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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect more from the police?

46 replies

bonkerz · 06/09/2007 20:12

Tonight my 7 year old son was pushed off his bike by a 14 year old boy. He then rode the bike away doing all sorts of tricks and stuff on it and when he eventually broke the handle bars and brakes he threw the bike in some bushes. The first i knew of this was when my son came running in hysterical from the front path. He had been riding out front and i had gone to say bye to a friend in the back garden!
DS pointed out the boy to me and i went over to the gang and asked who had done the damage. This boy stepped right up and admitted everything so i grabbed him and frog marched him back to my house.
After threatening him with the police he gave me his mums nuber and i rang her. She came over and told me to call the police. I did this and was told on dispatch to keep the boy and his mother at my house and an officer would be there ASAP.
2 hours later i decided i couldnt hold boy hostage anymore and mum left all details and they left.
I have just had an officer ring me to say someone cant get out till saturday!!!

Im in shock. The damage to my sons bike is minimal, handle bars bent, brake snapped and scratches but im sure it can be fixed to a ridable standard. I think im more upset that the police dont view criminal damage by a 14 year old to a 7 year olds property as a problem. This boy is going to now get away with what he has done. His mother by her own admission cant del with him hence her wanting me to ring police.

So am i being unreasonable to feel annoyed and upset at the police for not treating this seriously? At the moment the only person who is going to suffer is my son as we are not allowed to fix the bike until it has been seen and now im not sure he is safe playing out on a footpath directly infront of my house.

OP posts:
southeastastra · 06/09/2007 20:15

nope that is terrible. the mum should have at least offered to buy another one.

Original poster
bonkerz · 06/09/2007 20:17

TBH i think the mum has had enough! She told me she had rang the police before about him but they never turned up. He was very cocky admitting everything but did not oncde say sorry.

OP posts:
Kathyis6incheshigh · 06/09/2007 20:20

Police complain when they don't have support from parents; well, in this case it sounds like the police are really not supporting the parents.
Of course you can see how if they have umpteen other urgent things to attend to, this will take a back seat, but what a pity.

southeastastra · 06/09/2007 20:23

do have any community police where you live? though i'm not sure what powers they have.

Original poster
bonkerz · 06/09/2007 20:25

I think thats why im upset. We do have community police and i asked if they were around to be told no and then i was told that my case was bottom of pile and made to feel like i was wasting police time.

OP posts:
southeastastra · 06/09/2007 20:27

i'd be upset and i know how my dp would deal with it . hanging on for the police seems to be your only option doesn't it.

WaldenYapp · 06/09/2007 20:28

Oh well, bang goes 'call me Daves' zero tolerance policy!

Write to your police station, explaining why you think he should have been dealt with immediately blah blah blah.

Then copy the letter and send it to your MP.

Email it to him/her as well and ask if they can help.

Email both letters to the Daily Mail, they love this sort of stuff.

Original poster
bonkerz · 06/09/2007 20:30

TBH i feel like just leaving it. Im worried the gang that this boy was with will now think DS and i are fair game for more crap! If they leave going round to him till saturday he will get a slapped wrist and thats it. In the mean time my son will now have to stay in and cannot ride his bike till DH and I can afford to get it fixed or worst case can buy him a new one.

OP posts:
southeastastra · 06/09/2007 20:31

please don't leave it. there must be an answer (racking brain). the mum sounds delightful. 14 isn't that old

Original poster
bonkerz · 06/09/2007 20:33

mum was lovely. We had a coffee but from what i gather she is single parent who is at the end of her thether, She cannot afford to pay for damage her son has caused and it appears she has no authority over him either. She wanted the police to arrest him!!

OP posts:
geekymummy · 06/09/2007 20:33

sorry the police were useless on this occasion...

fair play to you for at least doing something about it though! I agree with southeatastra, the boy's mum should have offered some recompense.

Original poster
bonkerz · 06/09/2007 20:33

also have been told im not to ring her or her son about the police not bothering to come! I expalined that she is waiting for the police and they said i was not allowed to contact them and nor were they!

OP posts:
geekymummy · 06/09/2007 20:34

oops just saw your last post

southeastastra · 06/09/2007 20:35

wouldn't it be better for the boy to see the police in the long run? it might shock him especially if his mum wants you to as well

southeastastra · 06/09/2007 20:40

it reminds me of this thread interesting to see what happened (i bumped the thread)

Original poster
bonkerz · 06/09/2007 20:49

well that just takes the fucking biscuit. I have just ahd a call form the seargent at the police station. APPARENTLY noone can deal with this till next week! When i questioned him about our local officers he couldnt tell me why noone could come to me just stated they were too busy and this is not priority.

OP posts:
southeastastra · 06/09/2007 20:53

fgs that is unacceptable! maybe you should have called 999

Rhubarb · 06/09/2007 20:53

I can sympathise. My dh's mum and dad have been sent a threatening letter, been threatened in person, had posters put up about them around the village and had items stolen from their land.

All this because they want to put a wind turbine in the middle of one of their fields, not near any other houses, that would benefit the whole village.

The police couldn't give a crap about the fact that, after 3 generations of living there, dh's mum and dad are now being intimidated by their "new money" neighbours.

southeastastra · 06/09/2007 20:55

a small village round here are hiring their own 'security' but they have the money to do it

Original poster
bonkerz · 06/09/2007 20:56

im crying and feel gutted.

OP posts:
southeastastra · 06/09/2007 20:59

do you think there would be any point in contacting the boy's school (if you know what it is)?

rhubard that's awful.

what a state we're in with this sort of thing

Original poster
bonkerz · 06/09/2007 21:03

i have just rang the boys mum. I cried down phone to her and told her to keep her son away from my house and if i see him near me (he lives 2 streets away) i will ring the police and lie if i have to to get them here. I know technically its not her fault BUT she has said she cant control him. Im SO angry at the whole system and in it all the only person who cannot ride his bike tomorrow or go out is my son!!

OP posts:
Rhubarb · 06/09/2007 21:05

I would ask the mother get her son to visit yours, to apologise, and to offer his pocketmoney to fix the bike.

That would send him the message that if he tries anything like this again, you'll take matters into your own hands.

southeastastra · 06/09/2007 21:06

that does sound like a good solution from rhubard what do you think?

Original poster
bonkerz · 06/09/2007 21:07

i told her that i expected her son to pay for the bikes damage and that i would find jobs for him to do to help with this. She pointed out she would have to get him here first and didnt think she could do that!!!

It looks like we will be paying to fix the bike! I swear i could give that boy a verbal bashing right now. I dont condone violence BUT i could slap him for this.

OP posts: