Active discussions

Help end medical misogyny. Sign our petition.

Help end medical misogyny.
Sign our petition.

Sign the petition

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To tell the police to sort their lives out

77 replies

Blahblahblahabla · 22/04/2026 00:39

Police are tracking down dodgy Firestick users.

Whilst technically this is a crime.

AIBU to think no, thats fucking outrageous when you cannot be bothered to go and get someone’s stolen iPhone or other device with a tracker and a clearly know location?!

Not in the public interest.

Well its not in the fucking public interest that Jodie and Aaron have a dodgy fucking fire stick!!!

OP posts:
igelkott2026 · 22/04/2026 17:11

Blahblahblahabla · 22/04/2026 10:04

Did someone just say phone theft was rare in London? 😂

Its not suppliers; they are using the tracing of suppliers bank records to release records of people who bought firesticks and want to ‘fine them heavily’.

To me this is ridiculous for multiple reasons.

  1. it’s not illegal to own or pay for a dodgy firestick. It’s illegal to use one. They aren’t going to bother with that are they. Or maybe they will in which case I despair further they can be bothered to visit Jodie’s house and peer through her windows but not be bothered to raid the house of snatch and grab cyclists with a bundle of phones.

  2. When you are talking about users this is a civil matter. Yes it’s criminal at scale so fair enough go after suppliers but users - no. That’s a massive overreach to be tracking all these bank details. You shouldn’t obtain data if it’s not for a legitimate use and see above - civil is not a legitimate use of acquiring data for the police.

  3. This is our police force doing private work for big corps. Yes on a big scale it represents loss. But it’s not really a loss because these people cannot afford £60 a month + sky sports streaming. That’s why they have a fire stick. They were never going to pay so it’s not really a loss.

Edited

The numbers of stolen phones have gone down a lot (and not just because they've already been stolen ;) )

But the numbers would fall even more if people put them away and stopped walking along with them in their hands.

However, I think your view is correct - chasing dodgy Firestick users isn't a good use of their time, unless there's an organised crime element.

PILEALLTHEPILLSONTHEFLOOR · 22/04/2026 17:30

yaNbu

Police are such cucks. They're like Hall Monitors

Sarah557 · 22/04/2026 19:26

It will be because organised crime groups are behind this type of crime - something most people aren’t aware of. Police will want to take out those selling them (bottom of the chain) to cause disruption. These OCGs will most likely be behind much more serious offences and therefore the police are trying to cause issues for them.

politicsdomyheadin · 22/04/2026 19:30

NotAnotherScarf · 22/04/2026 17:02

What £110 to watch premier league football each month isn't already expensive?

Yet rape gangs rang amuck in British towns
Coke is readily available in many pubs
Gangs shoplift at will and staff get sacked for stopping them
Knife crime...
Woman kills two children and the investigation is botched
Car speed and have illegal number plates to avoid detention.
On line fraud nets billions

But let's nick people for breaching contract law(a civil matter)

Show quote history
  1. no they don’t.
  2. likely to be connected to the organised crime groups who sell these firearms sticks
  3. again, organised crime.
  4. yes knife crime is also an issue
  5. source?
  6. traffic police will be a separate division
  7. yes and guess what these organised crime groups do? Commit fraud.

this isn’t contract law, so I’m not sure why you’ve brought it up. It’s fraud and theft.

Squirrelchops1 · 22/04/2026 19:32

I think everyone should have a dodgy stick....might keep people at home and prevent other crimes 🤣

TheParlimentsHeartTroubleNorthernSoul · 22/04/2026 19:56

It will be organised crime gangs that supply the sticks.

Biker47 · 22/04/2026 21:40

TheParlimentsHeartTroubleNorthernSoul · 22/04/2026 19:56

It will be organised crime gangs that supply the sticks.

I just modified my own, plenty of guides on how to do it yourself online, then bought an account for £19 for the year.

