to report this to the police, even though I am technically implicating myself?

[Imperrysmum]

My local park is locked overnight and isn’t opened until 6am. It’s a huge park but in one area part of the fence is missing so I squeeze through and go into the park to walk my dog at 4am (he is an XL bully so I like to go the park when nobody is about)

The last few mornings when I have been walking round by the pond there have been a couple of men sitting on the benches next to the pond “feeding the ducks”. I noticed they have black bin liners next to them too. I’m pretty sure I recognise these men from working in a takeaway restaurant.

I am concerned they are trying to catch ducks. I hope i’m wrong, but I just can’t see why two adult men would sit feeding the ducks at 4am?! Especially as the park is officially closed and they have bin liners next to them.

AIBU to report this to the police, even though I’ll be implicating myself too?

I have no idea what the restaurant men are up to, but you're definitely implicating yourself by bringing them up to the police,

Trespassing is entering private land without the owner's permission. The park is closed until 6am, so by entering it at 4am you are trespassing. There doesn't have to be someone there to ask you to leave. The signage and the locked gate is enough (and the broken fence is not an invitation to enter!).

You keep referring to walking your dog at 4am because the park is locked and it is therefore private property at this time. I'm not sure what the regulations are related to XL bullies that make you think this is relevant, but I'm pretty sure that you would need to have the permission of the owner of private property to exercise your dog there and take advantage of any relaxation of the rules that apply to your breed in that context.

Trespassing, OP, is entering or accessing someone else’s property without their permission or, amongst other things, ignoring signs. Like one that has opening hours on it, and bypassing locked gates to enter through broken fencing. You know full well you are doing something you shouldn’t, hence the title of your post.

What I find breathtaking about this OP is that you appear not to know right from wrong.

For whatever reason you feel you are 'special' and don't have to take any notice of opening hours for the park.

You 'justify it' by saying you own a dangerous dog, which attracts attention, and therefore it's ok for you to sneak out into the park at 4am, when it's locked. The fact there is a broken fence panel means, in your world, that you have a right to go in.

The fact you've spotted two men there and concocted a scenario is totally irrelevant.

Both of you are in the wrong.

But the more you try to justify your behaviour, the worse it gets.

No, that's not how it works. It's private property if it is your own private property. Not council owned or someone else's private property that is closed.

That's not an existing offence in the UK.

Criminal damage would be the closest, but op said they didn't break the fence, there is already a hole in it.

quoting so you see this.

ignoring all the batshit answers.

Rather than implicate yourself. Tell them you were walking your dog at 4am and the last few mornings have seen two men with black bags entering the park, so decided to follow them, and then state your suspicions.

probably foxes

I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure that the ducks in the park will be much too old to eat. The sort that you eat also get a very different diet to wild ducks

I think you should hide somewhere and watch/film.. Mainly because I really want to know if people sneak into parks and steal ducks.
If they are, try and catch it on camera and report, I don't think the police will take this seriously otherwise.

@Imperrysmum I don't think a public park is private land when it's closed, as much as you seem to want that to be the case, especially if your dog could escape out of the gap in the fence you are using to get in.

Why don't you just get a German Shepherd or something similar if that's your reasoning?

Surely it's more likely they're using the ducks to dispose of food leftovers.

KFD

Maybe they were feeding the ducks and the black bags were for the next murdered person

I was going to order a take away tonight...changed my mind

more to the point, why do you own an illegal breed of dog?

😂😂😂

A closed park is not private property.

Exempt dogs aren’t illegal.

You think they eat a duck a day or smth?

No idea how dark it is at 4am currently but if dark enough the ducks will be sleeping and they’d be easy to catch. My chickens are very docile when it’s dark, I can open the coop and they just sit there mostly asleep and I can pick them up. If I wanted to steal a duck it would be very possible, quick wring of the neck and in a bin bag. 🤷‍♀️. Locally someone took a swan, was in the local news.

I’m sure the police will get right on “possible duck rustling” given there’s so little else going on in the country.