I feel as though the police do not want any help in catching drunk drivers. I did realise the chances of them having a car available locally on a Saturday afternoon were slim, but the driver would almost certainly have driven past the local police r&r house on the same road a few minutes later so they could have caught him if they acted fast. At the worst they could have visited the registered owner at home or wait a short while for them to arrive and test the driver. All that appears to happen is it will be logged on the computer as background information.
Same as you, probably with equallf frustrating results.
I reported a driver, speeding up and down a local road in a built-up area in low gear. The car evidently came from a local sales garage. After some trouble getting put through to the right place, I got some civvy divvy (I *hope* not a real lady policeman, anyway!), and explained "Speeding in low gear, maybe road testing, possibly from local sales, pls will you get someone to go along and Have A Word". I gave the divot on the 'phone the reg. no, saying "Obviously this isn't a real plate". She, who had got my back right up before by her insistence that nothing could be done, pushed me over the edge by saying "How do we know the plate isn't legit?" and refusing to do much more. Well, the plate was "BMW M4 ROADSTER" - would anyone in the UK with two brain cells to rub together think that legit??? Not really.
After fuming for a few seconds, I said bye-bye to the Kidlington divot, and called the same number again. A perfectly sane person from the call centre answered. I re-reported the offending driver, as well as the offending divot I'd just spoken to, and the nice lady said she'd get the local "beat officer" to Have A Word. I bet it came to nothing, and she just had another cuppa, but still at least I felt I'd got through. Next to report the couple-a-week of completely number-plate-less brand-new vehicles on I see on the same stretch of road.
It does feel as though they just don't care, doesn't it.
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"lady policeman" - how quaint :-)
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As equally likely to have been 'intoxicated' on drugs these days as alcohol (alright I know alcohol is a drug).
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I went to a police station near to my office a couple of years ago to report a piece of dreadfully dangerous driving, involving going at high speed along a the footpath to avoid traffic at 8:30am when the road and pavements were crowded. Children scattering everywhere - just like a road chase in a movie. Police could hardly be bothered to talk to me.
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We shouldn't get upset when the police won't treat us as expert witnesses (in the same way as, eg, we hope they treat police officers' evidence). It's just a fact of life: the unsupported evidence of a member of the public isn't going to convict anyone of a driving offence (except in limited circs).
That's not to say we shouldn't report them, or that the blasé call-takers aren't idiots. I suspect it varies as to the part of the country you're in.
And, if you feel as if you've not been taken seriously, there's no harm in a stiff letter to the Chief Constable.
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Don;t know how the OP worded his 999 call but I would have been "screaming" that he nearly killed me, oh my god there he goes again etc etc and emphasised big style that it was a fatal accident waiting to happen.
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A fast police reaction to help a member of the public you have to be joking.
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Oh good.........haven't had an objective anti-police dig for ages
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How about this then?
i49.photobucket.com/albums/f299/sierraman/P1010002...g
yes ,he was in the pub,doing something upstairs that could not be interupted.An old lady on a mobility scooter could not get between the van and the bin,there was plenty of parking space in Finkle St.,where his colleague had parked.Does not do much to improve the public's perception.
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That is bad. He obstructs the pavement which could be dangerous for disability scooters, mother's with push chairs etc. And he has blocked visibility for cars turning left. and he is on a double yellow (though that is probably allowed for an 'emergency'). Not exactly the best advert.
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half a story...............have forgotten how many times i've turned up to an emergency call....abandoned ship wherever... then when i've come out, there's all the parking in the world and it looks like you're lazy or don't care
it's not ideal, but you forget about it, it's for others to worry about........you couldn't do your job properly otherwise
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>>Does not do much to improve the public's perception.
Of course not. Because the public is soo concerned about how a car is parked, to the point of photographing it, that any actual police work being performed is not relevant. And it wouldn't be complete without implying something untoward was going on upstairs.
How do you equate the following sentiments.....
"He parked his car carelessly and all he was doing was chatting to someone one"
"I reported a crime and they couldn't even be bothered to talk to me about it"
"When I were nobbut a lad if the local copper caught you doign something you'd get a clip around the ear, and I was all the bettter for it"
"Our police are rubbish, I was pulled over for speeidng and the copper was rude to me !!"
"The local coppers are just jobsworths with nothing better to do than pull me over to check my documents"
When are the local police going to do somethign about all the uninsured drivers?"
And so on, and so on, and so on.
I;d often thought about being in the police when I was younger, thank goodness I didn't because I'd have ended up strangling someone.
Someone, Pugugly I think, some years ago that one gets the police force one deserves. People should think about that.
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"Pugugly I think, some years ago that one gets the police force one deserves. People should think about that"
Yes - it was me and I still reckon it's still true - spent a happy three hours in custody this afternoon - it was full of people who'd turned up of their own free will to own up for a number crimes they'd committed, none of them were motorists either - funny that really. Most Officers I deal with are total professionals in what they do - I come accross a lot of passion in this branch of public service and have the utmost respect for the job they do.
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How about this then? i49.photobucket.com/albums/f299/sierraman/P1010002...g yes ,he was in the pub,doing something upstairs that could not be interupted.An old lady on a mobility scooter could not get between the van and the bin,there was plenty of parking space in Finkle St.,where his colleague had parked.Does not do much to improve the public's perception.
The proper thing to do would to make an official complaint. Go to a police station, and ask for the senior officer on duty. For serious issues, there's the IPCC, but in this case just use their internal procedures.
