Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think the police are twats

251 replies

whosphuckoffy · 07/07/2012 10:10

It's the second time now, they've done major damage to my car by arresting someone up against it. The first time i was sat in the vehicle and heavily pregnant. Not that they knew this of course. I know they have to arrest people and these things happen. The problem i have is the first time, if i hadn't of been sat in my car at the time, i wouldn't of known how the damage had occured. Also the damage caused to my car last night, our next door neighbour text us, otherwise we'd of thought it was vandals.

AIBU, to think that if police damage your property they should just leave a note to say contact the police station?

I've now got to faff around to sort this out today and i've got to cancel my plans because the car is undrivable, the wing mirror is fucked, i'm not happy.

OP posts:
TheLazyGirlBlog · 07/07/2012 12:51

Now, I don't agree that calling all Police (or any group for that matter) Twats as such, but some of the comments here, for and against the OP, are really out of order. Some of the "no smoke without fire" stuff sounds just a bit too Daily Mail for my liking.
Now, I can say I have had awful experience with a certain Police force, whom I had enough of to the point I went to the IPCC.

I lived in a house a few years back, and with my youngest very ill in SCBU, I was not myself. I was depressed, we had money worries, and my eldest was at that toddler stage of being loud and throwing massive screaming fits for not much reason. I could turn Beebies off and she'd go mental.

Anyway, there was a neighbour next door who was, frankly, batty, and made our lives and two of our other neighbouring households lives hell. Everytime my daughter threw a screaming fit, or cried in the night, or so much as stamped her feet, she'd call the Police in. In the 9 months we lived there, she complained constantly and 26 times they came out to our home using varying degrees of force. Some would come in, look around and leave. Others were plain sadistic. She did the same to my neighbour on the other side, and the one to the other side of her too. The Police didn't have the sense to think "well, she's batty, she needs to be arrested for wasting Police time". They just followed up near on every phone call she made. At a time when I wasn't well, I did not need that on top, but we couldn't afford to move.
She was so nasty that, when my son came home on Oxygen support, she complained to the Police about the noise of his Oxygen machine.

The worst time was when my partner went out one morning to buy some milk, and I had both the kids upstairs with me while I got dressed. The next thing I knew, when I was walking down the stairs, they kicked my door off, and stormed in, shouting in my daughters face to get down, and shouting at me to drop what I had in my hands- my son. I cried and shouted that I couldn't it was a baby and begged them to stop scaring my little girl (who is still petrified of men in uniform and is now 5), but they had been told someone was shouting in the house threatening to kill me. They asked repeatedly where my partner was, and when he came home (the shop was on the corner and he knew where the cars were going so ran down to our house) they wouldn't let him in saying a male, the partner of the woman inside, was trying to kill her. He was so cross with them and shouted "I am her partner, let me in". They never paid or apologised for the damage to the door, which we were forced to pay for when we moved out. They were such cowards that, when they had to deliver a sheet of paper regarding the door being kicked off, they did so at 6am and ran to their car.

In the end, two weekends in a row, she rang the Police and I had had enough. I was on anti depressants and had enough to the point I'd told my Doctor to section me, anything to get away from this repeated harassment. When they came in the first weekend, I was accused of hitting my daughter in the garden- we'd been out all day (which we did most days to get out of that street) and had been home for less than 20 minutes so God knows when I was meant to have done this. She was asleep still in the double buggy. I was sat on the stairs, no weapons or anything, and 6 Police males came running at me up the stairs, grabbing my hair, my feet and my arms, I was then dragged down a flight of wooden stairs face first, was covered in bruising, and one male put his hand up my skirt. They put velcro straps around my feet and legs too, God knows why as I was so shocked by what was going on I had no time to react even if I'd wanted to. My partner and children were shut in the garden and a Police woman leant on the door- my daughter was screaming in fear.
That evening, I was kept in a cell from 5pm until 3am and then let out, no charges, nothing, with no shoes on. I had to walk uphill barefoot.

When I got home, I made my complaint, and the next weekend, the same bunchappeared, this time they smacked my head off a table, gave no reasons for arresting me at all, I was pepper sprayed in the face when I opened the door (so thank God my daughter wasn't with me), and then dragged to the Police station, with one Police woman telling me I was a "complaining little shit, like that will do anything".

On reaching the station I was told I was being arrested for breach of the peace, but the neighbours near me all wrote statements backing me that nothing had gone on. In court the Magistrate was disgusted, and suggested my treatment needed to be looked into. They even said that two of the Police statements differed entirely to the rest, so they couldn't even get their lies together. I still to this day believe they arrested me over the complaint. All those I complained about were either sacked or demoted (one of them now works as a Community Police woman in my local centre).

I never, ever had had any dealings with Police before any of this, and it really made me not trust them. There was no excuse for their behavior towards me. I was told that the neighbour was arrested for wasting Police time and cautioned, but that should have been done prior to my family and I having to go through it all.

