What is the point of lockdown rules and fines

[LadyofTheManners]

If the Police do nothing

We have a guy on our street. To put it bluntly, he's a wanker. He cares not a jot for being a polite, nice neighbour and shows no respect to anyone.
If anyone was going to continuously and proudly show off flouting lockdown, it was always going to be him.

Anyway, on Friday, at 8.30am, we had a knock on our door. It was two Police officers. To be honest, I was worried why they were knocking as we have been meticulous following rules despite the extreme levels of boredom I'm sure the rest of you are experiencing.

Anyway, seems lots of people in our street have had a gut full of him as they said they had had "multiple reports from people" along with the neighborhood watch team about his behaviour. They asked had we seen anything.

I expected DH to say no as he usually doesn't want to get involved, but he surprised me by saying he had indeed seen him having multiple people round for weeks.

They asked us, as they had lots of others, to call 101 if he was actually in the process of having people over so they could catch him, his wife and his mates at it.

Tonight, when DH came back from getting milk and bits, he could barely park as there were so many cars in the road. Yep, he's having another gathering. At least 25 cars worth.

So I rang. Two hours ago.

They said on the phone they had been hoping someone rang when he had a house full due to the reports. Someone will be over soon.

Yeah right. Two hours later and he's out in his car to get extra barbecue lighter and another two cars worth have turned up as well.

I've lost faith in our local police frankly, no wonder we're on the list for one of the ridiculous "picnics against lockdown" this weekend as the Police here have seemingly lost all control.

They could have had an opportunity to close him down once and for all, they know he has been flouting regularly, also they could have fined the rest of his moronic associates and hopefully, that would spread the word they aren't allowing it.

We will never get over this virus whilst this is allowed to carry on.

Sorry for the rant but I'm close to contacting to make an official complaint.

OP I can see your point completely. I would make a complaint. The process will be on the force website.
There are rules and this neighbour and all his visitors are breaking them. You had the experience of a home enquiry quite early one morning and were asked to let them know when he did it again. You did this as did another neighbour and nothing was done. So what was the point if all of this. Why did they not come out and deal with it. Say that you've lost confidence.
Your report will ensure that it is looked into officially. Those conversations you had with operators will be listened to.

Brave bloke having a bbq last night. Was -1 here in my part of the midlands.

"Armchairs facing windows"

The layout of my room means that my couches have to face the window. I don't do the telly in the wall thing and unless I want to sit with my curtains constantly closed, the television has to have its back to the window.

This situation is another thing that males a mockery of the Police response and the handing out of fines. Children were left scared at the start by being handed fines and being told off for being in their own front gardens. Some areas did have them telling people that they couldn't buy
Easter eggs and toys, but mass funerals for gangsters and parties are ok.

However we all need to get our heads around that the plan is herd immunity and learn to live with that. Stage 3 is actually removing social distancing, so those of us who are over 50 just have to hope for the best.

@Winterwoolies I'm not going to apologise for having old school manners. And I'm also not going to justify the lay out of quite a small room.

If it was the case that I had just decided to call on the off chance then yes, it's understandable that they didn't bother.

However, when it is factored in, as some of you seem to have totally ignored that an actual officer was quite insistent that we call when he was in the middle of a breach of the rules, it makes no sense at all.

What was the point in the midst of this and yes, funding cuts, to send two officers out, early in the morning, to my neighbours home opposite, then to mine as I assume our window being open meant they knew someone was indoors (in fact sleeping later than usual due to noise from his get together the night before), then going to at least two further homes that I'm aware of and asking all of us to ring it in as a matter of urgency as they had had multiple reports online but had yet to be able to catch him in the act? There seems to be no point in that at all. Unless it was a PR exercise as he had had multiple reports and nothing of any merit was done beforehand either.

It now, as more neighbors on the whatsapp have logged in that others are not surprised as they had also called over the last few weeks whilst he was in the midst of a gathering and had also been promised someone was coming and that hadn't happened then either. So they've had multiple opportunities to even give this guy a warning or advice let alone a fine and have failed to.

You do have to ask why that is.

My belief is we are all in this together, we must try our hardest to follow guidance and the minute one group ignores it we are affectively back to square one. If the government does start instigating lockdowns on separate towns why should the rest of us suffer because of morons like him and his mates because the police tell you to do one thing then ignore it entirely and effectively sanction him as fine to continue.

