To ask if you’ve ever needed/been involved with the police?

[YouWonJayne]

Having a conversation with my brother after watching the Raoul Moat dramatisation.

I said I think the vast majority people will need the assistance of the police or will have been on the ‘wrong end’ of the police in their lives. I know I have (on the ‘right’ side). He says he doesn’t know many people who’ve ever needed the police or who are criminals. Have you??

YANBU - I have needed the police in some way or have been involved in a crime
YABU - I’ve never needed the police personally

Been on both sides. My ex accused me of all kinds of things, on one occasion of kidnapping our DD (police just sent a letter saying there's no crime here), another occasion of serious abuse and that required meeting with the police (who thankfully saw the pattern of his accusations, and the lack of evidence against me as DD had been thoroughly examined in hospital, and dismissed the case).
On the other side I contacted them about a watch my ex had stolen but eventually they asked me to drop it because it wasn't going to go anywhere. Another time a drunk man grabbed DD and wouldn't let go of her, the police took that very seriously as deprivation of liberty and it went to court where he was found guilty.

Also been involved as a neutral 3rd party, interpreting for a friend who saw me in the shop just as she was going to the police station and asked me to come along with her.

Yep a few times. One time someone else called the police for me. I will never ever trust them again. Totally totally victim blamed me and the misogyny was full blown and obvious.

When another woman got attacked they tried to call me back in so they could get a case together. I couldn't go back in. I told them to leave me alone. I feel so guilty about it all but I just couldn't talk to them again.
I hope I never need the police because no way I can ever trust them after what they did to me.

First and only time I was involved with the police for criminal damage (my property damaged) they did very little didn't even interview the person just gave him a talking to. I have no faith in our police after this and I have a family members still serving.

Yes multiple times when my ex beat me, raped me, stole my car, vandalised my property. As soon as they heard ‘boyfriend’ they ignored it, didn’t show or the one time they did, they took 7 hours to arrive by which time my front door was off it’s hinges and my home obliterated. The officer then spent the entire time coming on to me and making silly, jokey comments to his colleague and after promising me they’d find him, I never heard from them again. I escaped with my life but he didn’t even get spoken to, once, despite multiple calls.

A short time later I was caught talking on my mobile phone while driving. SIX police officers jumped out of their van to surround my car and it’s only when I said, “for fuck sake I haven’t murdered anyone, do you really need six of you?” that 5 of them shamefacedly shuffled back to the van. Well my car wasn’t registered to my address (all this was early 2000’s btw. I don’t behave like this as an adult) so I ignored the fine. Well they returned to my old flat multiple times to hunt me down for it! (Old neighbour told me) So they did fuck all for the 3 years of abuse but for the £20 fine (as it was then) they found loads of man power and time.

I was also scammed out of a flat deposit a year or so before that and they were given the reg number of the van, the estate agent they used, everything and they made zero effort to help me.

I was stalked for a year by someone I worked with in around 2005-2006. Zero. Fucks. Given. Despite me giving them recordings, work address, tons of evidence. They just kept telling me they hadn’t had time to talk to him and to call them back if and when he tried to attack me.

I wouldn’t call them now, even if I was brutally attacked in the street or was burgled or anything. I don’t trust them, they don’t care and you can’t get through to them now anyway.

Many friends have been arrested several imprisoned. I can think of 4 from my secondary school class who did time.

Experience of really over the top/violent police behaviour at football

Arrested three times ( two consecutive nights the 2nd and 3rd times) for 1) calling into question the referees parentage at football. 2 stealing a car.... which I didn't do and someone threw a bottle through the police station window and they arrested 25 of us. The look of shock when we all emptied out pockets, removed belts and shoe laces.

Have also given witness statements on several occasions due to work

Btw I'm not a criminal just grew up in a really rough place (dock/industrial)

Multiple dealings, never a good experience despite being the victim 99% of the time. ACAB. The whole institution needs reform.

DD's Beaver group recently did a session about who to go to for help. I had to explain to her afterwards actually no, do not go to police under any circumstances.

Ive had to call the police multiple times. Ds has gone missing several times (hes autistic), Car crash outside my house at 3am (I was the only witness) and when our house was broken into.

Had them to the house to inform me of the death of a family member as unexpected there was no foul play ultimately. I have to say they were absolutely lovely at what was an incredibly distressing time.

I was interviewed as the possibility of being called as a witness. I had sent the defendant paperwork they had signed and returned so it proved they had been at an address where the murder victims were found. I had also spoken to them and the paperwork was generated on x date. I wasn’t called in the end but they were convicted and it was headline news at the time.

When I was a teenager the place I was working in was burgled. I had to go to a station and have elimination fingerprints taken.

Rang to report a woman being attacked when I was a student, she was screaming out of an upstairs window so that was a 999.

Rang 101 when our cars and it transpired loads of cars had been vandalised or broken in to on our road, they caught them.

Went in to hand in £40 I had found loose in the street, they were surprised, ultimately it was returned to me and I gave it to charity.

Went in to report a piece of jewellery I had lost, unfortunately never handed in by anyone.

In America DH was stopped by the police for doing a U turn, it was a bit of a back road and no one was about or so we thought. Police seemed delighted to meet a British person and he didn’t fine DH.

