Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Not impressed - police response

77 replies

Upthehillanddownagain · 26/03/2020 05:43

So at about 12.30 am there was a lot of thumping and banging outside. It stopped and we ignored it. Then at 1.45 there was a very insistent ringing of our doorbell. It was a man we don't know from Adam, said he was looking for the Salvation Army hostel but he couldn't find it and could he sleep at our house for the night! (He even offered to pay us - what with, I'm not sure.)

Clearly we weren't going to let him in, and we didn't want him roaming our little road - there are two elderly ladies (80+) on here, and both of them live alone. So being a good little MNer, I rang 101. Their response? That the SA hostel is locked down anyway so he wouldn't get in, and they couldn't come and pick him up because of CV. All they offered was 'keep your door locked'.

I was Not Happy.

DP was the one talking to him (through the door) and after a while decided that actually the guy seemed genuine. So to keep him in one place we gave him a blanket, a cup of tea and some biscuits, and he's spent the night on our front doorstep. We haven't been to bed, as I felt it wasn't necessarily safe. It's now quite light and I think I'm going to risk it - I'm knackered. (He's still there.)

I know this isn't AIBU (I put it in CV because that's the root of the problem) - but AIBU to think that the police response really wasn't acceptable?

OP posts:
FeelingCrap54 · 26/03/2020 05:54

I think the police are up to their eyes tbh.

My advice is the homeless team at the council ASAP. They should be able to find him emergency accommodation.

EYProvider · 26/03/2020 05:56

The police are not fit for purpose in my experience.

I own a nursery. It’s located in an area where there is a problem with drug addiction and homelessness, but where there are also houses worth millions of pounds.

On two occasions, we have had to call 101 to ask the police to help with rough sleepers in the nursery grounds. Their response? What do you want us to do about it? Call the Samaritans if you are concerned about the welfare of the homeless person.

This is absolutely true, by the way. Though if I was sitting at home reading it, I wouldn’t believe it either.

Britain is broken. And I think it is at the point where it is beyond repair.

FamilyOfAliens · 26/03/2020 05:59

What would you have wanted the police to do?

He wasn’t committing a crime. His problem is that he was homeless. This is not a police issue, it’s a housing issue. Speak to your housing options team when they open today if you want to help him.

Poor bloke - it was freezing last night.

XDownwiththissortofthingX · 26/03/2020 05:59

Presumably you want homelessness and destitution to become criminal offences?

lastonetime · 26/03/2020 06:04

I think if anyone was persistently knocking on my door that late in the night I would hope the police would come out to move them on.

I don't think the issue is that he was homeless, if I knew someone was knocking on doors at that time round my 85 year old grandparents I would hope the police would come and move them on

Original poster
Upthehillanddownagain · 26/03/2020 06:16

Presumably you want homelessness and destitution to become criminal offences?

Not at all, as I think what we did shows (and we've just taken him another cup of tea and four slices of toast).

What I wanted was for the police to come and take him to a place of safety - for his own sake at least as much as for everyone else's. It was freezing last night. The police must have emergency contacts that I don't have, especially not at 2.00am.

OP posts:
XDownwiththissortofthingX · 26/03/2020 06:24

Sorry OP, that comment wasn't actually aimed at you, it was a reply to the nonsense about 'broken Britain' by the irate nursery owner.

XDownwiththissortofthingX · 26/03/2020 06:27

FWIW I think not letting him inside is perfectly reasonable, and you've also been as compassionate as I think its reasonable to expect anyone to be under the circumstances.

I just don't understand the mentality of people who clearly regard the homeless as nothing other than detritus to be given short-shrift and forcibly moved on. They're human beings.

Eireni · 26/03/2020 06:32

I think the point might have been that there was no place of safety for him last night. Horrible truth. The police may well have had nowhere to take him to, and he didn’t actually commit any crime, apart from maybe antisocial behaviour, which last night might just not have been bad enough compared to what the police were otherwise doing. Which wouldn’t have been sitting in the station eating donuts refusing to come out because they CBA. This simply wasn’t serious enough to warrant attendance. Yes it’s shit, but it’s not the police’s fault.

If he’s been homeless a while he may well be aware himself of the local day centres he could go to and get advice/referral to appropriate agencies. If not, and you’re willing, maybe go and sit out with him and get on google on your phone to find who he could get in contact with today so he has somewhere tonight. I’ll just grab a few links for you I have somewhere.

