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.

No one uses discs anymore

Yes they do. It's pretty common for businesses to burn CCTV onto discs for enquiries. It may be '90s era technology' but it's still relevant

From police Scotland
"In an emergency alwaysdial 999- when someone is in danger, a crime is in progress or a suspect is nearby"

That advice is replicated across England and Wales. If the suspect is nearby ie they just ran down the road...dial999.

Discs are widely used, in custody suites, and in court. Memory sticks are useful but the CPS will demand a disc for viewing.

You have had some good advice from many on this thread asking initially "what now". Did you come here for advice or just a rant.

Either way I agree, a poor response from your local police.

*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.*

I'm not a copper, but I'd certainly file your problem in the bin if you sent me an email like that.

Who do you think you are?!

I've spent six months repeating myself on the phone to them.

Yes, the outrage of expecting a substantive response after assault. Misogyny never sleeps.

One of those noise maker things ? Or loud opera music ?

YANBU. Surely asking the reg and make of your car in this situation, after the offence has happened, is just pointless? After all you're not the criminal. Stating you have clear CCTV of the offenders and that the criminal and that the antisocial behaviour is ongoing, should be enough for them to send someone over to obtain copies of the CCTV. It wouldn't occur to me to call 999 for some lads throwing rocks at my car and then scarpering after being confronted. It's hardly a serious threat to life (not saying it's acceptable behaviour at all, it clearly needs dealing with).

@Stefoscope I wonder if it's so they can work out whether cars in the area belong to the criminals or not

You can send MP4s and other large files using Wetransfer

wetransfer.com/

Op, I understand you’re stressed but your response to some posters is really uncalled for.

Talk about rude and dismissive OP

If you were being attacked in your car why the bloody hell didn't you ring 999? Even if they'd ran off by the time you got through, you could have given them a description and a direction they headed off in.

That's not victim blaming, it's a genuine question. They've just vandalised your car and run off - you saw them do it and where they headed off to! That was the time to call the police - not send in an mail via an online form a few hours later.

Then the police do try and help you and instead of just answering their questions, you become rude and obstructive. Your attitude isn't exactly helping you here!

Oh, and your title is misleading because the police have been responsive. You’re wasting police time with your shitty attitude.

OP, yes some of your replies have definitely scored highly on the shit-scale, but you still have my sympathy.

We had a similar scenario here; drug dealing involving many young children being used to deliver and as look-outs. Everyone reported and reported and reported. Car numbers,makes and models were sent and all we got were the 'Maybe we could' excuses. This went on for two years. MP was contacted and was as much use as a chocolate fireguard. This is a small village and these little kids were being dragged further and further into this drug scene. Eventually it turned out one of us had a tenuous link with the ex- Met C
Commissioner and asked his advice. Amazingly the problem was sorted within days!!

I don't know what the answer is for you except to keep on and on reporting and making a noise until they get so fed up with you that they get off their backsides and actually do something.

There was an issue with anti social behaviour, egg throwing, petty theft and finally windows being smashed in the high street of my local small town. Police didn't react until a shop owner, fed up with the lack of action, posted his CCTV video (and a scathing comment) on his FB and it was shared all over, including the town page.

The kids (6 of them) were all recognised and named. FB took down the naming posts but left the posts from their furious parents. Eventually the local police took action and from what I understand, there have been a number of ASBOs (and 2 sets of parents have paid for the smashed windows). Sometimes SM is the way ahead

Of course they need your car reg 🙄 in our force it will be added to the crime as an involved vehicle ie. the one that’s been damaged.

Yes, we still use discs. All of our cctv needs to be on disc for easy viewing, to be played in interview, sent to CPS etc.

I can completely understand your frustration If this is an ongoing issue, but if you’ve spent six months giving statements then you clearly have not had “absolutely no response from the police” and your title is inflammatory and misleading.

