Witness to a drug deal. Have reg number. Report?

[DameDoggieDoo]

I witnessed a very blatant drug deal yesterday between a random car and a neighbour who I know to use recreational drugs. It took place right outside my house. I noted the dealers car registration plate.

Should I report it to the police? (I don't mean reporting the neighbour, I mean tipping the police off that reg plate XXXXX belongs to a drug dealer).

I would leave it be personally unless it's a regular thing. I witnessed a drug deal between older teenagers in my neighborhood recently too. The mom side of me came out and I felt like doing something. I left it in the end. I called out teenagers letting off fireworks along the street one Halloween, I got my house badly egged that night

Have you met every police officer in the country to know they’re doing a sterling job? And my confident statement comes from actual direct experience I’m afraid. Including being called a racial slur, having friends detained for absolutely nothing, having an officer refuse to take a complaint further because he lived in the same estate as the perpetrators and didn’t want to be at risk.

And of course all the many, many, many cases of police officers raping, killing and generally abusing women.

Blind loyalty is never a good thing, it’s actually approaches like yours that damage our public services. They need to be held to account at every turn.

'Mr Big' probably lives in a very nice house on a very nice estate and regularly has the Chief Constable and his charming wife round for supper.

It's easy to be derisive from your perch behind your keyboard but this sort of thing can happen and is what makes people think twice.

I wouldn't bother myself. The police just twat about on social media these days. They don't do anything about crime whether you report it or not.

Don't you know crime is "down"? (Yeah it's like the economy being "up" - they've got a chart so it must be true) 🙄📈

People do what they like.

@PhilomenaPunk of course not, but then, I’m not the one making blanket statements about the Police, am I? As for your “blind loyalty” point, you are way off. I have worked closely with the Police, called the Police as a victim and called the Police to report crime. I have also made an official complaint about the Police before as well. I am very confident that out of your approach and mine, yours is the problem.

It’s not a case of being derisive from behind a keyboard. I work in this field. Unless people are prepared to stand up and do the right thing, expect more of the same from your local criminals.

So no comment or empathy about the fact that I have had a police officer use racial slurs against me? Detained my friends with no cause? And when we did report, refuse to do anything because they themselves were afraid of the potential backlash?

Of course not. Typical keyboard warrior with absolutely no awareness of how institutions like the police treat the genuinely powerless.

Thank you. But she works with them don’t you know? So much more knowledgeable than the rest of us.

People being surprised at the general lack of trust in the police is akin to men being surprised at women being afraid of men. This fear and lack of trust does not come out of nowhere. It is a direct consequence of personal experience. If the police behaved appropriately I’m sure people would be much more prepared to trust and collaborate with them.

What do you want me to say?! It’s obviously unacceptable. Still doesn’t justify your huge and inaccurate generalisations though.

It’s not a case of being more knowledgeable. It’s being realistic.

And what can happen is that you get labelled a grass and your life becomes a living hell. You can't do much about it as you have to declare any official disputes with neighbours so if you do that affects you selling up. Or you live in local authority housing and can't be rehoused as you are classed as adequately housed already. So the answer is no, I would not risk my family, pets or home to report a drug deal.

You may think that's wrong but for me it's not worth the possible consequences. You might work in this field but that's very different to living with horrific neighbours who believe you are a grass.

There are many mechanisms available to support people who want to remain anonymous.

Oh of course, I should just put up and shut up right? And help the very institution that treats me, my family and my community with such disgust? You should be ashamed.

You can remain anonymous of course, but if the neighbours clock that it was you who saw them and put two and two together then boom! It's not worth it.

I was being incredibly sarcastic. Believe you me, nobody knows more about how the police actually operate than those who end up on the wrong end of their abusive behaviour.

Not sure where I ever suggested that. Why on Earth should I be ashamed?

I'd be really nervous of getting involved in that. One of my relatives did once and their car was set on fire on their driveway during the night. It did massive amounts of damage to the front of their house and the family were lucky to escape. Most crimes I wouldn't hesitate to report, but not that one.

I doubt you would be the only one complaining to be honest.

Yes. Report via crime stoppers.

I reported lots of times in an old neighbourhood - never any negative consequences for me. If you ever seen a driver of a car taking drugs the police act on that pretty quickly to prevent accidents. Otherwise as PP’s have said it adds to intelligence but the house on my street which was dealing was raided and prosecuted

Be very sure before you make any accusations. Did the 'dealer' pass over a bag with 'drugs' written on side and did the 'neighbour' pass over rolled up £20s?
You'd need to be very close, have superman vision ir bino's otherwise.
What type of drugs?

I’d be keeping right away from it.

Bloke that lived behind us was dealing from his garage. Wasn’t my problem to start getting involved in.

I work in retail in a dodgy part of town. I spend so long reporting shoplifting and anti social behaviour, nothing happens. So I have given up.

If you don’t understand the police force as an institution, then you’re not going to understand the perspectives of those who do.