Absolutely no police response, what now?

[Sockypuppet]

For the past few months my office has had a problem with kids hanging around making trouble.

It's a mix of school-aged lads and some older kids, with problems ranging from cheeky comments and being too loud, to more serious issues caused by the older people who sometimes show up.

The more serious issues have been throwing eggs at our window, sexual harassment as we go out to our cars, and drug dealing. We have made police reports and offered to have police look at our CCTV, but they've not responded.

Earlier this week I was leaving work and as I pulled out of the car park the group of lads surrounded my car, smashed my wing mirror, and picked up rocks to throw. They left after a neighbour came out and shouted at them. This is all on CCTV.

I've made a report on 101 and online, saying specifically that this is an ongoing issue and saying this was my third offer to have them come view our CCTV.

Concurrently I made a complaint about lack of response and said I've never once seen a police officer in our neighbourhood.

I've had a couple of ineffectual attempts at communication since, including:

Two separate calls asking for the make and reg of my car. It's visible on the CCTV!

A call asking whether the assailants could be identified from the CCTV. Maybe come have a fucking look?

An update to my complaint with someone with no surname assuring me that some other unnamed person would probably be coming to look at the cctv.

An email from the police asking for my number so they could ring me.

I've told them that I am very busy at work and that I don't wish to be contacted again unless it's to arrange their viewing of the cctv or otherwise actual assistance from them.

So, what now?

If you were witnessing a drug deal I’d call 999

Twitter or local news.
Some public exposure should get their asses moving. Alternatively, complaints to IPCC.

Do you know what school they attend?

Report it to the headteacher and keep pestering the police

@Lifeisabeach09 really complain to the IPCC? In this day and age of knife crime and other serious crimes I'm sure they'd love to hear about Anti-Social behaviour!
Some real advice. Have a look at your local police clinics. They are normal run by the local PCSO or local Beat PC you can go and have a face to face chat. They are normally advertised at GP surgeries or on your local police website. At least then you can take a copy of the CCTV and have a face to face talk. Anti-Social behaviour like this is usual tackled by the PCSO's or Neighbourhood PC's.

Well you kind of shot yoyrself in the foot there telling them not to contact you. They asked for your number to call you did you give it or just tell them not to contact you unless it's on your terms?
You are busy! How busy do you think they are?
Did you tell the police you wanted to press charges for the car incident?

Ok they might not be responding as well as we all would expect but pissing them off isn't going to make them want to help you at all is it?

Take photos of the people outside as cctv can be fuzzy with faces.
Call and ask to speak to a senior officer and explain your problem and ask when.someone will be round as it's harassment, criminal damage, intimidation etc and you and others do not feel safe. That having gangs outside your business dealing drugs is intimidating clients.

Tell them factually and calmly. Don't get into slagging of the officers just say you have no idea who is dealing with this as the response has been confusing and first names only are not helpful.

Hope it's sorted soon.

Check your local MPs voting record on police funding, then compare to their voting record on their own pay rises and discuss with them accordingly

@Ohjustboreoff, yes, I meant what I said. If OP feels inaction is being taken regarding this problem, who else should she complain to, even in "day and age of knife crime and other serious crime"?

Local councillor and MP should be able to help

I think a phone call will probably sort this out much better than a series of back and forth emails/online forms.

The many phone calls I've had have been complete wastes of time, with someone asking for info the already have or telling me that someone else might do something. The phone calls are clearly someone just recording "follow-up" in a file without actually doing anything. That's why I've told them not to ring me again unless it's to arrange viewing of the CCTV or some other actual assistance.

Our town has had similar issues and the only thing that worked to any effect was the local news who came along, did the sensational headline, stated the lack of police response and published the CCTV images.

Well I told the lical school when there were cheeky comments and other low-level stuff. No response.

My car gets surrounded and I'm supposed to contact the school?

It is the neighbourhood police I've been dealing with. They don't hold clinics. I've invited them to come look at the cctv and they haven't.

If they surrounded your car and damaged it with you in it you should have called 999.
You were in immediate danger.

Call 999 after the neighbour shouted and they ran away?

Download the CCTV and email it to the officer that contacted you. I’d also film them on my phone when leaving the office. Speak to the police when they ring! Explain the impact. They are short staffed If you want them to do something you have to make it easy for them.
Complaining on here isn’t getting you towards a solution. Better spending your time helping the police. Why do you want them to come and see you you, rather than just get the evidence to them?

If my car was surrounded I would have called 999 there and then.

So you've had "many phone calls" and you've had emails, and you've told them not to contact you again, and you post on the 'net saying "absolutely no response" which is clearly untrue.

Yes, YABVU

Call 999 after the neighbour shouted and they ran away?

No, are you being deliberately awkward?
You should have called them as soon as they surrounded your car. Catching them in the act would have given the police a lot more to act on.

Nah just phone 999 when you're sitting in the bath

Don't ask for advice if you're just going to be a dick to everyone.

Okay sorry I am being a dick. Thanks for the advice.

Next time something serious happens I'll call 999.

I feel like you’ll only be happy when they come and look at the cctv.

You need to accept that isn’t happening right this second but that there is other stuff you can do. Call the school again RE your car being vandalised (last time it was low level stuff, this is much more serious). And continue to communicate with the police.

I get that this is frustrating and scary but don’t cut your nose off to spite your face.

But having the police ring me multiple times to ask for information they already have isn't a substantive "response".

If I sound fed up it's because I am. For the last six months I've been having the long chats with the community police bureau, with them saying "maybe we'll do this or that" and absolutely nothing happens.

Coming to look at the CCTV is only a start!

A substantive response would be having an actual officer stroll through our neighbourhood once in a while.