AIBU to report repeated emergency call-outs at new neighbours' house?

[Chickpeaqueen]

I can't work out if I'm being unreasonable, but I'm feeling a bit unnerved. We had new neighbours move in a few weeks ago. Since then we've had an emergency service at their house practically everyday. One night the police and a taxi woke us all up over an unpaid taxi fare, which lasted an hour. The next night we were woken by police doing what sounded like hammering a door down inside. A few days later a fire engine was outside at midnight ....various police car and ambulances on and off throughout the past week or so. Today a fire engine has been sat directly outside my house for four hours, blocking the road. The police have been there, with another ambulance. Took about five hours for everyone to leave. I asked the firemen if everything was alright and they simply replied 'yes' although I'm sure I heard them mention knives. It's not very pleasant for your kids to arrive home from school and find a fire engine and four firemen standing directly outside their house. A friend who works for housing has suggested reporting it to the council, but I'm not sure if I want to be that person. But equally, I also don't want to keep being woken up at night and it's starting to put me off letting the kids go out on their own. I imagine it's to do with mental health, which I sympathise with but it still doesn't take away the impact it's having. Is it unreasonable to report it?

If the HA have housed them there, they’re probably aware of the mental health problems.

I live on the corner of a cul-de-sac containing a small block of council flats that houses many mentally ill people.

Some of the things we’ve seen and heard have been very distressing, but when your kids are growing up with it, they do get used to it.

When we took my Dad to A and E three times for falls they had a tally on him! Presumably, if they flagged this and werent happy they would raise a safeguarding matter to the appropriate service.

When my Dad was in a care home a guy on respite returned home, only to call 999 the following morning as he was confused about his medication. They told him off! Two weeks later he was back in the home.

When services are called they have processes. You only need to worry about those who havent had any professional connection and may have fallen off the radar for help.

Who are you going to report this to? They are already there

Years ago when DH was suffering psychosis I had cause to call the emergency service on numerous occasions. Sometimes an ambulance would be sent, but more often than not the Police arrived. They would assess and try to calm the situation, then usually take DH to hospital.
On one occasion a neighbour messaged to check whether she was safe as her husband worked away and she was worried about the Police coming round. She never once asked if we were OK, just wanted to know how it affected her. Despite our lives being in utter chaos, I was 'kind' and provided reassurance. I wish I'd either not responded, or asked for help, but hindsight and all that.

My advice would be to keep your nose out. Unless you want to try to help, appreciate that the emergency services and other agencies are safely managing the situation, so best mind your own business and have a little compassion. I'm fairly sure your neighbours aren't having the emergency services around for fun.

Agree

another MN pile on

You are being that person.
Report what exactly?
You are being unreasonable and while you say you sympathise, you clearly don’t.

What do you mean by “that person”?

What do you think having a key safe means they don't own it??

Ummmm....because all the houses where we live that have the same key box are owned by agencies, so it's not a wild assumption to make.

Are the (probable) significant mental health issues your neighbour is having inconveniencing you? How sad for you.

Agree, mn- someone knocked your door:rang your phone without written permission?! Call the police for this horror!!
ops situation… “how dare you acknowledge this behaviour has an impact on you! YOU are of no importance! Only others!!”

Keep a record of the incidents and disturbance. As advised before reporting it to the HA landlords on the basis they clearly appear to need more support to live there safely is what I would do.

You can sympathise with someone and be impacted by them at the same time. If someone's being housed by an agency and it means your children are repeatedly woken up at night, that has a fairly big impact on the household.

Report to who? If it is related to mental health and they are on the radar of emergency services the you’re fine. What would you have they owned their home??? Do that

Op says she did not want to be that person at the start of the thread.

Honestly? You wouldn't be at all concerned? I find that very hard to believe

What do you mean by “that person”?

I am sure everyone is aware of what is going on, including the HA, as services tend to work together along with housing providers. You can’t just chuck people out of their homes because some kind of crisis is going on and even if the HA wanted to evict them it would take ages. I expect things will come to a head at some point and then calm down.

Having emergency services out is not being anti-social. There is nothing to see or report here.

Yeah but not every ruddy day!!

Ditto

I get that it's annoying @Chickpeaqueen but what do you think could be done about it that won't already be being done?

I would absolutely hate it too. But I can't see that a housing association is ever going to kick someone out for having poor mental health in the absence of e.g. significant antisocial behaviour.

I get that you don't want to live next to them. I wouldn't want to either. But then the same will apply pretty much everywhere. It's not like the housing association will have an estate of really tolerant neighbours who are happy to have emergency vehicles constantly turning up to move them to. This family needs somewhere to live. Where else can they go?

There's not a lot you can do about it other than live somewhere with no neighbours or move to a well to do area where it is less likely (but in no way guaranteed) that you will have neighbours with such difficulties.

Funny but true.

I sometimes wonder if I'm on another planet from the majority of mumsnet.

The constant disturbance of being woke up in the middle of the night with police, ambulances and the fire service is having an impact on OP and her children. Is she supposed to sit back and take it.

OP, keep a note of the dates and times of the disturbances and call the council or housing association to advise how this is affecting you and your family. I'm sure you won't be the only one who feels like this about it.

You won’t be the only one in the street who is being constantly woken up by this every night.
Have you spoken to the neighbours.