Neighbour kicked my door down/broke in

[Sparklfairy]

AIBU to expect the police to arrest/remove him...?

I live alone in a flat in a block of 4. I have met this neighbour just once, and introduced myself. A few weeks ago he knocked on my door, not threateningly, but persistently - consistent knocking for 3-4 minutes... at 1.30am. I was awake as I WFH but nights, and just ignored it.

He went away, and there's been nothing since. Until yesterday at 6-something in the morning. Again, I was working but the flat was in total silence. No tv or any noise that would disturb him, I was literally just sitting on my bed.

Suddenly I heard a bang and froze. I was confused and didn't know what it was and was trying to work out where it was coming from. 3 or 4 further bangs and my front door burst open and he was stood there, swaying, glassy eyed.

I screamed. It's a studio, tiny flat, like one of those micro flats that you see advertised but yes, this is my life and I had no escape, no room to hide in, not even a bathroom with a lock on the door (as there is no lock, and the bathroom is opposite the front door).

I screamed at him, he said I was 'in' his head, fucking with his head (when I've done absolutely nothing), and when he tried to step towards me I screamed again and he suddenly 'clicked', became lucid and said ok and left. I was shaking.

My other neighbour (upstairs, but next door to him), texted me saying he heard screaming, and let me take refuge in his flat. Before I did, I obviously called 999. The police seemed non committal, that someone would come out at some point. 36 hours later I've had no visit.

But here is the kicker. When hiding in my neighbours flat, my friend/neighbour had the bright idea of just knocking on his door and talking to crazy tenant. He has recorded the conversation where crazy tenant admits I did nothing wrong but I just 'remind him' of someone and that's why he broke my door down

I rang 101 with the crime ref to update. The lady was so helpful and checked with her supervisor as she was astonished no one had come out to me yet. She reassured me that someone would attend and it had been miscategorised/recategorised now.

It's now nearly 9pm on Sunday and STILL nothing. I can't go home. The lock has been 'fixed' but obviously Crazy Tenant has proven that he can break it whenever he likes. I live alone. I have stressed every single detail which should have escalated this, but nothing is being done. I have chased with the letting agent but basically they're saying I have to wait until Monday for any action to be done. And even then, they were non committal as to WHAT would happen.

So I'm stuck, and cannot go home, and my rent is due today. I have no idea what to do.

This is terrifying op. I’d ring 999, he’s nuts & dangerous.

Which is exactly what the OP did?

Yeah, because it makes total sense for the police to rock up almost two days later, but likely not actually do anything. Unless they arrested him on the spot, which I have no confidence they would do, they would have literally antagonised the situation that it was more likely he would escalate things.

Who on earth are the two percent who think the OP is being unreasonable? The police inaction is despicable, this poor woman has been through a terrifying experience and no action is being taken to make her safe. This made for shocking reading, when are women going to be safe? Many years ago I was in the bath at about 10am when i heard a loud banging noise, without thinking it through, I wrapped myself in a towel and headed downstairs to find a man trying to break in through one of the downstairs windows, I called 999 and the police were there within minutes, he headbutted one of the police and ran off, he was never caught. I had to go to the main police station a few days later and go through some mug shots but to no avail, It was a horrible experience that left me very shaken, i dread to think what would have happened if the police had not turned up so swiftly,

I am told that Maglights - large metal torches are better.

They are designed to double as a Police Officers Night Stick and as it is recommended you keep a torch in case of emergency you will have no issues explaining why you had one by your bed/living room/bathroom/wherever

Except it won't be linked to the police and everyone will know that??

But you're at a hotel so how would he even know?

I think you are seriously underestimating many people. Especially delusional people
off their faces in something

No its having the opposite effect. It's making you look awkward and uncooperative. Yes they should have come out at the time 100% they should have but they can't take any action without getting a statement from you. They could have been planning on coming to the hotel your staying at.

Refusing to say where you are isn't going to help

I was going to suggest contacting your MP, I know it will depend on how good they are. I am lucky, mine is female and very outspoken about women;s safety and mysogeny.

Hi lovely, I have changed my username but I am also in Medway/Kent. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know. Even if it’s to help search for cheaper hotels/provide some meals or something. No one should have to live like this. I witnessed someone break into a van a few weeks ago and the call handler actually asked me to go outside for more information, knowing the perpetrator had a knife.

Can you stay somewhere else for now?

Not sure the MP is needed. This could blow anyway if the named letting agent and named local police authority see this thread and the allegations being made about them.

Not telling the police where you are has fried my brain OP. Why would you want to make it more difficult for them? It’s not a bizarre tit for tat game 💁

Fucking scary. Sounds like the next Valdo Calocane. He also did that to his neighbour.

I wouldn’t send that email. No matter how much protection is on that door it’s no good. You need to move. Get down to the agents and just cry at someone until they help you.

It sounds so scary but by refusing to tell them where you are you are acting a bit odd. It's the Police. I'm not sure what you mean by giving them "information that they don't use" as they can't come to see you at the hotel if you wont tell them where you are

@Elizo op is safe in a hotel, thankfully
You can see just the OP post if you press see all in the bottom right of her text.

But they'd come to you for a statement and then go and arrest him. You've delayed the outcome yourself now.

And I think you're seriously underestimating how silly the OP will look to make such a claim.

Even Google will tell everyone that linking your door cam to the police is not a thing.

Best keep it honest, if she wants to be taken seriously.

I agree refusing to tell them where you are is not really helpful. ‘Cutting off your nose despite your face’ as my mum would say. They should have come immediately yes, but refusing to tell them where you are now is just delaying everything further and putting them offside.

Not giving your location is weird and makes it look suspicious, cause it is!

They're the police. You want them to get a statement and act and now it's delayed.

This is just weird.

The reactions to this are so weird. They have failed in their basic duty to protect me, so no, I'm not telling them where I am, because it's the only place that I am 100% safe.

However, I have made arrangements that I will go to them tomorrow morning. I'm accommodating them, just not in the way they dictate.

This is their fuck up, not mine. It's on me to protect myself because they won't.

Sorry @Sparklfairy but your thinking is illogical. I'd be looking to be rational to the police when reporting someone who has acted so unhinged. Your behaviour could throw doubt on the situation as you're sounding odd.

But telling the police where you are won't put you in danger.

This is a scary situation and I'm glad you got out of there. At the very least, your landlord needs to provide a quality lock on the door with three-point locking. Trying to replace like for like in this situation is disgusting.

So scary. I'm amazed the police left you so long in a vulnerable position.

Is there someone else you are afraid of? Because no way in hell would they surely tell your freakoid neighbour precisely where you are.

I'm not sure if you're aware, so I will explain.

I rang 999 just before 7am. Approx 6 hours later they then rang me from 101 and basically took a statement. There isn't anything that I said in that call that I wouldn't have said in person. They know everything now.

Then a few hours later a woman rang from the police, and said she was shocked that no one had attended. She ran it up the chain of command and came back to me saying it had been recategorised, and apologised.

Then at 10pm tonight, they rang and asked questions, essentially taking another statement. I am not being obdurate by refusing to give my location. Put simply, I don't trust the police anymore, and I will go to them to do whatever it is they're going to do (or not do). I dgaf if it's 'suspicious' or whatever else you want to label it. I will coordinate with them, but on my terms. They had ample opportunity to do their fucking job, and now my priority is me.