If police aren’t investigating crime, what exactly are they doing?

[MyAmusedOpalCrab]

I keep seeing reports about police forces being stretched, backlogs of cases, and victims being told their crimes won’t be investigated. At the same time, we hear about officers spending time on things like social media monitoring, diversity training, or non-crime “interventions.”

Obviously, some of this is necessary but if solving actual crimes isn’t the priority, then what is? What exactly are they being paid to do if not investigate crime?

AIBU to think policing has lost its way? Or am I missing something?

Person has been charged and given restrictions. All within 6 hours.

Add Environmental Health services for noise nuisance too . Councils have massively cut their out of hours services down to skeletal , so people ring the police . Only problem being that the police literally have no powers to deal with noise nuisance other than knock the door and ask the offender to turn it down , because the environmental protection act only gives powers to the council. If they shut down for the night , those powers are not conferred onto the police .

So they ring , and then give call handlers abuse for explaining that just because the council fail to discharge their responsibilities, that doesn’t make it a police matter .

This- in the most stressful awful job I ever had , the petrol station sausage roll lunch , consumed in a few minutes on the forecourt at any time between about 1.30pm and 4 or 5, was the only food between a bowl of breakfast cereal before work and heated up leftovers whatever time I finished evening consults and got home, if a cow hadn't started calving.
I have respect and solidarity for the petrol station sausage roll eaters in many walks of life.

Yep. The tories cut their funding massively. They did mention this was unworkable at the time.

Totally agree, I follow the local force on SM and these are just the ones they've posted about recently (last year or so) or I've seen them actually in attendance -

An assault on a volunteer because he asked someone not to park where access was needed and where there was clear signage for no parking at a local, volunteer led attraction. Of course this guy just fell out of the sky and no one knows who he is and makes excuses for the behaviour like the parking is 'challenging' so people are bound to get 'annoyed'.

A horse wandering next to a dual carriageway at night obviously needing to be caught and then source someone to collect it and somewhere for it to go, and locate the owner. Turns out someone left a gate open to a private field they shouldn't have even been in.

Someone kicking off because their pizza was a couple of quid more expensive than they'd like and threatening the people working in the shop, punching the windows and being violent and aggressive to anyone in the vicinity (drunk).

Attending sudden deaths.

Attending a car left on the beach.

Searching/appealing for sightings of several missing, vulnerable people.

Attending several RTCs, varying in severity from a minor collision to fatal. Controlling traffic and defusing the utter rage of those behind who can't cope with being held up.

Closing roads where there have been local wildfires and moving on the rubber neckers so the fire service can actually get there and work.

Dealing with the anti social behaviour of kids cycling on roads and deliberately holding up traffic, climbing on rooves, climbing on cars, trashing things like bus stops and intimidating people.

If people weren't so fucking feral and didn't behave like they're the only person who matters and they should do as they please whenever they please, 70% of that doesn't need to happen. Combined with reducing officer numbers and budgets it's hardly surprising that forces are struggling to meet demand.

Logging calls from mumsnetters

We got burgled and they investigated it heavily and the fuckers are now in prison. This was working across two forces. We’re pretty normal- this was the burglary of a huge mansion with loads of Rolexes etc! All credit to the police for their perseverance. I even got my jewellery back after.

It would definitely be better if they didn’t eat or drink at all during the shift, they could totally use those snatched ten minutes productively to solve a murder. Police officers, not being actually human, don’t actually require calories or hydration anyway; they eat in cars not because they’re so busy, but because they don’t actually want a break from their incredibly emotionally and physically demanding day, they’d rather eat in full view of the public just to wind them up.

I think they’re spending all their time policing protests such as Palestine protests, trans rights protests, etc.

Along with stuff like pulling over coach drivers for being in the overtaking lane on the motorway for 30 seconds.

We had a crime along those lines against us recently, done by a neighbour who admitted it to the police on the day of the incident. Police have “crimed” the incident and haven’t been back. Was months ago, I’m assuming it’s been shut down. I as the victim with tens of thousands of pounds of damage haven’t heard jack shit from the police since the day it happened.