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A houseowner a couple of streets away acquired an LDV luton van when she started a home-based business. It was always parked high up on the pavement, with less than 18" gap to the hedge. I politely asked her to move it on to the large-enough driveway/park it elsewhere, and she less than politely told me she wouldn't.
I rang Thames Valley's non-emergency number when I got home, and I think she had a visit. It's always been parked on the drive when at home since.
A result, I think.
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The proper thing to do would to make an official complaint. Go to a police station, and ask for the senior officer on duty. For serious issues, there's the IPCC, but in this case just use their internal procedures
I did,I am still awaiting a reply.
I am not implying anything untoward was going on upstairs,that is an inferance.To quote the barman,'I darn't interupt what is going on upstairs' so anyones guess is as good as mine.
I would not have bothered photographing it but for two things-I happened to have my camera and I was concerned about the lady having to turn round because she could not get through.
I cannot help the publics' perception,I am not saying it is mine,but careless parking of police vehicles won't improve it.
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I'm amazed by some of the attitudes here. Surely it is a police privilege to park absolutely anywhere, any time? All I can say is that in this town, events demanding their urgent attention very often take place amid a mass of bus stops, pedestrian crossings, traffic lights and so on.
They always just park right there, and so would I if I were them.
I refer you to Westpig's more modest statement to this effect above.
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I'm amazed by some of the attitudes here. Surely it is a police privilege to park absolutely anywhere, any time?
If it is necessary - however, they're subject to the same laws as everyone else. If it isn't necessary, they are not allowed to speed, run red lights, use the hard shoulder, or park like that!
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If it isn't necessary, they are notallowed to speed, run red lights, use the hard shoulder, or park like that!
And I'm sure they usually don't FT. But I must say if I were them and citizens came up kibbitzing and asking whether it was an emergency or was I just nipping in for a kebab, I would try to think of a way of annoying those citizens.
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"How about this then?"
It's the shame that the public end up doing something like this to try and catch the cops out - funny they're not around or "didn't see nuffin" when a crime occurs isn't it.
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I think we are in danger here of blaming the rank and file officer for all these problems.I recently tried to call my local police station to report an upturned 4x4 (what else) in a field. I was put in touch with a call center about 50 miles away. Since we live along an unclassified road I could not give him a road number,just the post code and the general direction.H e had no local knowlege whatsoever and refused point blank to let me contact my local station who would know the road ,and be on scene in minutes. It took about 15 minutes for him to identify the relevant area.
Personaly,I blame cost cutting by the men at the top, the local authoriy and cenral government
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I think we are in danger here of blaming the rank and file officer for all these problems.I recently tried to call my local police station to report an upturned 4x4 (what else) in a field. I was put in touch with a call center about 50 miles away.
That is a big part of the problem IMO. Policemen can hardly be blamed for this, since the opxy call centre is between us and them.
road I could not give him a road number,just the post code and the general direction.H e had no local knowlege whatsoever and refused point blank to let me contact my local station who would know the road ,and be on scene in minutes.
This is what gets right up my nose with call centres. I now make a point of asking exactly who I am talking to. Asking this puts them on their toes - but they are reluctant to part with identifying information! The sow at the centre I called (see above, and no "pig" reference is intended, just a personal viewpoint on the individual to whom I spoke) would *not* put me through to anyone else. That was what causes me now ask always ask for identifying information (rather than just "Sharon", or whatever).
It took about 15 minutes for him to identify the relevant area. Personaly,I blame cost cutting by the men at the top, the local authoriy and cenral government
Something certainly does sorting out.
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>> It took about 15 minutes for him to identify the relevant area.>>
I also believe there is a problem in identifying locations. Some months ago I had to dial 999 when I discovered a poor fellow in the act of committing suicide via a length of hosepipe attached to the back of his car. It was in a fairly isolated spot and I was able to decribe it to the call centre as adjacent to a large electricity sub-station along a track approx 1 mile due west of xxxxxx. I then attempted (from my trusty OS map) to give the girl a 8-fig grid ref number which would have identified the spot to 10 metres ......... I might as well have been describing a location on the moon.
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Oh good.........haven't had an objective anti-police dig for ages
Just tell 'em you think somebody has been shot and stand back.
MD
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"Vot is your name?" "Don't tell 'em, Devon!"
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>> Oh good.........haven't had an objective anti-police dig for ages >> Just tell 'em you think somebody has been shot and stand back. MD
Are you talking about the chap in Plymouth who couldn't get a response for 2 oiks breaking into his garden shed......then called back and said don't bother i've just shot them
...and when the whole world turned up and someone said "i thought you said there'd been a shooting" he said " i thought you said you had no one to send"
no idea whether it's true ot not......but friends in Devon told me about it
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there are other reasons why police park right outside where the call is:
1, you might (and often do) need the car again in a hurry........no good if it's around the corner at the other end of a car park
2, people vandalise police cars.....if it's right outside where you are and everyone else is 'beaking' to see what's going on, then only the most foolish oik is going to vandalise it...(tax payers money and vehicle off the road for days to repair, which would mean longer response times)
3, you might need some of the equipment in the car...(firearms... to... statement forms)
4, if you call for assistance, your colleagues know exactly where to aim for......(most important this one if you're about to get your head kicked in, i sometimes deliberately leave it in the carriageway for this reason alone i.e don't park it all that neatly)
over the years i've found those that moan about things like this......are usually the first to moan if you don't turn up quick enough as well (see 1 or 2 above).....and.......now that i deal with the complaints ....i can assure you that yes the bin is ultimately where it will all end up.....only you will have wasted an hour of my time in the process filling in pointless forms....if that's what you want me to do with your taxpayers money, then be my guest...but personally i feel i have more important things to do
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