Not all Police Forces are like these guys, in fact, the guys who later came to talk with me about my complaint were lovely and couldn't have apologised more. BUT the few who let the side down spoil the Public's perception- you only have to look at the Stephen Tompkinson case to prove that.

Latara · 07/07/2012 12:55

I know 2 policemen - i knew them before they joined the police.

Both nice lads, based at 2 nearby police stations.

One is very happy - it's a hard job but he enjoys it; he's popular with people on the estates that are his 'patch' because he's local & his family are from an estate; he's popular at his station too & not the type of man who would put up with other officers not doing their job properly or correctly.

The other lad is based in a station where the culture is very different; if what he says is true then the police there don't follow the rules, & there are some very dodgy officers. Those who try to do the job properly & follow the rules are bullied. As a result this lad has become very hard & cynical; he's fast developing a drink problem. He's not local & was quite naive which made him stand out when he joined the police.

The problem now is that the police are understaffed, expected to work long & unsociable shifts with little support. It's too tempting for them to cut corners, & too easy to for tempers to start to fray in that kind of atmosphere.

I'm annoyed when people say they 'hate the police' because of the behaviour of a minority - sadly for the police it's the bad officers that will affect people's opinion of them & the good officers know that.

northernmonkey · 07/07/2012 12:58

Do you know what, loads of people are twats! Police officers, teachers, nurses doctors even priests!!
Sadly we encounter twats in everyday life.

Yabvvu to call ALL police twats (although with some the title goes to their heads Sad )
BUT
There are some fantastic police officers out there and I'm sure if you politely call the station and chat to them about last nights incident, I bet they would be quite polite back.
Go in there with anger and attitude and I bet you'll get the same back

HoneyDragonWearingLederhosen · 07/07/2012 13:00

erm what about the two police officers who have posted on this thread? Confused Will you let their experience count?

Off course not, silly me they are clearly abusive twats Hmm

NoComet · 07/07/2012 13:05

Sorry, but I don't think UABU.
My car is the most valuable thing I own and vital where i live. If anyone damaged it, beyond a slight scratch, and didn't have the good manners to own up I'd be fucking furious.

I very much doubt they'd get called anything as mild as a twat. This is especially true if they were the police, local council contractors etc. because they can use my money to fix it!!!

VivaLeBeaver · 07/07/2012 13:06

Some police are twats, most are not twats - just normal people doing a difficult job.

But I'd have thought if property is damaged by the police they should leave details, etc with you of who they are, what you need to do.

stressheaderic · 07/07/2012 13:10

If the thread title was "AIBU to be a bit miffed that..." then I'd be saying YANBU but you cannot make sweeping generalisations like you did.

All people from all walks of life, doing all kinds of jobs, can be twats.

I would def ring 101 and ask for a crime number though.

TheLazyGirlBlog - that sounds horrific.

NoComet · 07/07/2012 13:11

Of course all policemen aren't twats, our community support office is too dim be a twat.

All other policemen I've had to deal with have been very good.

However, this is a brief MN title written in anger. Maybe the OP should have written car damaging police are twats, but honestly I think we are splitting hairs.

confusedpixie · 07/07/2012 13:12

twofingers: You quoted exactly what I said. How is that 'smoke without fire'?! The police force involved must have been given interesting information to be even the slightest bit interested in arresting somebody who, as the OP said, is not usually a person who would be of interest to the police.

And yes I am sceptical that the information was about mild/minor crimes, the neighbours must have thought of something quite serious to accuse the OPs family of to gain that reaction from the police.

ThatVikRinA22 · 07/07/2012 13:24

hello. im a police officer.
i had to take an exam in twattery before they let me in. and a degree in fuckwittery which is why im so well qualified to say "bollocks" to this thread.
most obviously, if you dont like us, dont call us. easy.

it is extremely unlikely that the officers affecting the arrest would even be aware of any damage - its not really something you stop to think about when you are potentially getting your head kicked in.

i still have a bruise on my leg from 3 weeks ago trying to restrain someone being violent. i forgot to inspect the floor and surroundings following the scuffle i have to say.
clearly that makes me a twat. ok, i will live with that.

twofingerstoGideon · 07/07/2012 13:29

I speak from personal experience Pixie. The police can and do arrest people on hearsay without having any evidence of a crime being committed, let alone evidence that the accused did anything. Often this will not result in a charge because there is no proof of what happened.

Feel free to be sceptical, but there are quite a few people on these threads who have direct experience of being arrested for no reason. You do realise that someone could make a complaint of, say, criminal damage because of something as trivial as a chalk mark on the pavement. Say your bonkers neighbour's fence blew down in the wind, there's nothing to stop that neighbour going to the police and saying Pixie pulled my fence down... Even with no witnesses and no evidence that a crime was committed, you could be arrested for criminal damage. This does not, of course, mean you'd be subsequently charged, but believe me, you COULD be arrested for this. I did not believe this myself until it happened to someone very close to me. A six minute interview under caution in a custody centre and the police decided there 'was no evidence to bring a charge.' The damage, by then, had been done; other neighbours were very happy to spread the 'no smoke without fire' whispers.

twofingerstoGideon · 07/07/2012 13:30

Vicar, I read lots of your posts on here and you are clearly not a twat Smile

Latara · 07/07/2012 13:30

It's ok Vicar. I do understand... cos I'm a nurse. If you believe the Daily Fail then you would think i had to take a course in How to Be Cruel To the Elderly & Starve the Patients before i was allowed on the wards.