To be honest with stuff like car crime, its often left the country or been pulled apart for parts within hours of the crime.

I do worry that they have lost sight of why pursuing the people doing it is worth it, even if everyone has insurance etc - it feels there's no real deterrent.

To be fair i think the internet has created millions of nasty, significant crimes that require an entirely different sort of policing.

What should they have done then?

They took your report, obtained the CCTV footage, and attempted to identify the person, but were unable to do so. Therefore, they are unable to progress any further until more information on the person comes to light.

They dont have magical powers which allow them to arrest and deal with an unknown person. Not everyone who commits a crime is identified; in order for it to progress they need to know who they are and where to start looking for them. If they don't get this, it cannot progress.

My work colleague had her bike stolen in her house and police told her it was a petty crime

Lucky them! Many 12-hour shifts go by where they're lucky if they get to go for a pee, let alone eat anything. They will pull up and quickly eat something before they go to the next job, otherwise they dont eat atl!

They are investigating Strictly but I guess that's quite high profile and probably fairly easy

I see them walking around the town centre more often. I hope this is good news. Not that crime has risen sharply.

I believe they are busy catching up with the endless paperwork. And dealing with mentally ill people. Some mentally ill people can be very dangerous to the public. So I do appreciate them doing this vital job.

Police and mental health should get more funding from the government.

If you google "police value for money" they produce statistics which show how your local police force spends its budgets etc.

It is very interesting data.

The priority will always be to protect life, so obviously a life in danger will take priority over a theft. After that it's to protect property - so if a crime is in progress they will act to stop further damage/theft. Investigating a crime that has already taken place & suspect has left the scene eg theft, car crime, minor altercation/assault will be a lower priority.

A huge amount of response policing time is spent protecting & saving lives due to lack of other services - distressed, suicidal individuals, high risk missing persons - children, elderly, mentally ill.

I'd depends on area but appx 1/3 of time you see a police car with blue lights on it will be responding to an immediate risk to life through suicide/mental health.

I really wish I could show you the reality of a response officers shift it would really shock you.

Sounds like some NHS staff - do not have time for a drink all day which is just as well as they don't have time to pee (not that there are enough toilets in any case)

It is because they are too busy arresting old ladies for being members of a terrorist group when they are out marching to protect Gazan children

Here in Devon you rarely ever see police on the beat in town except for football games. They are usually only seen patrolling the roads.

Dealing with crashes on the A55. The sound of police sirens is the backdrop to any day in at home.
Seriously people, it's a long, straight road. Learn to fucking drive before you use it.

I think you are getting a lot of unwarranted criticism op.

I think most people accept the police are dealing with all the problems of social breakdown, and the massive amounts of paperwork that go with the job now.

However, we also know many are on endless courses for dumb shit (as many of us are in our jobs) and we are seeing where they are being deployed to speak to people about social media comments, stickering about women's rights, and things like that.

It is perfectly legitimate to ask why the police would show up multiple times to talk to a lady putting up stickers some object to but which are totally legal statements, and then theft or burglary etc are as good as ignored.

At least now thanks to a recent legal challenge they won’t be twerking at Pride anymore.

You know I think media and social media have so much to answer for in every area, including how services like the police operate.

It's one thing being a reassuring community presence, but I think it's more a case of fighting fire with fire for them, an attitude of "if you can't beat them join them". I appreciate that social media can be helpful in terms of information of serious incidents, and locating missing vulnerable people, and solving crime to appeal for witnesses, but it also increases the administrative workload, as we know that some people, for whatever reason will post utter bollocks, and the volume must lead to a good amount of wasted time, and genuine stuff might get missed.

It's the same with politicians, and I think that loss of respect for authority has partly come about because there is no perceived distance from them.

I'm not entirely sure I'm explaining this very well, but I think it boils down to the new culture of voyeurism, and everything becoming fair game for entertainment purposes.

Then again, exposure of bad things is much easier, which is great if it's true, but these days, thanks to AI and all sorts of bad actors, we have to be so careful to verify everything.....

Gah, and here I am, posting on a forum, possibly being part of the problem. Meh. I don't want to play, but I also don't like nasty surprises.

Bugger this "Brave New World".