Original poster
Upthehillanddownagain · 26/03/2020 06:33

Well, we've stayed up to be able to ring people as soon as they open to try to get help for him. DP has just called the Salvation Army hostel, and guess what - they ARE taking people in. AND (sorry for the caps, I'm miffed) they've been open all night. We could have saved him from a night on the step if we hadn't had duff information from the police.

OP posts:
FamilyOfAliens · 26/03/2020 06:34

What I wanted was for the police to come and take him to a place of safety

What “place of safety” would that be, OP, if the shelter is closed?

AnyFucker · 26/03/2020 06:37

A night in the cells would at least have been warm and more comfortable, surely ?

Original poster
Upthehillanddownagain · 26/03/2020 06:39

If he’s been homeless a while he may well be aware himself of the local day centres he could go to and get advice/referral to appropriate agencies.

The story he gave was that he's been staying in a hotel in the next town, but he can't afford it any longer. He's been sleeping rough for a few days, but - and who would blame him - he didn't want to do that any more so came to find our town's hostel. We haven't quizzed him on why he's come here, or why he was ringing our doorbell at 1.45 am, especially when we're miles away from the town centre and the hostel. Anyway, we've found him a place of safety now. I hope he's going to be OK.

OP posts:
FamilyOfAliens · 26/03/2020 06:39

I expect the police told you what they believed to be true at the time. You seem determined to paint them as the ones at fault here. Maybe put it in complaint that the police gave you the wrong housing information and see what they say?

Casino218 · 26/03/2020 06:39

God it's terrible isn't it. Poor him and poor you. Can't wait for this antibody test kit. 99% sure I've had virus and I could be doing more now to help.

Original poster
Upthehillanddownagain · 26/03/2020 06:41

What “place of safety” would that be, OP, if the shelter is closed?

As I've said, I assume that the police will have access to more resources than I do, and would have been able to take him somewhere.

(Anyway, see above. The shelter wasn't closed.)

OP posts:
user1480880826 · 26/03/2020 06:42

Why were you scared to go to bed? Your front door was shut and locked.

I think you’ve over reacted here. Giving him a blanket, a cup of tea and some biscuits was a nice thing to do. I don’t think I would have let him inside, but I have a young child.

Not sure what you expected the police to do since this man wasn’t breaking any laws.

TheoriginalLEM · 26/03/2020 06:44

All of those berating the OP, would you want some random knocking on your door of a night asking to come in? Would you REALLY Invite him in to kip on the sofa?

I'm fucked if i would , and I like to think I'm pretty compassionate. I'd feel like a cunt sending him away but seriously, he could (but probably isnt) a deranged serial killer at worse or a drug addicted thief at best. Sadly, he is probably just a desperate man who was cold and hungry but would you risk it? No, of course you wouldn't.

OP you were incredibly kind

Eireni · 26/03/2020 06:45

The police can’t just put people in cells because they’re homeless, that’s not a road any of us want society to go down, surely. They have to be arrested on suspicion of a crime and go through the whole
process, taking a lot of resources to do so. Custody suites have been decimated, there are simply not thousands of empty cells all over the shop each night. It ties multiple officers and other staff up for hours and hours to deal with any arrest and detention. Meaning less officers free to deal with other emergencies. The police simply have to pick and choose what warrants attendance and what warrants arrest, because they do not have the staff, facilities or resources to deal with every single minor incident of antisocial behaviour.

FamilyOfAliens · 26/03/2020 06:45

A night in the cells would at least have been warm and more comfortable, surely ?

I wasn’t aware the police put homeless people in cells if they have nowhere else to go - apologies.

FamilyOfAliens · 26/03/2020 06:46

Would you REALLY Invite him in to kip on the sofa?

Has anyone said that?

NiteFlights · 26/03/2020 06:50

I think you did absolutely the right things in the circumstances and I agree, the police response was disappointing. In my recent experience with problems in my street, actual police officers are helpful, 101 can be less so.

Now you have the hostel number I guess if this happens again you can call them.

I hope you get a good rest, try not to worry too much.

Wereallsquare · 26/03/2020 06:51

OP, you have been really kind and shown true compassion. If someone was knocking on my door in the middle of the night, there is no way I would be engaging with him. I would be too fearful.

Eireni · 26/03/2020 06:52

Glad he’s off somewhere to get some help now OP. FWIW I’m the bleedingest of hearts, have done lots of volunteering at night shelters and crisis at Christmas etc, and I wouldn’t have let him in my own home either. He’s clearly having a very shit time, but he put you in a really horrible position last night. Hope you can catch up on some rest today.

Swipe left for the next trending thread