In Spain DH lost the car hire keys, attempted to report in a station, no one spoke English, DH does speak some Spanish but not great and they sort of shooed us out in the end.

Just remembered the time I got woken up by the police at my door at 3am. DD and her friend were having a sleepover and snuck out when everyone else was asleep and went to the friend's house because she wanted to go home. Someone driving past spotted them walking in the middle of the night and called the police who found DD (who promptly jumped into a bush to hide from the police!) and brought her home. They were only 8 at the time.

That sounds both v. cute and adorable and absolutely horrifying!

It was mainly horrifying at the time but the next morning I noticed on the dining table that they had written me a note to say where they had gone and even wrote down what time they left, which is quite thoughtful for 8 year olds.

Yes as a result of false allegations by an ex I was arrested and spent 12 hours in cells and released under investigation.

Short story I took the police to court to get my stuff back which I won.

I am now suing them for unlawful arrest and have complaints with professional standards.

They were rude and patronising and completely overstepped their powers.

I also was reported to police for stealing recycling bins by my ex who is now my neighbour. They actually sent an officer to my house and when I explained I had an injunction against him said you are both as bad as each other.

Dishonest unprofessional and a complete waste of space.

I’ve needed police help twice, low level, but not really actually got to the interaction bit!
I was burgled and I spoke to someone, no one actually turned up. Called again the next day and gave up in the end. We’d interrupted them luckily and my husband chased them out so the only cost was a broken window and a tidy up of stuff sling around. Wasn’t worth an insurance claim in the end, so didn’t need the crime reference number. It was just annoying as we waited hours as we were told not to touch anything until they arrived, and that they were coming. Ended up boarding a window in the dark. In the end they said they couldn’t. 101 the next day said they had no record. I was a bit shocked as one had a weapon, and my husband brandished a tool he picked up in the altercation. From Facebook we were unlikely to be the only victims nearby and they were using knives.
The other time I’ve called was working in retail. They said they were too busy.
Ive had an informal chat too regarding threats made my a neighbour and was shit down pretty hard.

Called police once when I was attacked on New Year's Eve in about 2007 and once in 2013 when we were burgled whilst we slept. Also had police at our family home a few times due to my dads behaviour when I was growing up.

My sister was sexually assaulted and the police managed to be both sexist and racist in dealing with it and nothing was done.

When my son with asd went missing the police found him and were very helpful.

The police interviewed me when I witnessed an assualt. The person was convicted but the sentence was one they didnt have to serve unless they were convicted of something else later. I imagine the police were pissed off with that result.

After chasing them for about six weeks, the police came to our business premises at the end of September. For some reason they did not bring with them the equipment they needed and they said they would come back. We are still waiting and in the meantime have dealt with the issue ourselves.

Some years ago I had reason to contact them about the behaviour of a neighbour. A young copper came round and the first question he asked me was "What have you done to make him behave like this?" I was advised to cut all contact and ignore the neighbour going forward, but this resulted in a massive escalation of matters in which threats were made and I was physically assaulted. After I was assaulted I tried to report and make a statement, but was told only the investigating officer could take my statement and I waited two months for that. In the end they lost all the evidence and did not proceed against this man, but along the way they told me they had cautioned him when they had not, leading me to believe that I had some protection when I did not. I moved in the end to get away from him. It seemed to be the only answer.

Up to that point I had had virtually no involvement with the police in my personal life and I have always believed that they would look after me and keep me safe if I needed them to. They failed spectacularly.

I called none emergency number when heavily pregnant and my neighbours were being aggressive arseholes. They came out and spoke to them and it mostly sorted it out

No never had to call them for anything, I feel lucky.

I’m not disbelieving you but there’s got to be more to this.

Yes- when I was in my teens and the victim of a stalker ( who was a stranger ) who attacked me on several occasions.

I've had to phone them and be involved with them for a number of reasons.
Hit and run car crash
Physical attack/fight involving my friends
House break in x2
Person refusing to leave my property
Damage to car when parked
Items stolen from garden
And my own ASBO in my youth.

I had an interaction with the police quite recently when I was almost runover on a crossing. I was very impressed with the way my complaint was dealt with and the outcome. Awful to say but this surprised me.

Been burgled about three times, mugged once and they turned up when I was in a car crash once. Oh, and once I had to call them to come and get a woman I’d let in who had been wandering the streets in her nightie and turned out to be as mad as a tree. The burglary ones were perfunctory and pretty dismissive, and on one occasion clearly thought we were just students after the insurance money. The mugging ones were absolutely lovely. Made me repeat several times that I’d run after him shouting GIVE ME BACK MY BAG YOU FUCKING CUNT, which they thought was hilarious, and very carefully checked the spelling for the report. Then told me lots of interesting and possibly confidential things about how they policed the area and what criteria had to be met to call out the helicopter or the plane.

@Freshstarts22 Complex story but some kids kicked our front door several times aggressively, sent my autistic daughter into a catatonic state eventually causing her to be sectioned. She's still there now. Police refuse to do anything even though it meets all the criteria for ABH.

I've both needed them DH was victim of armed robbery, best friend was stabbed when we were teens and I've been flashed at on a dark morning walking to work when I was in my twenties.

I was cautioned for something silly as a teenager so I suppose I've been on the wrong side too.