Hidden camera found. What to do?

[trirose]

My daughter’s friend has just found a hidden camera attached to a power bank in her bedroom. She shares a house with others from uni. What should she do immediately? Trying to prevent mistakes so that they can find the fuc*er who planted it.

It's not appropriate to call 999 for this. It's a misuse of the emergency call system. It's not a question of downgrading the call to non urgent it's about calling the appropriate number. No one is at immediate risk as distressing as it is.

Shocked by the number of posters advising the victim ignores police advice.

If a crime is in progress (which means happening currently) you call 999.

If a crime has already happened (such as when you discover your car has been broken into) you call 101.

From the government webpages: Call 999 if you are reporting a crime that is in progress or if someone is in immediate danger.

A crime in progress is someone actually attacking someone or robbing a house not a camera running in the background.

And yet when we were being repeatedly harassed by teenagers the officers dealing with our situation told us to call 999 rather than continue using 101 as we had been doing…

And the heading just above that quote is “Reporting an emergency”.

This isn’t an emergency situation.

Shall I copy and paste this 20 times against each of your comments too?

It is I got told off by the police for not calling 999 when a crime was taking place, they were stealing scrap metal, loading it into a van, nobody’s life was in immediate danger, but they said I should have called 999.

Anybody clear on what @newornotnew is saying? Maybe once more for those at the back?😂

Id be very wary of the housemates, friends and the landlord. This doesn't sound like the act of someone ink own to the girl
How well was the camera hidden?

You're wrong.

A crime is happening, and a serious one.

This crime is more serious than a burglary.

100% agree - this needs dealing with urgently but standard working hours today is soon enough there is no urgent threat that will change by then.

I suspect that @MrsOverthinker25 as a serving officer probably has a better handle on this…999 is for urgent crimes in progress not a pervert watching on a camera with no risk to life or limb

Yes because people were stealing things, there was someone to arrest

but no life was in danger, it’s no different really to someone planting hidden cameras.

What is wrong with everyone on this thread?

The police would absolutely want to know about this ASAP as it is an ongoing serious crime.

There is no one to arrest, they need to investigate and find who put the camera there.

Some people have such black and white thinking. Yes, a crime is in the process of being committed but there is no immediate threat to life.

Stop embarrassing yourself. We've already had a serving police officer on the thread, who used to be a police call handler, who has advised this is not a 999 event as it's not a life or death situation. I'd take their advice over yours.

Ffs- just phone 101. The police will take it seriously.

Yes by calling 999 as it’s serious, more serious than people stealing scrap metal!

What are the police going to do if they go round urgently, they are not going to place a policeman outside the house, just in case

This is the reason people call 999 when they shouldn't. The police can't attend to arrest a person who is actually present and committing a crime in these circumstances. This isn't a person assaulting another, or stealing a car, or speeding in a 30 mile an hour zone. Or attempting arson. This is an unknown person spying on another, who will need to be traced by experts which will take time. No one can walk in now and state it's certainly a certain person.

What would you expect the outcome to be, the camera being arrested maybe.

And will the 10 mins or so difference between calling 101 and 999 alter the outcome?

It might feel like a serious crime to the victim, but there is no danger to life, no threat of violence, no injury nor damage to property.

That is not the citizen's concern.

If a crime is currently happening you call 999, the police take it from there.

If the crime is the past or you are not sure if it is a crime, you call 101.

Neither is stealing scrap metal a life or death situation, but the police officer who took my statement said I definitely should have called 999.