AIBU to feel the police system needs complete reform?

[BrighterDaysAhead2026]

Up until recently I'd never had dealings with the police. But that changed and now I just can't unsee it...the whole system is toxic. I feel like it needs breaking down and starting again.

There is so much I could say and I don't want to write an essay, although happy to answer questions. But does anyone else have the same feelings? What can be done?

Just a few experiences:

8 police officers assualted/stood around laughing at/intimidating my mentally unwell daughter. My complaint has been ignored...

In custody, I was prevented from having my medication for my mental health and lied about it.

In interview, the police wanted to show me an upsetting video that had nothing to do with why I was there. My solicitor told me it was just a tatic to upset me and instructed me not to watch it. Just juvenile game playing.

I have chased it up. It obviously wasn't my priority, initially. It is with 'professional standards' apparently. Not sure if that is just another police department, though?

I would think that if there is body worn footage it should show a lot. But I expect there would be a lie as to why it wasn't available. I actually started filming myself at one point so I have some footage myself, including them trying to knock my phone out of my hand. Baring in my mind neither of us had committed a crime!

What I find outrageous is if you reported an ongoing assault the person would probably have been arrested, statements taken etc. But if the police commit a crime, you can't even report it. You just have to put in a complaint. All the while these thugs are still on our streets and even wearing uniforms to help them with their crimes. I know that might sound dramatic, but if your innocent, autistic, mentally unwell daughter had been assaulted by people who are meant to help, you might feel the same.

The biggest fear I have is what if something happened where you would usually call the police? I know I'd be very reluctant. And if my daughter was on her own. I know she would never call them.

Sorry just to be clear. When you are released from custody they ask you if there were any issues with the way you were treated. I wanted to raise the issue about my medication. When I was arrested I was not allowed to take my medication with me (or my phone. Then in custody they ask if you want someone contacted - I wanted my best friend contacted to look after my younger daughter - however if you don't know their number off by heart then they just say they can't.) - someone had to bring it in, which caused a delay in me being able to take it, then you have to see the medical person, but there is only one for lots of people so another delay. My medication was delayed by 8 hours and causes significant effect on my mental health. So I went to say this and got as far as 'my mental health medication...' before the officer just bare faced lied without a thought to tell me I couldn't be given my medication as it was in an unlabelled dosset box but that the medical team reported it wouldn't have affected my mental health not having it, anyway!

It all sounds very chaotic. You said the thugs had assaulted your daughter but then you wouldn’t let them in. How did they assault her before getting in? Could it be that they were showing you the footage of them breaking in as evidence of what they were dealing with when they arrived? Where was the footage taken from?

I hope you get a response to your complaint. They surely can’t try and claim that none of the 8 bodycams were working and whatever camera that recorded their entry to your house may also show what happened when they got in

Didn't you post about this at the time? It seems very familiar. If it's the story I'm thinking of, there's a lot of details being left out this time.

It was obviously incredibly stressful, but given that it sounds like both you and your daughter were having mental health issues at the same time, it's not as clear cut as "eight police officers decided to intimidate you" out of the blue .

These were 2 separate occasions. The one where the police assaulted my daughter was one occasion. Then later on was the situation where they broke into my house.

I was arrested for making a paramedic scared/pushing a paramedic. The police breaking in to my house had nothing to do with it. I think the footage was from a body worn camera.

Thank you and yes hopefully. I really want to know what went wrong initially to send them to my house.

No.

I wasn't having mental health issues, my daughter was. Not sure, that having mental health issues brings an expectation of loads of police turning up at your house and assaulting you, though??

Not considering the distressing circumstances the OP faced, I agree the police needs reform, alongside the courts and indeed the CPS.

Policing is not a career you can start at 16 or 17 in the way it used to be, nor is there police work that someone in the later part of their career that they can join. Police forces in my opinion are in many cases too large (not just the Met and Police Scotland). There is also an amount of police work that could be done by civilians such as evidence gathering and interviewing witnesses, for example.