AIBU to expect the Police to have attended this incident?

[alittlequinnie]

This morning at 5.00 am I was woken up to a lot of shouting outside in the street.

I went to the window and I could see three women and one men standing on the street opposite. The man was punching one woman (wearing a pink top) repeatedly and she was screaming "get off me". It looked pretty bad to me. There was a third woman (denim jacket) next to them and another fourth woman I couldn't really see in a light anorak.

The other two women were not really doing anything.

I picked up my phone and dialled 999 - by the time I had gone through all the details of my address etc the man had literally picked up one woman (the one wearing the anorak - the one I couldn't see) put her over his shoulder and was carrying her into a house just opposite.

Somebody (definately a woman) was shouting either "put me down" or "let me go" and the man shouted "you're gonna pay for this [name of one of the women] and went inside a house opposite with her.

The other two women (denim jacket and pink top) hung around for a bit - although they did not look too concerned and then carried on their way.

I told all of this to the Police including the "you're going to pay" and the other women not being concerned.

I was really scared because if that bloke was happy to punch a woman in the street what was he going to do to the one he carried into the house - why did she need to be carried - wtf?

Police said they would send an officer out.

I was unsure of the house numbers and genuinely concerned so hung around in my front garden in my dressing gown for about a 1/2 hour but no Police, nothing.

Nobody came back and I strained and strained to see if I could hear any shouting coming from the house but nothing.

Just a few minutes ago the Police phoned me back and asked for some more details as they could not pinpoint the property - I told it all again and pointed the house out to them.

They have gone now but they were gone really fast and I don't think they knocked on the door or anything.

I feel really worried that my sorry tale of woe didn't illicit a quicker Police response than this - anything could have happened to that woman in the last three hours coudn't it?

Am I overreacting - I'm sure it was a drunken altercation between "friends" coming home after drinking all night but those can get out of hand can't they? The bloke was punching one of them women!

And no, he didn't want to press charges, I was hoping they might - y'know - turn up and stop the assault happening. Pressing charges - resulting in a minor punishment, maybe (only witnesses me + ex) isn't likely to stop his wider family making reprisals. (Bloke assaulting has form, including threatening a neighbour with a knife etc etc etc)

sadik Why would they go to the field? Of course they went to the place where they would find you to speak to you about it.

In an ideal world every call will be attended to immediately but if the incident is over and the danger has passed then yes, nowadays, it may be a couple of days before you are visitied. It’s shit but unavoidable now.

I'm not complaining about the police - the response was exactly what I expected (I called 999 in hope rather than expectation) - my point is that this is not a recent state of affairs caused by Tory budget cuts. All my experiences are pre-2010.

Essentially, I'd say the OP's description would fit my experiences over any timescale from the late 80s to the present day.

I have to say also "if the incident is over and the danger has passed" doesn't really make sense unless I guess they assume after a certain amount of time that either you've resolved the problem or you're dead?

How does it not make sense? Our control rooms generally call reporters back to establish if it’s still ongoing (or if someone has been murdered) or is it has stopped, all parties have went their seperate ways and everyone is safe.

It enables the control room to catagorise the police response level.

My little town is suffering from anti social behaviour, assaults have gone up, theft is rife. We have even had a couple of murders. Our police station custody suite closed ages ago meaning that all suspect are taken to the nearest city. Now they are closing that one as it is underused. So it will now mean a journey of between 45 mins to 1.5 hours (depending on traffic) to the closest suite. We have more than enough criminals to keep the city one open but no police officers to actually make the arrests. Bizarre.

Ah - they didn't call back in that instance.

I'm sounding really negative. I think the police do a good job in solving wider problems - so preventing terrorism, being there in force if the BNP is planning a march - at a lower level dealing with drug problems on the street, sorting out dodgy pubs.

But I wouldn't hold out much hope of getting help with a specific problem that I as an individual am seeing right now - like in the OP - if that makes sense.

sadik How badly hurt was your partner?

Oh and I did say “generally”. Sometimes they can’t get back in touch with reporters but the call will be catagorised based on the information that is known from the initial call and from any further calls regarding the same incident.

Not sure what you'd categorise as 'badly' - needed hospital treatment. Fortunately as well as calling 999, I also called all our neighbours & they turned up which stopped the incident (As for example did my friend when a man broke into her house at 3am & she was alone with her toddler. Police did turn up then at about 5am, fortunately he was just pissed and bewildered, and had easily been sent on his way by a few of us telling him to get lost.)
TBF I do live in a rural area, so don't expect the same level of response as in a city.

I live in an area with bad drugs problems. Street fights, threats and violence in my street relatively common. Police never appear until next day (when dust has settled presumably).
Last year an old couple were very violently assaulted and injured in the street adjoining mine. Police didn't come round doing door to doors until a week later.

Yes it is shortages. Not the police's fault - they can only work with what they have. But it is ironic that the party that prides itself on being big on 'law and order' has cut police budgets to the point of zero response or too little too late.

I'm betting they already knew the people, and needed to check that you were indeed talking about the same people. I'm also betting that they already know the women won't press charges, so why bother.

sadik The unfortunate truth is if there is no one available then there is no one available. There is an old police saying “you can only pish with the cock you have got” and while it’s crude, it’s true.

Do I agree with the increased response times? Hell no, of course I don’t. Are the cops sitting drinking tea saying they can’t be fucked going? No.

But I think the public also have to understand that while the incident they are reporting may be the worst thing that’s ever happened to them, it’s maybe the 10th assault that’s on the control rooms screen at that one time and others WILL take priority

They won’t always make the right call, but they can only go on the known information. Other posters have experience in control rooms will be able to explain the priority process better.

jax The police won’t think “why bother”. Well, they might on a personal level but the call will still be prioritised.

Undoubtedly cuts have had an impact but I had a similar response when burgled almost 17 years ago.

Also some cuts were inevitable, in the past money was wasted on overtime & procurement.

Buglur is a minor crime police wont come out for those at all anymore its got to the point were they cannot even cover serious crimes now aka assault etc

Well it's not like they were sitting around drinking tea instead of attending, was it? That's the state of things now. They got there when they could. They need more funding, and more numbers.

Yes wasted on overtime so you expect officers to work free hours then?

And now we have no overtime and cops have no/poor quality equipment. It might save money but it wasn’t always wasted money.

Sometimes I need overtime so I can finish what I started but I’m not allowed it. I don’t actually like overtime and staying on, I would rather be at home but I have a pride in my work and want to follow it through.

worridmum Of course not! This is why reasoned debate gets lost but I really can’t be bothered to explain to you.

I’ve friends who worked with the police in professional capacity’s & I also have friends who are/were in the Met both support & police so I base my knowledge on what they tell me.

I'm currently off having been assaulted at work. I'd rather be with my team as I'm letting them down. We are so desperately short. The whole team is late off every day trying to complete all the tasks needed. When I joined this area that covers 250m2 we were considered short if there was 10 on all double crewed. Now we are expected to do the same with 4. 2 of which are single crewed. It is dangerous and it's not good enough for the public as much as us.

Nicknacky Overtime is a necessity & unavoidable & the cuts have gone too far but in the past there was waste.

And that now means ther is less officers on the street. So everyone suffers because historically some was “wasted”.

fenella I’m sorry to hear that, I hope you get better soon.