NotAnotherScarf · 23/04/2026 07:23

politicsdomyheadin · 22/04/2026 19:30

  1. no they don’t.
  2. likely to be connected to the organised crime groups who sell these firearms sticks
  3. again, organised crime.
  4. yes knife crime is also an issue
  5. source?
  6. traffic police will be a separate division
  7. yes and guess what these organised crime groups do? Commit fraud.

this isn’t contract law, so I’m not sure why you’ve brought it up. It’s fraud and theft.

Show quote history

No 5...the BBC, ITV, Sky...the woman who drove the Chelsea tractor through the school fence because of an alleged fit...the police investigating have been suspended

The rest i can't be bothered to argue...especially the first because as a woman if you are not outraged by the police inactivity in Rotherham, Telford etc then there is something definitely wrong in this country

HermioneWeasley · 23/04/2026 07:43

I saw this article and thought this was nowhere on the public’s list of law and order concerns.

the police have misjudged this

and the idea that victims of phone theft shouldn’t have been visibly using them is ridiculous victim blaming. Tourists shouldn’t use map to navigate the city? Or find a restaurant? Or translate things? People should be able to use their things without fear of theft and assault

IwanttoWFH · 23/04/2026 07:55

Selling dodgy fire sticks is what funds serious organised crime (firearms, drugs etc) and also terrorism. (Like pirate DVDs back in the day). Targeting those manufacturing and selling can help dismantle organised crime syndicates therefore taking out the players involved in the chain.

It’s similar to when people complain about police conducting speed checks etc. Taking away the fact that speeding kills, those speeding often don’t have insurance or a driving licence or are involved in stealing cars, burglaries, drug dealing.

There is always a bigger picture.

m1ghtl1ke · 23/04/2026 08:05

If you enjoy the content why aren’t you happy to pay for it. The writes, directors actors and so on don’t work for free! Would you be happy to work for free

m1ghtl1ke · 23/04/2026 08:10

Also genuinely interested is it ok to steal other things because you think they are overpriced!
Cartier watch possibly, a Ferrari?

I just want to know where you draw the line

ExtraOnions · 23/04/2026 08:12

Theft if theft .. it doesn’t matter if it’s a football match, a phone, or a watch, it’s the attitude of “I want it, can’t afford it, so I’ll take it” that’s the problem.

Plus it is liked to Organised Crime, and money laundering - let’s face it nobody is tracing they £40 people are paying.. of it goes to the OCG funding allsorts of illegal activity.

No-one needs anything on a Firestick.. save up of don’t have one.

Tableforjoan · 23/04/2026 08:20

m1ghtl1ke · 23/04/2026 08:10

Also genuinely interested is it ok to steal other things because you think they are overpriced!
Cartier watch possibly, a Ferrari?

I just want to know where you draw the line

You just reminded me of the part at the start of dvd.

You wouldn’t steal a car would you. Pirating movies is theft.

🤣 do they still do that.

Uptightmumma · 23/04/2026 08:32

Tillow4ever · 22/04/2026 11:20

I personally don’t agree with these dodgy firesticks etc and wouldn’t use one - but I don’t think the police should be going after the users. If they want to crack down on it, go after the people providing the “service”.

I found out a couple of weeks ago that my son at uni has paid £25 to get his firestick to have everything on it. I wasn’t very impressed, especially as we pay for Netflix, Disney, Prime and Sky - all of which he can access. Admittedly we don’t have the movies or the sport on Sky - but you get the movies on another channel eventually, and for sport you go round a mates house or to the pub! Or pay for a Now TV package as and when you want to watch something specific. I really don’t get why he doesn’t just use the logins we provide.

Why should his mates pay for the sports if he won’t? The logs might not work, we’ve had to pay for an extra Disney subscription cos it was picking up wasn’t signing in on the same URL and your only suppose to share password with the household.

Uptightmumma · 23/04/2026 08:33

Tableforjoan · 23/04/2026 08:20

You just reminded me of the part at the start of dvd.

You wouldn’t steal a car would you. Pirating movies is theft.

🤣 do they still do that.

Show quote history

We watched and old 90’s film the other week with the kids and this was on the start and my kids were so confused they just about know what a DVD is never mind cloning it 😂😂😂😂.

