my faith in the police.

Sad to say, I can’t see that happening now. The decent ones might still care, but they now have to fill their quota of logging rude remarks on Twitter instead of protecting the public.

Why won't they class hatred of women as a crime? Hating women actually does lead to violence, but because it's so rampant and the police are too busy on twitter, they won't change it.

why are so many crimes not even recorded?