To think that this is an odd way for the police to operate?

[ThreeNinjas]

About seven weeks ago I had to report a crime to the police. One of our employees had been systematically stealing money from us over a period of weeks to the tune of several thousand pounds. I won't go into all the details, but basically he confessed to us at the point where he knew he was likely to be caught very soon because he was unable to replace the money or hide the evidence that it was him. When he realised the game was up he decided to confess.

We sacked him, obviously. He apologised, blamed personal problems and promised to repay the money as soon as he could.

I was told when I reported the crime that as he'd admitted it in writing (he sent me a long text explaining why he'd done it and exactly how much he'd stolen) and was not on the run it was a low priority/low urgency case but that he would be arrested and charged. Fair enough. I informed the employee that he should expect a call from the police as we would be pressing charges. He was expecting that and said he would cooperate fully.

I was then asked to give a statement over the phone about 4 weeks ago (yes it took another three weeks from reporting the crime and being given a reference number to be asked for a statement.)

I'd heard nothing since. Until this morning. At 6am my phone rings, wakes me up, and I ignore it because it's from an undisclosed number. But a voice mail is left.

It's the police officer dealing with the case. He was ringing me at SIX A.M IN THE MORNING to tell me that the ex-employee had just been arrested earlier that morning and was now in the station awaiting interview.

WTAF? If it's such a low priority, open and shut case, where the person has confessed to a relatively minor crime and had not absconded, why would they not just phone him and ask him to come to the station for an interview? Was it really necessary to knock on the door and wake the whole family up in the early hours of the morning?

And was it also necessary, having waited seven weeks to arrest the man at all, to wake me up to tell me about it?

TL;DR is you have no idea what else the police may (or may not) have been doing with regard to this person. You're just seeing your single crime - they may have been up to much more.

Apologies I haven't read every response but the arresting officer MUST update the victim when an arrest is made. They could ask the suspect for a voluntary interview but that limits search powers (sections 18 and 32 PACE) so the officers are often best advised to arrest. Finally an arrest at that time means that they're likely to hand over the detainee to a prisoner handling team and not have to deal with him themselves but they still get a tick for the arrest!

I feel sorry for the Police sometimes, they are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

I am sure they had their reasons for arresting in person rather than presenting to the Station. Maybe there is a history, or you are one of more who have been defrauded by him.

I presume the person who rang is the officer in charge of the case. They may work the night shift and rang you at the end.

Okay, I accept that IABU. There are some good explanations on here of why it was done the way it was, so thanks for that. I understand it better now. But to clear up a few things:

The police work to their schedule, not yours. I don't expect them to work to my schedule, but perhaps I just have a lack of understanding about how cases are handled once they are assigned to a particular officer. I would have thought that dawn raids at 4 or 5 am and courtesy/update phone calls at 6am would have been reserved for things that were more urgent/serious, that's all. I take the point about people being more likely to be home in the early morning and less likely to abscond without prior warning. It's just that I've so often heard of people being asked to come to the station voluntarily, I was surprised this case didn't fall into the category where that was deemed appropriate.

And to the person who said 'you don't get to decide whether to press charges, the CPS does.' Yes I understand that too. But the police asked me when I reported it, do you want us to arrest him and bring charges, going to court if necessary, or are you just wanting to have it logged and have us speak to him? Because we are not a logging service. If you want us to speak to him then you must be prepared that it may result in charges being brought and whatever the outcome of that will be.' Or words to that effect.

So I told them, yes I was prepared for them to press charges.

The police can't win 🙄

I know the police are not exactly loved on MN but they are seriously under funded and without them it would be carnage and survival of the fittest.

I am always on the side of the police, no question. I am certainly not anti police in any way. I always give them the benefit of the doubt and will absolutely defend them when I think they face unfair criticism or are put in impossible situations.

I presume the person who rang is the officer in charge of the case. They may work the night shift and rang you at the end.

Yes I realise now that that's exactly what happened. Another officer phoned back later in the day because obviously I hadn't answered the withheld number at 6am.

A few years ago, totally out of the blue I had a phone call from my local police station. This was just gone 6pm on a Tuesday.

After confirming who they were and who I was, I was asked if I had ever owned a sat nav. I said yes, but it had been stolen the year before.

After an interesting chat, I was asked if I was sure it had been stolen (i.e. I hadn't forgotten i'd sold it) and could I identify it.

Turned out they had that very afternoon nicked a local scrote and found a boxful (over 30, apparently) of sat navs under his bed. However, the only one that they could trace was mine (I had registered it with Garmin and then logged it as stolen to deactivate it). None of the other sat navs led to an owner, and they needed me to state that it had been stolen to allow them to proceed with charges. Otherwise, despite appearances, he was going to be let go.

You jest but someone I know was in trouble with the police, he had been charged and tried and found guilty but was free to go home in the meantime. They asked him to report to the prison, he said no, they asked again, he said no. It went on for months until I think they finally went to his house to get him.

This wasn't the UK though, just your post reminded me of it and I was amused again by the utter ridiculousness of the police.