It's being discussed by our neighbors now that we need to make a group complaint as it beggars belief.

You do understand that in “normal” times this wouldn’t even be a police matter? And you clearly don’t understand that your complaint about your neighbours won’t be the only one reported to the police and no, they can only try and attend the reports. It matters not that on a previous occasion that the police chapped the door.

You need to keep this in proportion.

@Nicknacky
They tqapped my door. Not his.
Is that so difficult to comprehend that I followed a simple instruction to call them? That other neighbors had the same and also called? That they've missed multiple opportunities before the knock on Friday to request and since then when we were asked specifically to call.
The only home they haven't knocked at is his!

I know they chapped your door. I can read.

So you followed the simple instructions and they had no one available to send. That’s unfortunate.

Oh, and there is no power in the legislation for private dwellings. The police can only really ask nicely.

Then what was the point of asking us and others to call? And the receiving multiple calls over the last few weeks and specifically days since that request was made and doing nothing?

As I said, it feels like an exercise in fobbing us all off. You're telling me at no point they could send someone out for weeks or in the period since Friday morning?
Couldn't or didn't want to?

Because they will attend if they can. And what’s the point going round AFTER the gathering is finished?

You need to keep this in proportion. The police aren’t sitting around waiting for people to spark up BBQ’s or open a beer.

"And maybe remind the few when ill of us they speak that we are all that stands between the monsters and the weak"

You have no idea why the police couldn't attend immediately. A big job can drain already stretched resources. They are obviously interested in this male but the fact is they simply wouldn't have had the resource to send officers at the time of your call. If you can't believe that this is possible then perhaps you could volunteer for your local force and sign up as a 'special constable' then you might understand the pressures forces are dealing with.

Then what was the point of asking us and others to call?

Occasionally the police don't know what the law is. As evidenced by officers looking in peoples shopping bags etc.

They were fobbing you off. All public facing roles do this with difficult customers in difficult times.

Op Yanbu- you’ve had a hard time.
If they were genuinely dealing with a more pressing incident then it’s fair enough but this sounds possibly unlikely
Call them again today and if your neighbour do the same they might send someone round even if they can’t catch them in the act

@Janaih what, we were all difficult were we? Even people like me who were called on who hadn't even reported him originally?
Via a crystal ball one presumes then

Classic case of
‘Am I being unreasonable’
‘Yes’
‘No I’m not’ 🙄😂

@Frazzled2207 I was planning on but DH is so annoyed as I say he doesn't usually get involved that he said not to bother as they clearly have no intention of following up on it despite them approaching plenty of us
It is now being discussed in our village Facebook page and our local councillor is keen to raise a query with them over it all. He said he has heard of many similar incidents linked to a specific grouping in the village and wants to query why they seem to be exempt compared to everyone else who is following rules

No one was taught to call people by their surname and prefix. Unless you went to a Swiss finishing school in the 1930's.

Anyway.

Sounds vg If local councillor involved. As far as I can tell our local councillor has a constructive and effective relationship with the local police.

Lockdown had driven some crazy hasn't it Op, maybe go for walk the fresh air will do you good

I think you do need to go out for a long walk and get some fresh air. There is no point getting so worked up about this.

You do know that the police have no authority over what people do in their own property? If those people had met in a park or other public space the police could break the gathering up and fine the participants. On private property they can’t do anything because it’s guidance not legislation.

Of course you’re being unreasonable. They can’t send anyone over if there’s no one to send. They will have other incidents to deal with and I imagine that some will be of a bigger priority. Domestic violence cases, for example, have shot up recently.

It’s not unheard of before lockdown to wait hours for police to show up if for example the victim of a violent crime (mugging, DV) is now safe from their perpetrator(s). Thank cuts to public services for that. The police didn’t Voluntarily cut their own numbers.

Op I struggle to decide on where to begin.
Due to lack of police and funding the police stuuggle with reactive policing let alone proactive policing.
There are many people who push the boundaries with many rules and regulations and many who just don't care and just break them as even if they get caught and punished the its worth the risk as they could break the rules many times before prosecution due to lack of police resources.
Throw in to the mix that many people don't understand the above and the full extent of what policing entails and they then have unrealistic expectations of what should and should not be happening.
Just give them a break and concentrate on doing your but in doing the right thing.