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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to report a cocaine dealer to the police?

46 replies

rainbowtoenails · 12/07/2011 10:52

I'm a bit restricted in how much detail i can reveal about this but id like the mn consensus. Someone i know through being a friend of a relative has been dealing for a few years. I stay as far away from them as possible but they spend a lot of time with my relative, whom i dont want to cut off. I have witnessed this person with amounts of the drug that could leave no doubt that they are a professional dealer. I know they have already had run ins with the police but dont know details.
My concern here is for my relative. Imo they are developing an addiction and i dont want to see this happen esp as their a child in the house.
Im thinking that if i reported what i know this person may be sent to jail, cutting off my relatives supply. But would the police even care? If my relative finds out it was me then they would cut me off. Also is it ever safe to report a dealer or will i spend my life looking over my shoulder?

OP posts:
BornInAfrica · 12/07/2011 10:56

Leave it alone. If you get this dealer banged up there'll be another one round to corner to take his place. You can't deal with your relative's addiction issues. Only they can do that.

M0naLisa · 12/07/2011 10:58

Your relative will find another dealer. But as she/he taking it whilst child in house, speak to childrens services. ONLY if you feel/think/know child is being neglected due to the addiction.

M0naLisa · 12/07/2011 10:58

Your relative will find another dealer. But as she/he taking it whilst child in house, speak to childrens services. ONLY if you feel/think/know child is being neglected due to the addiction.

itisnearlysummer · 12/07/2011 10:58

I'd report it anonymously and let the police do their job.

TheAtomicBroomstick · 12/07/2011 11:03

Anonomously. And you don't even have to give your name. Of course, if they have had "run ins", the police may already know.

Even if your relative finds another dealer, it still takes one out. And the good thing about that is that the more that are taken out, the more risky a profession it becomes, and the less will think it is a good idea to go into. Won't stop professionals, no, but it will make it look less appealing.

DogsBestFriend · 12/07/2011 11:05

You have to ask?

By Christ yes, report it, anonymously if you prefer but do it.

All that it takes for us all to be up shit creek as a society is to do nothing.

BornInAfrica · 12/07/2011 11:07

Of course the Police already know - it would be naive to think otherwise. Sometimes it suits them to 'know their enemy' - to know where he is, what he's doing, who he's mixing with and this information can be more valuable to them than simply taking the dealer off the street.

squeakytoy · 12/07/2011 11:09

If he is known to the police, then they will probably be very aware of his activity, but are waiting and watching to find out who his supplier is. The police want to catch the big fish, not the little tiddlers.

GeekCool · 12/07/2011 11:15

Leave it alone? Just because another one may pop up doesn't absolve us of responsibility for reporting. If the police took that attitude and never arrested anyone because someone else will always do it, the country would be in a terrible mess.

itisnearlysummer · 12/07/2011 11:18

Well if the police already know, and for their own reasons choose to do nothing, that's up to them.

The OP knows that a crime is being committed and has a responsibility to report it.

"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

DogsBestFriend · 12/07/2011 11:21

You put that so more charmingly than I did, itsnearlysummer. :o

D0G · 12/07/2011 11:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BornInAfrica · 12/07/2011 11:24

That misquote (DBF) and quote above are hardly new are they? I don't recall the OP asking for a catalogue of tired old cliches or did I miss that bit?

VampiresReflection · 12/07/2011 11:25

YANBU

BornInAfrica · 12/07/2011 11:25

D0G - I think you'll find that people do not seek out the services of a rapist and pay good money for them. Cocaine, on the other hand, is hardly short of takers.

D0G · 12/07/2011 11:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BarbarianMum · 12/07/2011 11:27

Yes report. Drug dealing is illegal and hurts people. No other justificatins needed.

TheAtomicBroomstick · 12/07/2011 11:28

I've heard tharguement that, "the next dealer that comes along might sell to children, this one doesn't.

Let's see if we can come up with a dgood analogy: Well, if there'll always be another rapist around, why bother stop stop them? The next one that comes along might murder them afterwards, at least this one just beats them unconscious.

D0G · 12/07/2011 11:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

itisnearlysummer · 12/07/2011 11:29

I don't think they are "tired old cliches" though BIA.

Why would you not think it's a good idea to report a criminal to the police? I don't really understand that.

TheAtomicBroomstick · 12/07/2011 11:30

BornInAfrica Tue 12-Jul-11 11:25:46
D0G - I think you'll find that people do not seek out the services of a rapist and pay good money for them. Cocaine, on the other hand, is hardly short of takers.

Yes, there is enforced prostitution (sometimes involving children). Never mind, the pimp down the road only kidnaps, beats and ties up someone over 16. We'll let him get away with it.

BornInAfrica · 12/07/2011 11:30

Yeah D0G. Me too. There will always be a dealer as long as there is a demand. The answer lies not so much with taking down the dealers as with rehabilitating, supporting and discouraging the users. Without the users - no dealers.

DogsBestFriend · 12/07/2011 11:32

"That misquote (DBF) and quote above are hardly new are they? I don't recall the OP asking for a catalogue of tired old cliches or did I miss that bit?"

BornInAfrica, I don't recall the OP telling me what I may or may not post on here.

Or did you miss that bit?

itisnearlysummer · 12/07/2011 11:34

Well without the dealers there'd be no users to rehabilitate, support and discourage.

D0G · 12/07/2011 11:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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