Police withdraw stalking protection order application against Caroline Farrow

Innit @Pixiedust1234.

I expect there will be a whinge that I'm Caroline's proxy and seeking to influence the case, but:

• The failure of the Stalking Order suggests there is barely any case to influence.
• I'm not posting anything confidential (once the case is over I'll probably waive confidentiality over what I'm allowed but it's really up to Caroline).
• Like any member of the public, I'm allowed a view about police behaviour.

The fact is that my friend, and her family, have been put through epic stress over posts she did not make, had information unreasonably held (three days notice of the SPO), and it's been going on for ten months. Christ. You'd think even the complainant(s) would also want a resolution at this point.

A 7 week plodibobs sounds highly unusual unless you are Spider or Craig from Coronation Street and ‘undercover’.

What if an IO were to meet with an <taps fingertips together, strokes long haired white cat> accident (not a death threat). That's it guys, cases closed!? Bollocks, someone should be able to step in.

Fill your boots if you want Feels, I won't read it.

I always thought it was the courts themselves that were preventing cases from being heard in a timely maner and that's why the system is grinding to a halt. You know, having to find the physical spaces of courtrooms. But no. Apparently it's one copper on his holibobs holding the whole system up 😱

I also forgot to add that, so far, Surrey Police have ignored all correspondence related to Caroline's costs (think closer to five figures than four which we're all paying for) and a costs hearing has been applied for. So, we have a failed stalking application, thousands in costs which they are currently ignoring, and an investigating officer off on a rather long jolly.

I'm not capable of inventing this.

He seems very invested in this particular case. I don't recall the same level of commentary about police procedure on other threads.

Strange...

7 weeks holidays ! Blimey

Who the fuck gets seven weeks' holiday? I've had jobs where getting a fortnight was a PITA. My friend who still works has given up trying to get more than a week at a time, after last year's request for a fortnight involved numerous meetings, including with the finance director so the department could argue about a budget for cover - and she's just an admin!

You may be right. Perhaps it became a bit of a personal project for the officer.

In which case worrying. Hopefully the courts have more sense and the force end up with eggy faces. Still an awful experience for Caroline.

But in this particular case, Officer Useful's colleagues may well have said, "Pick up this toxic piece of ordure on your behalf? Not bloody likely, mate."

I wonder how senior a policeperson has to be in order to say "This case will never go anywhere. I order everyone to drop it."

There are suspicions though not investigating officer….

It really is.

I look forward to this shit show ending, goodness knows it's gone on long enough.

Perhaps Felix is our investigating officer since he never seems to do any work.

The police are a fucking embarrassment and they have no shame. As is being ably demonstrated here by the obsessed weirdo.

If other professions (and I very much hesitate to refer to them as that) were so bad at their jobs, there would be serious consequences.

Imagine working on a project for 6 months and it falling at the first real hurdle that’s not just a circlejerk of academic and social failures.

Praise for an independent bar to save us from the circus that is the police.

Sorry Felix, in most jobs if you are going away for that long you hand over to other colleagues.

Can you imagine, say, a doctor mid-treatment saying they would be going away. It suggests a complete lack of understanding of the stress Caroline will be under. And perhaps goes some way to explain why, despite more officers, we have less effective policing. (Poor prioritisation, as illustrated in this case, may also play a part.)

.......sits back and waits for a lecture from our resident mansplainer.

The police already has "evidence" from Caroline's phone that formed the basis of the failed Stalking Protection Order. Now, since the bar for that is lower than being charged for "malicious communications", then I'd be surprised if the case isn't binned - no guarantees but it'd be an odd move by the CPS.

There's always been tedious hints about phone and device investigations and all that's turned up, by public admission, are a few saved tweets Caroline saved referencing herself. I know whose devices need seizing given the lunatic accounts targeting us and it's not my friend's.

Dumbo12

The only problem in the police is the rest of the team have their own case loads to investigate. Plus all the other incoming incidents, emergency calls etc etc.

So, unless its a priority crime or has a specific team to investigate (CAVA, DV, etc) you have no one to pass it over to.

You are expected to bring the enquiry as far as you can, then pick it up when you come back - you can't share it out.

In any other public service, if one person is on leave, then other members of the team will share out any ongoing work....

Well that was information about police shift patterns that I didn't need.

Oh look who pops up in defence of one of the U.K's most inept forces within an hour of my post LOLZ

If the OIC has a planned holiday - what do you want them to do - cancel it. They are entitled to leave just as much as anyone else.

If they work shifts, say 4 on 4 off, then you take 4 days leave, but get the 8 days off either side of it. so taking 4 days off actual works out as 12 days away from work

So it quickly adds up - especially if the OIC is perhaps on a course etc when they return; so they will be away from operational duties for a while.

Not sure what the evidence trail is - but if they are looking at downloads of phones, computers ect - they can take a while to come back.

Honestly, seven weeks. Caroline was told they needed to "review evidence" and then received an out of office on holiday reply. She can't say anything, obviously, but I can, and it's like dealing with Chief Wiggum - inept, stupid, and lazy.

and the investigating officer going on a seven week holiday.
Seven weeks?? Are they a secret MP on the summer break?

Hopefully it will be over for her soon (as much as it can be).

the wheels of justice grind slowly, then they grind more slowly because PC Useful needs to take some annual leave, but they grind fine. I'm hopeful that this case highlights the fact that our police time that we pay £££ for is valuable and not to be wasted by vexatious complaints (or posting on mumsnet telling women off when you're on a boring shift)

As a completely random observation, I'm sure there's no causal relation between Caroline's charging decision having been postponed a month until the 28th of August and the investigating officer going on a seven week holiday.