Police numbers are ridiculously low, levels of crime very high. I spend every shift running around from job to job (some not even police matters but we deal due to cuts to other services too). As awful as it sounds we are unable to prioritise and effectively deal with lower level things because we don’t have the staff.

I strongly recommend you complain to your MP that anti-social behaviour is on the rise in your area and that you’d support increased funding for the police to allow them to tackle it.

I agree your title is entirely misleading. You have been given opportunities to engage with police and have declined. That will be the end of that. They are so stretched with serious crime and willing victims that you’ve put an end to this being investigated.
Protocol for some but not all forces for this crime which sounds like at most a sec 4a public order and criminal damage would be one phone call to the victim to get initial investigation and if there is a concrete lead- ie clear facial image of suspects it will be passed on for further investigation. It sounds like you got that response. There really is no complaint.
You clearly have no idea how stretched police resources are. I can imagine you are frustrated but directing your frustrations seems to be the wrong direction.

OP

Tell these kids that you have informed the police of their thuggish behavior and you have them on CCTV. If they don't stop and go away you will be going to the local press and they will print stills of them online and in their newspaper, so everyone will know who they are. Also their parents will be contacted about this and their schools.

Op, have you ever discussed during any of the calls, either emailing the footage in or dropping it off at the police office?

Our local McDonalds has a high pitched frequency device on their outside wall ... you should try it

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1510610/Plagued-by-teenagers-Youll-like-the-sound-of-this.html

You can also contact your police and crime commissioner to help.

I suggest that you revise your approach of knowing better than the officers to are trying to deal with it for you. Give them the info they need (and be nice about it). They are building a log of incidents in this time too.

What was the misogyny comment about?

Alternatively, complaints to IPCC.

First, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change isn't go to give a shit about this complaint.

Secondly, the Independent Office for Police Conduct directs all complaints from the public back to the local force to deal with unless they are related to very specific concerns.

OP imagine you are a police dispatcher.

Massively simplifying and low-balling it here, it let’s say You have 6 outstanding incidents needing officer response. And 4 officers on duty.

You have 2 incidents of an immediate threat to life.

You have 1 incident of a vulnerable missing person.

You have 3 incidents of repeat antisocial crime. This is where you fit in.

Obviously you send 3 officers to the immediate threat to life and the missing person. That leaves you with 1 Officer but 3 incidents left to follow up on. Of course you’re going to want to clarify whether there is even anything identifying and actionable on the CCTV to follow up on; and if the reporting person is being difficult and vague, then you’re less likely to make progress; so you’re going to go to the other incident where the Reporting person has clarified the CCTV is clear, and is happy to help with inquiries.

Now imagine you’ve got 100 incidents, 15 police officers, and 20 of the incidents are an immediate threat to life.

The days of an officer just being able to patrol are so far gone it’s almost laughable you think there are enough resources to spare this.

Please do Write to your MP to express your concern for the horrific cuts to our Public Services resulting in crimes not being investigated.

Next time call 101 and say you thought you saw one with what looked like a gun. You WILL get action then.

Penners99 What a fucking ridiculous comment.

Yes, you will get action; you’ll get armed response officers responding to the area, a massive police operation; and none of them will be willing to hang around once the adrenaline’s settled down and the Safety catch is back on the MP5 to listen to somebody moaning about some teens “hanging around”.

The incidents the OP describes are bad and do need follow up, but to suggest that an immediate armed presence is needed is utterly ridiculous and could actually put lives in danger. Luckily our armed police are better trained and disciplined than the trigger happy Americans, but mistakes can still happen.

Next time call 101 and say you thought you saw one with what looked like a gun. You WILL get action then

And the award for the most fucking stupid and irresponsible post of the week goes to this gem!!

Just re the CCTV, I work somewhere that is frequently contacted by the police to request CCTV footage (goes with the job), and it's always burned onto disc for them to collect later. 90s technology notwithstanding, they need to be able to take the footage with them - ergo disc.