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Original poster

Police banging on the door at midnight

20 replies

K8eee · 11/05/2013 11:45

Just wondering what other people's experiences are. We had them banging on the front door midnight last night. It woke me up but not hubby. Scares the hell out of me and then I could see a light being shone up into our bedroom. I woke dh he peered out the window, and as he did the policeman said standby on his radio thingy. All it was over was the fact dh had left ALL his car windows open with.some boxes in it. Yep definitely stupid, but he was very over dramatic but I so appreciate that he told us.

OP posts:
SchroSawMargeryDaw · 11/05/2013 11:49

I don't know the legal stance on this but I think they probably done you a favour.

Also, it would be in their interests to wake you up as if you were robbed it would create more work for them. I imagine if that happened you would be quite pleased with the idea of them banging on the door before it happened.

Original poster
K8eee · 11/05/2013 11:52

Oh yeah I'm grateful they told us, apparently a neighbour told them and they told us which I found a bit odd but I thought about it and wouldn't fancy waking my neighbours up, would seem a bit weird me doing it. At least the police it looks a bit better Grin

Would they of had a torch on them to shine into the house? Did shake me up a bit as they didn't show us a badge or anything. I was half asleep though Grin

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SchroSawMargeryDaw · 11/05/2013 11:55

I'd be wondering why the hell the neighbour didn't tell you!

If you phone 101 you can talk to them on there about it. I've had to do it for police constantly coming to the door and looking in bedroom windows (while I was naked and sleeping) for people who moved out and have been told they moved out a year ago! Angry

It can be startling but you can talk to them about it.

digerd · 11/05/2013 11:55

What a shock, but a well intentioned one for your own benefit.
DH's fault and he slept through the banging on the door - typical . Did you wake him up and tell him off?

Original poster
K8eee · 11/05/2013 12:09

Oh right. Hmm am tempted to do so. I was a bit shocked that the neighbour didn't tell us too, but we don't have much to do with them or see them so in wondering if maybe they felt uncomfortable with the whole thing of waking strangers up?

I did wake him and he went and answered the door. I think I told him off, I can't remember what with being half asleep haha. It wasn't even a knock though; a full on bang that shook the house!

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SchroSawMargeryDaw · 11/05/2013 12:10

Give them a call and see what they say, you should talk to your neighbours as well. Tell them you appreciate them looking out for you and telling the police but it gave you a fright and in future if needed could they speak to you themselves.

DH would be in my bad books today for that!

Tiredtrout · 11/05/2013 12:17

Unfortunately there is a special knock police have, they probably tried a normal knock but got no response, I know that I often have shone torches at windows when trying to get someone to answer the door late at night because people ignore door knocking as drunks but combined with a light people tend to have a look out. I tend not to show my I'd very often because normally I'm in uniform with a marked up car. I'm sorry that you felt startled but at least nothing was taken

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 11/05/2013 12:19

Tired Can you tell me why the police are allowed to snoop in windows?

I've had them looking between my curtains and I sleep naked, they weren't even looking for us!

It's pretty disgusting tbh and I am now frightened to have even a CM of curtain opened.

Original poster
K8eee · 11/05/2013 12:22

I must be a stupidly light sleeper then! Yeah I wasn't best pleased, I doubt he'll learn!

Haha special knock for police, I totally get that. Maybe he did just knock like normal. What does stand by mean though? See that's what got me, no car, or hat thinking about it! Do they have to wear their hats though...? And no other police officer or car around. Maybe just wondering in patrol in the area, but we live in a really nice quiet village. I know crime can happen anywhere, just seems weird.

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Tiredtrout · 11/05/2013 12:33

K8eee. Standby would just mean that they were called up on their radio just as they raised you so they were telling whoever was calling them to wait a minute. Don't have to wear our hats when we are out and about, they could have been in a plain car pooling about, we do it sometimes to sneak up on naughty people.

Schro, no idea why anyone was looking in your windows, I have before now at addresses we were doing arrest attempts or warrants at to see what's going on inside, could be just a wrong address thingy.

Original poster
K8eee · 11/05/2013 12:36

Ah ok, makes me feel a bit better. I have emailed the local neighbourhood team just to double check. I expect it was a real one. Yes I have been caught being a naughty person stopping for no more than a minute on a pedestrian crossing on the zigzags to pick someone up. Whoopsy!

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SchroSawMargeryDaw · 11/05/2013 12:37

It is a wrong address thing, it's regarding people who used to live here but they have been told umpteen times that they moved and have even had officers here to tell us we're on high priority watch list because of those people.

It feels like we're being harrassed, they come to the door and the last time they had a massive van and loads of officers (3 at the door) and really questioned us on who we were as if we were criminals. When we came back in the house we heard the people in the house behind us (friends of the people they are looking for) shouting "fuck yer police".

It feels like they are putting us in danger and they just wont listen.

Sorry for the hijack OP, you've struck a nerve! :)

Original poster
K8eee · 11/05/2013 12:39

Not a problem schroSmile feel free!

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SchroSawMargeryDaw · 11/05/2013 12:41

:) Thanks and sorry again!

I hope DH is in the dog house today? :o

Original poster
K8eee · 11/05/2013 12:43

I'll be ripping it out of him before bed tonight. And make him check all the windows are shut this time Grin

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Tiredtrout · 11/05/2013 12:45

Schro, that does sound shit but I've got no idea of a way around it, I am a mere minion after all, only suggestion I could make is that you phone 101 to make a complaint to get it recorded again that it is making you uncomfortable and fearful of repercussions because of the visits. Is your house privately owned or housing if its housing association owned the officers should be able to get a current address for the last occupants quite easily. The other issue is that when people are in custody sometimes they give incorrect addresses

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 11/05/2013 12:47

It's a HA and they have been told loads of times when we moved in and had it proven to them, they just don't listen, the HA have spoken to them and 101 say it's odd but it must be a case of them not talking to each other. :(

I'm disabled, 29 weeks pregnant and have a toddler but they still insist on banging on the door basically accusing us. I hate the way when they talk to you they start peering behind you, it's humilating.

It just feels like there's no one to run to when it's the police who are doing the harassing!

Gah! Sorry for the rant and thank you for the help. :)

Tiredtrout · 11/05/2013 12:54

I don't normally suggest it but it sounds like time to complain, which does suck ass. Good luck

Booyhoo · 11/05/2013 12:59

tbh i'm not really sure what else they could have done to wake you up that wouldn't have been loud. the point was to wake you up! would you have preferred they just didn't bother telling you your car was lying open?

even if neighbour had come to tell you, they would have had to bang as loud to wake you up too so either way you would have been woken up.

Original poster
K8eee · 11/05/2013 13:04

The waking up thing doesn't bother me, I was more concerned as to whether they were a real officer.

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