WIBU To call the police?

[Helpless0190]

I know myself i wasn't BU. But everyone around me seems to think I was and now I have put myself at risk.

House on the street. Couple, 5 kids. Always volatile, enough shouting and screaming that I can hear their voices carry across the road into my house.

Over the past few years there have been incidents where I have called the police. The male is arrested, she doesn't support it, not enough evidence, nfa. I have also raised safeguarding concerns more than once.

A few days ago there was another incident (on the doorstep, its always on the doorstep) and it was severe enough for me to call the police again. They attended, arrested the male, and for the first time officers went into the property.

What they found was severe enough to remove the children. I do not know all of the details but the officer told me some and it is grim.

Because of this I'm now public enemy number one to the mother, and I'm assuming her partner when he reappears from wherever he is bailed to. She has been screaming over to my house, throwing things around the garden, generally losing it.

And now my own family think I did the wrong thing and I have put myself and DD in danger. But I dont see how I was supposed to sit back and let it happen - especially with what the police uncovered.

My family (close, not extended) are very aware of what has been happening over the road as they have all seen it themselves over the years. I have told them he was arrested again, I said he was violent again. They know I gave a statement. The whole street saw what he did.

Usually the Police are very proactive if a witness or victims of crime is threatened by the perpetrators or associates so get on to them ASAP

It takes a lot for police to remove a child. You did the right thing. Although I do understand where your family are coming from, most people naturally care more about their own family than anyone else so they will be more concerned with the safety of you and them than others. I still think you were right, but feel for them too.
Call the police about every incident, she is harassing you and that's a crime. If it's social housing get the landlord involved, people can be evicted for antisocial behaviour.

If someone had reported Sara Shariff's household for screaming and concerning behaviour then the poor girl may have survived.

You have done the right thing.

To immediately remove the children then things are seriously wrong in that household.

There could have been any number of reports. The police might have spoken to you because of your doorbell camera but you never have to say that you made an actual report. Inform the police of her behaviour and deny everything to her.

Thank you for doing the right thing. In years to come when those children look back on this time, they will remember you as the lady who cared when the world didn't. I hope there are no consequences for you and your household X

Children may have been placed with grandparents and it may be the children’s belongings they were taking away in black bags?

If it’s LA housing and she is harassing you, you can get in touch with her housing officer.

No good deed goes unpunished

You did not do the wrong thing.

Police reports help to build a picture. The responsibility is on the parents to keep their children safe and loved and cared for. They have failed. This is not your failure.

I understand that your family feel that you should've kept it to yourself but how could you live with yourself if you ignored the impact that kind of behaviour has.

My mate's ex was abusive, they had one child together, that child stays with each parent half the week (court decision). The ex got together with someone else who already had a child and then had a baby with her. A neighbour called the police a few times with concerns. This official record has hugely helped my mate with keeping her child safe and challenging the court decision.

Calling out child abuse matters. Sharing your concerns with the police was the right thing to do. The children won't have been taken away just because the Dad's shouted. There will be more to it.

The police aren't always that professional in my experience. A teenager smashed his mums car in to my wall one night, police called in his name and address in front of me and told me he's in all the time and his mum doesn't give a shit about him. I was really shocked that they didn't have any regard for confidentiality for a minor.

Did you enjoy typing that?

Thank you for keeping those children safe OP

Well done on doing the right thing, OP.
If she told the police that it'd be "the woman across the road" meaning you, of course they'd come to speak to you.
They'd know if you had a Ring doorbell or visible camera, and in that case it's absolutely reasonable that they'd come to ask about recordings.
I'd deny, deny, deny reporting her, though. And any nonsense in future from them with regard to you, call the police.
Incident logs are created on addresses and they can put flags the system such as domestic issues when anyone views the the address history or creates a new incident log, so l'm sure they'd be able to flag yours as potentially volatile from the occupants over the road.

Surely just a correct analysis of the situation?

So just keep denying

it could have been anyone

If she foes return. Report to the Housing Association as the ASB might be serious enough for them to take action to evict them.

The police should preserve your anonymity. I feel they should do that automatically, but if you ever have to report stuff again then it's worth emphasising to them that you want your name kept out of it.
Fingers crossed she is moving on anyway.
Well done for safeguarding those kids.
I am surprised that the police told you some details about what they found though.

Keep a record of any harassment and forward to the police. Though hopefully she has or is leaving.

You did absolutely the right thing. It takes a lot for kids to be removed, it must have been a horrible situation.

You did the right thing. Fingers crossed they're moving on.

You did absolutely the right thing. I get that your family is worried about you and your child, but I also think they should be (and hopefully are) proud that you did the decent thing.
Maybe talk to the non-emergency police and tell them you're nervous about possible repercussions? They might be able to tell you about how they handle these scenarios and it will be reassuring.

Hopefully he's out of her life now and the kids are safe. If she's gone to her parents?

You definitely did the right thing and she doesn't even have proof surely it was you anyway. It could have been dozens of people.

You absolutely did the right thing. The bar for removing children is generally pretty damn high. And the social worker will be trying to reunite the family, if the parents actually engage. The system isn’t perfect, but you did your bit to try to safeguard those children. I’m proud of you.

You absolutely did the right thing. Things would have to be very, very bad to warrant immediate removal of children.

I'd make sure you report every instance of harassment.

Given it happened on the doorstep it could be anyone who reported it.

Op - thanks to you those children have been saved. They could have died in that house. Just hold your nerve. It sounds like she is leaving. I would blankly deny everything, and say you haven’t even been asked to write a statement as a neighbour yet, and you hope she is okay if you see them again. Just speak calmly and slowly, and call the police if they are intimidating you. It’s possible to get a restraining order if you want to?

You could literally be talking about my old neighbor! Time again numerous reports made, heavy drug use, kids wandering around asking for food at all hours. The abuse to us and others was non stop and we ended up moving. Often wonder whether she still has her kids. Hope not....

I agree that you did the right thing and don’t think you had any choice, but of course there are likely to be repercussions if the neighbours believe it was you who reported them, and unfortunately you and your daughter are now at risk. I think you just have to be hyper vigilant for the time being and alert the police when necessary.