Dollymylove · 23/04/2026 08:39

Its the easy targets isnt it. Like doing Bill for buying a dodgy firestick form someone down the pub. Little old Elsie objecting to the HMO with 20 illegal male immigrants next door. Much easier than chasing phone thieves, drug dealers, house break ins innit

Original poster
Blahblahblahabla · 23/04/2026 09:59

m1ghtl1ke · 23/04/2026 08:05

If you enjoy the content why aren’t you happy to pay for it. The writes, directors actors and so on don’t work for free! Would you be happy to work for free

I am probably one of few muggins who actually pays for all this PLUS the license fee which so many people do not pay.

But it’s just completely at the bottom of the list when police barely turn up to anything these days. Sure if we get control of the crime wave in this country then go ahead. But things are out of control and this is not important! It’s not even prosecutable technically.

As a real life comparator..
My friend had her phone stolen in London two weeks ago. Tracker showed location. Police said not in the public interest.

As PP says people in London use phones to navigate. I was there last week trying to find some obscure location. I shouldn’t be worried someone’s about to snatch a phone out my hand.

We had a guy exposing himself and wanking in shopping mall month before. Not in the public interest (aka we can’t be bothered to deal with this because it’s probably half social care and a lost cause).

OP posts:
Villanellesproudmum · 23/04/2026 10:12

It won’t be “the police” if anything it’ll be a small unit of about 4 officers out of thousands tackling it as part of a wider unit such as cyber crime.

m1ghtl1ke · 23/04/2026 10:44

Blahblahblahabla · 23/04/2026 09:59

I am probably one of few muggins who actually pays for all this PLUS the license fee which so many people do not pay.

But it’s just completely at the bottom of the list when police barely turn up to anything these days. Sure if we get control of the crime wave in this country then go ahead. But things are out of control and this is not important! It’s not even prosecutable technically.

As a real life comparator..
My friend had her phone stolen in London two weeks ago. Tracker showed location. Police said not in the public interest.

As PP says people in London use phones to navigate. I was there last week trying to find some obscure location. I shouldn’t be worried someone’s about to snatch a phone out my hand.

We had a guy exposing himself and wanking in shopping mall month before. Not in the public interest (aka we can’t be bothered to deal with this because it’s probably half social care and a lost cause).

Show quote history

But you haven’t answered. Why are they crimes and not this?

Police have units that deal with different crimes. These fire sticks are linked to organised crime

Original poster
Blahblahblahabla · 23/04/2026 11:45

m1ghtl1ke · 23/04/2026 10:44

But you haven’t answered. Why are they crimes and not this?

Police have units that deal with different crimes. These fire sticks are linked to organised crime

Show quote history

It’s all crime. Well morally. Technically the consumers of these sticks it’s civil.

I am talking priorities. If it’s not in the public interest to solve, prosecute crimes and recover stolen goods for MEMBERS of the public itself. Then it’s absolutely shameful to be chasing civil issues outside their remit on behalf of big business.

OP posts:
Tiramisumarshmallow · 23/04/2026 11:51

The ultra wealthy really are the true government aren’t they. This isn’t a police matter.

xILikeJamx · 23/04/2026 12:27

dad11122 · 22/04/2026 16:57

Or you could argue that Sky, TNT, etc pay as little as possible (obviously) for the right to show football and that clubs and their owners are the ones stealing the sport?

Show quote history

Both things can be true (and are IMO!)

xILikeJamx · 23/04/2026 12:43

ColdAsAWitches · 22/04/2026 13:06

Oh please! You can't say that they stole the sport from the people because until Sky Sports came along there was one televised game a week if you were lucky. If you want to support the sport, go watch your local team play. Oh, no, very few people do that now, they prefer to watch it on tv, illegally if possible.

Show quote history

I'm a season ticket holder at my local team (not in the Premier League)

Happy and content knowing I'm not lining Rupert Murdoch's pockets

vincettenoir · 27/04/2026 10:18

There’s lots of legitimate criticisms that can be made against the police. But the investigation of organised crime gangs isn’t one of them.