...to think 'call the police' is not the correct solution to every problem?

[user1471468700]

Long time lurker here...
Now I'm aware that I'm probably about to p*ss off a lot of people, but I've noticed many problems relating to neighbour disputes, naughty trick-or-treaters etc are causing people to advise 'call the police, call 101'
AIBU to think the police have other stuff going on, like muggings, murders, burglaries and so on?

[BadLad]

I work for the police answering the 999 and 101 calls. The amount of bull shit non event stuff that people call about is unbelievable, I don't know what people actually expect the police to do sometimes.

If the advice given on mumsnet is followed, the people who answer the phones at Ofsted have a similar experience, as posters on here think it's a hotline for anything parents are unhappy with. A teacher greeted your child with folded arms? Phone Ofsted.

[Farfromtheusual]

Redglitter ah yes the hospitals are as bad as social services of not worse!

[Redglitter]

It's been a slow process here but thankfully Sgts and Inspectors are totally backing us in calling back agencies and particularly hospitals and telling them no.

[funnyandwittyusername]

I can't wait for that to catch up here!

[Redglitter]

We're being forced into saying no a lot more because we're at breaking point. We've started putting responsibility back to other agencies who are often just calling police to cover their own backs. Other agencies have 'a protocol' that if x y or zoom happens they call the police. Thankfully were now more and more saying to them it may very well be your protocol bit it doesn't turn into a police matter. They don't like it but saying no more often is definitely proving successful

[Farfromtheusual]

Yeah that's very true, scared to say for fear of what will happen. The force I work for have started to say no a lot more these days, when we feel we can thoroughly rationalise why! We get a lot of resistance from the other agencies though. They don't like being told no.

[funnyandwittyusername]

Farfrom- usually from 1630 with us! I just wish the SMT had the guts to refuse.

The police are paralyzed by fear as an organization. Stuff which even 5 years ago wouldn't be attended as "not our job" is now being resourced because they're terrified of any criticism if something was to go wrong

[SukeyTakeItOffAgain]

Maybe in a rural area where there isn't much to do but in a big city, we have to priorities and there are simply not enough police officers to deal with people's petty crap.

Unfortunately in those lovely rural areas, there are very few police officers. There is still crime though.

[ComfortingKormaBalls]

You can call the Police, but chances are you'll get a PCSO attend.

[Farfromtheusual]

After 5pm every single issue that would be better dealt with by other agencies ends up a police issue, often referred to the police by the very agencies who are supposed to be dealing with it.

Or the actual agency themselves. Guaranteed come 5pm on a Friday afternoon, social services call about something they've known about all week but done absolutely nothing about and are asking for police to do a safe and well check or something over the weekend.
We call this specific time, 'The Shit Dump'

[mouldycheesefan]

People would call the police because they find paperwork and a baby scan on a pavement? 😂😂😂
Hand it in at the Police station. Job done.

[funnyandwittyusername]

Katy- what do the police do?

EVERYTHING!! I have spent whole shifts without dealing with a single crime, yet not had time to eat or go for a wee.

After 5pm every single issue that would be better dealt with by other agencies ends up a police issue, often referred to the police by the very agencies who are supposed to be dealing with it. I've been sent to medical emergencies because there's no ambulances, welfare checks for social services and anything and everything to do with mental health.

Combine that with a large swathe of the population who can't sort out avoidable arguments themselves, missing persons and people offended by Facebook/Twitter then it doesn't leave a lot of time for any pro active policing.

I agree with a pp about advice to contact specialist departments! The amount of advice the rship board to contact domestic abuse unit for minor issues is staggering

[MyGiddyUncle]

Someone about to jump off a bridge - Mental Health Crisis Team/Social Care

That's all very well and great in an ideal world when you know who to contact.

I wouldn't have the first clue how to get hold of my local Mental Health Crisis Team or which department of Social Care i'd contact or even how to. If I saw someone about to jump off a bridge, i'd call the police.

[ComfortingKormaBalls]

Someone about to jump off a bridge - Mental Health Crisis Team/Social Care
Elderly confused male - police/Social/Ambulance
Scattered paperwork - not police matter.

[limitedperiodonly]

Which do the public want?

Isn't it obvious? A reasonable level of policing. That means officers on foot that you can talk to and whose presence acts as a deterrent to petty crime and anti social behaviour. They manage it where I live.

[Perfectlypurple]

Someone about to jump off a bridge - life threatening, police matter.
Elderly confused male - safeguarding issues, police matter
Scattered paperwork - not police matter.

The reason people have a long wait to get an answer when they ring is due to volume of calls. I manage 101 and 999 operators. It is a juggling act having the right amount of people on the right line. If people ring 999 because 101 is busy it is counter productive. It just means I take people off 101 to answer the 999s. If people didn't ring for non police matters then the queues wouldn't be there.

[Matchingbluesocks]

Oh course you can't phone the police for paperwork including a baby Scan wtf?

[Redglitter]

Id say paperwork found in the street is more an example of when you wouldn't phone the police. By all means hand it in as found property but it wouldn't merit police attendance

[Lostwithinthehills]

Burn I do think you have a valid point of view, but the elderly, distressed and confused man needs medical care not the police.

[Witchend]

That is why when I called 101 on a genuine, but not urgent matter, I gave up after 15 minutes being told my call was important to them. Can't imagine 3 pm on a weekday was noticably busy.

[BurnTheBlackSuit]

I don't think police are just for crimes- as the poster above does.

What if you come across someone about to jump off a bridge?
What if you find a pile of paperwork including baby scans scattered on the pavement?
What if you come a confused and distressed elderly man on a country lane?

[ComfortingKormaBalls]

Chance would be a fine thing - Ive not seen a police officer around here for years - not on foot The trouble is people want to see a Police officer on foot walking down their street, but then want an officer to attend straight away for an offence. Police have response times and can't run at 50mph across town.

Which do the public want?

[limitedperiodonly]

from my experience, it's usually the people who should be ringing 999 who think they are an inconvenience even calling 101.

I agree Farfromtheusual. I never called either because I thought there was nothing I could do with my neighbour's harassment because she and her husband weren't physically abusive.

Even when a police officer said I should call 999 if I felt threatened I didn't because I never felt under physical and immediate threat. I felt silly and thought I should be able to deal with it. However she and her husband made my life a misery and made me hide inside whenever I saw them.

As I keep saying, the police were great. They didn't arrest her, they just gave her a talking to that gave me a respite from her onslaught.

I have even more sympathy for people who are physically threatenened.

The OP has no idea

[AppleJac]

Dh is a person that calls the police too eagerly. I have to tell him on numerous occasions that many things he thinks are a police matter are simple not.

Years ago he was very close to ringing an ambulance because he had a very bad ear infection. We lived a mile away from the local a+e and he could of got a taxi but oh no he wanted an ambulance. I did talk him out of ringing one!

We had an issue with a staff member who was refusing to return company property as he wanted his wages first (he had just been fired) dh response was to ring the police who very promptly told him it was a civil matter.

He would think nothing of ringing the police if someone blocked his car in and he couldnt find the owner of the car.

It drives me mad!

[Matchingbluesocks]

Limited that sounds awful and absolutely a police matter. Urgh, horrid neighbour