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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to think police should protect you, not look for prosecutions after a crime is committed?

28 replies

justcallmemary · 11/05/2015 15:10

I own a small business with 17 staff. Two weeks ago, I had to let a young member of staff go after a full disciplinary process. She went absolutely crackers and threatened to stab a member of staff who she blamed for getting her into trouble by telling me about an incident (incidentally she only worked 8 hours a week and lives at her parents so this isn't end of her world stuff). My other staff who know her fairly well said that the threat was potentially credible and I had no choice but to call the police. They took hours to attend and take statements and then told me they would be going to see her that day. 3 and a half days later I got a call to say "they had left a message with her mum". Another 7 days later, I got a call to say they had been to see her and she hadn't meant it. That was the full involvement of the police. The member of staff has not gone anywhere on her own since, hasn't been sleeping and generally has been fairly well frightened by the experience. I have put a police complaint in but have been told that the officer has acted on the information presented to her correctly and no actual violence has been committed. I asked the complaints officer if she would be happy with it if it had happened to her - no comment. I am fairly sure I am acting rationally but I am starting to question myself.

OP posts:

Theycallmemellowjello · 11/05/2015 15:16

It's hard to see what they can do in this situation. Does one threat, albeit upsetting, justify prosecution? I'm not sure it does tbh - I imagine people make single threats they don't act on all the time and that the courts would be overrun if the police prosecuted every time. Hopefully they've had a word with her and they've judged that she knows they have their eye on her and that will keep her from doing anything further. I understand it must be very upsetting for all of you concerned but I don't really see what else the police should do in this situation.

Heels99 · 11/05/2015 15:21

I don't understand what you mean by theolice shpuld protect you and not look for prosecutions? What prosecutions are they looking for? They can do nothing about the fact that your other employee was threatened and feels upset. That has happened. They can't turn back the clock. They clearly do not beleive that the sacked employee is a threat.
What do you want them to do?

VivienScott · 11/05/2015 15:23

I don't think there's a lot they can do. They can't lock this girl up in case she carries out her threat.

NRomanoff · 11/05/2015 15:43

What is it you want them to do?

She made a threat and the police don't think it's actually going to come to anything. If people you employ think it will, they need to speak to the police, personally. You saying 'people I know think it's credible' isn't enough without backing it up.

Does she have a violent past? Has she been prosecuted or anything in the past?

NRomanoff · 11/05/2015 15:43

What is it you want them to do?

Does she have a violent past? Has she been prosecuted or anything in the past?

DrankSangriaInThePark · 11/05/2015 15:50

I'm surprised they even bothered sending someone round tbh.

Original poster

justcallmemary · 11/05/2015 15:50

I thought they could have been to see her sooner than 10 days later. I didn't want a prosecution, that is my point, they said they would have arrested her if I wanted to press charges, I just wanted my staff to feel safe and not provoke more problems. They never came to either me or my employee to say that they didn't consider the threat to be real. My staff know her well and know that it is something she would potentially do - she has a family history of violence. If you were threatened like that by someone wouldn't you expect something to happen? I know I would but it looks like I am being unreasonable. I think preventing crime is more important than being there afterwards and maybe this girl knowing the police were aware of the threat might have made her think twice before she did it.

OP posts:

MrsTerryPratchett · 11/05/2015 15:51

Threats to Kill is actually a very serious crime. I have seen people with this on their record. However, if everyone who said, "I'm going to bloody kill him" was put away for ten years, half of MN would be in the slammer. So the Police have to be pragmatic. Not everyone is going to like everything they do. I'm sure she's complaining that she got a telling off when she 'didn't mean it'.

If she comes back, or harasses your employee, the Police can do more.

MrsTerryPratchett · 11/05/2015 15:54

BTW I have been threatened like that (worked in homelessness) and the Police here did the sum total of bugger all, so you actually got a better service than me.

Original poster

justcallmemary · 11/05/2015 15:55

I truly didn't want her to even be charged, thats why I didn't ask to press charges when they offered. I just thought she should be spoken to quickly to bring the threat down. I was told they would go straight to her that day and even asked for a description of her clothes! It was a really nasty experience overall.

OP posts:

2rebecca · 11/05/2015 15:57

If you think she is dangerous you ask for her to be prosecuted. Saying you think she's dangerous but doesn't need prosecuting is illogical. If you don't want her charged what sort of protection are you after? A police guard and surveillance sounds very ott

Redglitter · 11/05/2015 15:59

Surely though she does now know the police are aware since they've spoken to her so that in itself could be prevention. they've checked it out and don't believe the threat to be genuine there's really not much more they can do. They can't arrest her just based on someone's opinion of her

As pp said if everyone who threatened someone in the heat of the moment was jailed the jails would be full.

NRomanoff · 11/05/2015 16:01

What do you mean by 'family history of violence'?

Does she personally have a history of violence?

LowryFan · 11/05/2015 16:02

'Something bad happened, I want the police involved, but not to do their Actual Job, I want them to do some vague other thing which isn't their job.' YAB massively U.

NRomanoff · 11/05/2015 16:05

You don't want her to be prosecuted, so what more do you want the police to do. They went round and spoke to her. It may have taken a few days, but they aren't going to launch a man hunt for her.

The people answering the phone often say something will be done immediately. Dh called as one of the neighbourhood kids was shooting cats with a bb gun. The person on the phone said we should expect the armed response unit [shocked]

hotfuzzra · 11/05/2015 16:10

They attended a call about a threat of violence on the day of the call, they took statements, they offered to press charges which you declined? And they didn't protect you from nothing happening?
I would be more understanding if you complained about a threat, they did nothing and then someone was attacked. Nothing's happened.
As username suggests, I am massively biased

Theycallmemellowjello · 11/05/2015 16:19

Yeah sorry if they asked you if you wanted there to be a prosecution and you said no then what else could they do but have a word with her? It's a nasty experience and you're probably and understandably upset but I don't think you're channeling your anger in the right direction.

Heels99 · 11/05/2015 16:23

What specifically do you want them to do? You asked them not to prosecute.

Velociraptor · 11/05/2015 16:24

What did the member of staff who was threatened want to happen? I think you have unreasonable expectations to be honest. The police deal with people making threats on a daily basis, it is very very rare that they are carried out. Unless you are saying this girl actually picked up a knife, and threatened someone with it, then it sounds like you got a proportionate response to the actual level of threat.

Nosyman94 · 11/05/2015 16:33

YANBU. It's a sad state of affairs when a threat in person is largely ignored but if you were to so much as look at a celebrity funny on twitter you can expect a prison sentence. Sadly people with money get the attention of the police. People without, in my experience, get nothing if they are lucky and the toe of a boot in the face if they aren't.

Theycallmemellowjello · 11/05/2015 16:41

Nosyman what are you on about? The op said the police offered to arrest the threatener but she said no!

Nicknacky · 11/05/2015 16:41

nosyman Have you read the op's posts? They took statements and would have taken matter further if the op wanted that but she declined. What more could they do? Nothing to do with being rich.

SwingingBalls · 11/05/2015 16:51

How do you know that the police didn't try and deal with this quickly? Perhaps they went to she her but she was out?

The response you got seems proportionate to the incident.

nosyman is talking bollocks.

SwingingBalls · 11/05/2015 16:52

see her

chickenfuckingpox · 11/05/2015 17:50

im surprised they even bothered to talk to her in my experience with the police they do nothing except blame the victim i was harassed for months by someone with a bitch in there knicks about me it was never witnessed just complaint after complaint "she called me this" (was there a witness no was i even in bloody city that day no) she did that again no witness and again i could prove i was elsewhere finally she messed up and screamed a full barrage of abuse in front of witnesses who went to the police she got a harassment warning i was also told off for wasting there time now im not being funny but six months plus worth of her obviously wasting police time on lies and IM the one who is told off i made ONE report i had six plus witnesses and she admitted she had done it too

this is why we have no confidence in the police

incidentally she admitted she was planning on bricking or flicking a lit cigarette at my baby they said if she did it i could have her arrested

i fucking moved areas

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