TheLazyGirlBlog · 07/07/2012 13:30

@stressheaderic yep, it wasn't the most fun I've had in the last few years!

I'd agree though, the OP title perhaps was a bit "leading to anger" that followed, but I suppose I'd be pretty peeved if my car was out of action too

ASillyPhaseIAmGoingThrough · 07/07/2012 13:31

Vicar you CHOSE out of all the jobs in the world the one you do, you get paid well, goid pension etc, lots of the public get bruised for nothing they are victims, your poor me attitude, I am so special only I matter not the destruction I leave behind and its all about you not the poor public who are the true victims, is a wonderful description that confirms what I am talking about.

scurryfunge · 07/07/2012 13:33

Eh?

Nancy66 · 07/07/2012 13:36

asillyphase - your posts should could with an interpreter - they make no sense

ihatethecold · 07/07/2012 13:40

wtf??

maddening · 07/07/2012 13:41

it's one of those "what are the chances !" things -my mum's car has been hit (while she was driving) by 2 getaway vehicles escaping from a crime incident/robberies on separate occasions - she lives in a low crime area and doesn't drive a lot as she hates driving.

Dahlen · 07/07/2012 13:42

If you're unhappy about stuff, complain. If enough people do, that's how things get changed. But slagging off an entire profession on an internet forum is not going to achieve anything other than a lot of bad feeling and stoking up your own anger.

MarigoldsInTheWindow · 07/07/2012 13:50

it is often said that those who want to be in the police are those that should not be in the police.

I have never been spoken to nicely by a police officer.

ThatVikRinA22 · 07/07/2012 13:50

you can arrest on suspician. you do not have to have evidence to arrest for something - but you do have to have a necessity to arrest under SOCAP, so you do have to justify an arrest.
at the end of the day, if the nesessity isnt there, the custody sergeant will not authorise detention.
i have never yet made an "unlawful" arrest of anyone, but i have arrested people who have walked free some time later, because after arrest you go and gather evidence, and you need evidence to charge someone.
in this job, you are very often damned if you do, damned if you dont. You are often getting in the middle of others problems, so someone, somewhere, will be unhappy with your actions. I have arrested on suspician because ive suspected, and thats fine. thats allowed. its how we do our job.
often in domestics etc the victim wont talk. so we act on suspician.

suppose the PC in the OP had not scuffled and arrested the lad who damaged the car, who then went onto to burgle your house, or drink and drive and kill someone, or deal drugs to your kids. We tend not arrest for nothing. its a bit of a pita and not something i do for fun.
damned if you do. damned if you dont.

the ones i work with are a nice bunch. not a twat in sight.
thinking of getting a badge made with
cynical
undevalued
naffed off
tired

that would suit me more i think.....

MarigoldsInTheWindow · 07/07/2012 13:52

vicar im not sure what fear a group of police might have of 1 youngster when hes thrown against a car to be arrested for what could possibly be no reason at all.

ThatVikRinA22 · 07/07/2012 13:58

a group of policemen?
where does it say a group? and how old is this "youngster"?
what was the state of mind of the "youngster"? was he high or drunk? did he have any weapons?
why was he trying to get away?
what had he done?
what was the information the police officer was acting on at the time?

i think if you thought he had just robbed your granny or pulled a knife on somone you loved you may think differently.

the most violent person ive ever dealt with was 15 and i was genuinely in fear due to their being off their tits....

we dont run after and arrest poor ickle babies who do nothing to arouse suspician.
like i said. if you dont like us, dont call us.

nailak · 07/07/2012 14:02

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01kbymz/Can_We_Trust_the_Police/ has anyone watched this?

the father and 14 year old who were waiting for the younger brother to get out from a pub toilet and told the police he was inside and needed to get him out when the police instead of actying reasonably beat them both up and hospitalised them? while the younger brother who had dreams of being a police man was on the other side of the police cordon screaming?

the young male who kept out of trouble, did well in school, being beaten up by police, who couldnt even recognise he wasnt their suspect, and as a result the rest of his life has been affected?

the respectable church going family, who called the poloce after altercation with baliffs who had wrong address and the police abused and arrested the mother instead of acting reasonably? and they know they were wrong.

I am sure all police are not twats, but these incidents does make it hard for people to trust them.

Personally a good friend of mine was in an abusive relationship she in the past few months has escaped. The police came to her house and told her she was a bad mother, she couldnt look after her kids properly and keep them from harm etc etc, this is after she had called the police, tried to get him arrested etc, tried to help herself, why did they say all this? because her husband was a rapist and she shared a bed with her kids rather then with him. they then bailed him without telling her so when we left for school he was waiting and he was allowed back in house etc and she couldnt do anything.