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Original poster

Police set up phone lines and online form to tell on neighbours

229 replies

chomalungma · 28/03/2020 12:00

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8162725/Police-urge-Britons-spill-beans-neighbours-suspected-breaching-coronavirus-lockdown.html

hey will be asked if their report concerns rule-breaking by an individual, group, or business, on what street, and at what date and time - by the minute.

It comes as police forces across the country face charges of 'overzealousness' from ex-MPs, lawyers, and human-rights groups this week.

Wow...

OP posts:
Nicknacky · 28/03/2020 12:42

1forsorrow We have approx 500 uniformed front line officers in our area (excluding office staff etc). We yesterday had 120 self isolating and there are obviously officers on annual leave, rest days, off sick.

That figure is for our three sub divisions that make up our division.

EachandEveryone · 28/03/2020 12:45

Every Sunday without fail a group of young lads gather down my back way to smoke skunk and deal. So, does this count? I. Sick of reporting it. Every week. Maybe a new phone number will be useful?

DGRossetti · 28/03/2020 12:47

Maybe the online forms will just disappear into a black hole

Isn't that what happens to all online forms anyway ? I've lost count of the companies I've contacted via their "online form" to never hear from again.

picklemewalnuts · 28/03/2020 12:48

An injunction has been issued against a tenant hosting parties with 20 people in his flat.

This system will allow people to report that.

I'm sure they won't send police out because the woman at no 3 has been out three times today.

They will if the woman at no 3 has got 20 people in her back garden.

Or the beautician business in my local town that is letting clients come and go through the back door.

MaidenMotherCrone · 28/03/2020 12:54

Christ Almighty Hmm. That's all my neighbours dreams come true. All retired with bugger all to do. I've been out once in the last fortnight and you could here the collective scratchings of pencil on paper whispering down the street as I passed.

DH and I were painting the front garden fence on Wednesday when a couple walked along on the other side of the road with a dog. Cue neighbour Barry (having left his post of curtain lurker) striding into his garden shouting to the couple demanding information on their walk.
At this point back up appeared in the form of Derek (no 23) and Clive (no 16).

The couple and their dog left the scene unscathed (I hope) but I'm expecting Barry to go full Dirty Harry.

I'm tempted to just stand in the middle of the road for the reaction but I'm not dressed and can't be arsed today.

Send help!

MaidenMotherCrone · 28/03/2020 12:54

Hear not here!

Puzzledandpissedoff · 28/03/2020 12:57

I accept the points about freeing up lines for better things, etc, but still don't like this at all. Even if they included a "checklist" on what really needs reporting many wouldn't read it, and I can't see police having time to fine timewasters (though councils might appreciate the idea as a fundraiser)

It's true some need to take more care around isolation, but extra powers given to officialdom will always be abused and for me this is one too many

Nicknacky · 28/03/2020 12:57

Did the couple tell your neighbours to bugger off 😱

HauntedHats · 28/03/2020 12:58

Serial offenders in my street...it takes 6 of them to walk one dog. They are all adults. They have form for being complete arseholes.

AutumnRose1 · 28/03/2020 12:58

wow
I really hope the forms do disappear into a black hole.

VivaLeBeaver · 28/03/2020 13:00

But six people from the same household can walk the dog together can’t they? It counts as their exercise?

Nicknacky · 28/03/2020 13:02

6 people are allowed to go out to walk a dog.

MiracletoCome · 28/03/2020 13:04

It does say that you won't know the outcome and they won't follow up everything, its just to appease the curtain twitchers and they may catch the odd group gathering through it

Mlou32 · 28/03/2020 13:04

I think it's obvious that it is intended to be for reporting those who are blatantly flouting the rules ie group BBQs, gatherings for drinks in the garden, groups of kids out playing together etc which we've seen a lot of over the last week.

GreytExpectations · 28/03/2020 13:04

@HauntedHats you are the one in the wrong. They aren't "offenders" because they haven't broken any rules. Members of the same household can be out together. Good god, it's probably people like you clogging up the police phone lines, isn't it?

KoalasandRabbit · 28/03/2020 13:04

That will keep 3/4s of our village occupied. Grin I bet my 2 neighbours will be reporting each other, they've been reporting each other for things to the council for years like putting a fence up or the wrong colour porch.

Sargass0 · 28/03/2020 13:05

Serial offenders in my street...it takes 6 of them to walk one dog. They are all adults. They have form for being complete arseholes.

It says gatherings of more than 2 people not from the same household.
This is why the police will be fucking inundated.

But six people from the same household can walk the dog together can’t they? It counts as their exercise?
^
You are so right.

Think there needs to be a new forum
Snitches get Stitches

QuimJongUn · 28/03/2020 13:06

I'm going to have to go out three times today - once for shopping (I don't drive, I'm disabled, I can only carry so much on each shopping trip - no way can I stock up for a week, I have to go out 2 or 3 times); once to top up my gas and electricity, at a shop almost a mile away; and once to find a cashpoint which actually has cash in it (the topups only accept cash and last week, I had to walk a mile and a half to find one).

The curtain twitching arses around here probably will report me if this is splashed all over the DM. Fuck 'em, I've no choice in the matter.

Haffiana · 28/03/2020 13:09

I think they will be using this to issue warnings/fines for wasting police time.

A few on this thread have already demonstrated that they would be fined...

Puzzledandpissedoff · 28/03/2020 13:10

I think it's obvious that i'ts intended to be for reporting those who are blatantly flouting rules

To anyone in their right mind, yes, but that doesn't always apply to vexatious reporters
It's true that most would probably end up in the bin, but even the person sorting through them could probably be doing a more useful job elsewhere

MaidenMotherCrone · 28/03/2020 13:11

@Nicknacky they did which made me smile.

kmc1111 · 28/03/2020 13:11

I expect the hope is that it’ll keep the Stasi wannabes busy, but judging by a lot of the posts here I think those people will believe their observations are so very important that they really need to be reported more urgently.

Poppinjay · 28/03/2020 13:13

Our NDNs had a house party last night.

I wouldn't bother reporting them to the police but DD1 has suggested that, if they have another one, she might spray disinfectant on them over the fence. If they get upset, she'll tell them they're welcome to call the police and report her.

AutumnRose1 · 28/03/2020 13:16

Poppin and if they get burns on their skin? That'll help the NHS. What a bonkers thing for DD to say. Is she very young?

biwinoone · 28/03/2020 13:19

As much I agree with respecting the rules and police enforcing them, this takes it all a step too far. Very Orwellian.