Victims of criminial damage & car crime encouraged to DIY their own investigations

[citizenB]

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/11451963.Police_tell_crime_victims_to_carry_out_their_own_investigations__watchdog_says/?ref=rss

 

 

High-volume offences such as criminal damage or vehicle crime are ''on the verge of being decriminalised'' by police forces which have given up investigating them, a policing watchdog has warned.

 

In a new report, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) said this ''mindset'' had led to a concerning trend of asking victims to turn DIY detectives and carry out investigations themselves.

 

 

 

In some forces this included asking victims to check if there was CCTV or fingerprint evidence available, as well as requesting victims interview their neighbours and check second-hand sales websites to see if their property was being sold.

 

Inspector of Constabulary Roger Baker, who led the inspection, said: ''It's more a mind-set, that we no longer deal with these things. And effectively what's happened is a number of crimes are on the verge of being decriminalised.''

 

[citizenB]

So because they cant do their job properly, they are planning on decriminalising car crime !!

 

 

Elsewhere, the inspection found some forces were losing track of named suspects and wanted persons because they did not have effective systems for actively pursing them.

 

This included suspects who had been bailed from a police station and failed to return.

 

The report said: ''It is a matter of extreme concern that some forces were not able to provide the data requested on these points. Timely and effective pursuit of named and wanted suspects should be core business for the police.

 

 

 

 

HMIC also found the national picture across all forces in relation to use of technology was ''inadequate'' with officers using ''old technology, ill-suited to modern technology''.

 

Official figures released earlier this year suggested police are failing to solve half of crimes, including nearly three quarters of cases of theft, criminal damage and arson.

 

[chiefmegawatty]

Interesting to note that if you break the Road Traffic Act, the Police have no problem prosecuting you.

[chiefmegawatty]

I am getting uncomfortably close to 60 and over the years I have come to the following conclusions.

 

1. The law seems to mainly exist for the sake of itself.

 

2. The Police seem to just be tax collecting protectors of the state.

 

3. Motorists are chased by the Police mainly for revenue rather than road safety.

[goodatresearch]

The attitude of the police to criminal damage is very worrying.

 

We've been unfortunate to have suffered deliberate damage to our fence on more than one occasion. Their attitude on attendance on each occasion was boredom and disinterest. On each occasion we knew who committed the offence and on each occasion it was initially admitted to the police. All the police seemed to do was make excuses for the person damaging our property and then they tried their best to persuade us to drop the matter. Their level of expertise also left a lot to be desired as after one incident they took a picture of the wrong fence although it was obvious there was only one that was actually damaged.

 

No doubt if we'd had said we were going to go outside and defend our property they'd be round in a shot to protect the criminal. No doubt if was a local dignitaries home their attitude would be different.

[chiefmegawatty]

Oh you have had it easy compared to me.

My house was broken into three years ago, doors smashed and items stolen.

I caught the offender red handed and threw him out.

Police dropped the case beacuse there were no witnesses and no camera evidence.

I later discovered that the offender's wife was friendly with a Police woman on Facebook.

A while after this, a gang of thugs broke into my daughters house and attacked her.

Case dropped due to lack witnesses even though there was a witness who was willing to testify.

[GrahamMcLean]

I think you need to dig a bit deeper to get to the real root of the problem. Currently even if the police get a theft or damage case to court, the offender gets a silly slap on the wrist if found guilty. Repeat offenders know how to use the system to drag cases out along with solicitors who are getting money out the public purse to defend them.

 

I totally agree with chiefs analogy.

[DragonFly1967]

If the people are now being encouraged to investigate crime themselves. Does it follow that we'll also be allowed to be judge, jury & executioner?

 

I think I might start building a gallows in my garden for the local "yoof"

[SuperVillain]

Interesting to note that if you break the Road Traffic Act, the Police have no problem prosecuting you.

 

Ironically I think road traffic offences are probably one of the worst policed areas of the law, especially round where I live (North Birmingham).

 

In a week's worth of commuting (a 10 mile round trip) I will with certainty see:

 

1. drivers on their mobiles

2. ragging it past in the outside lane when I'm doing 40 in a 40 zone (i.e. speeding)

3. pulling out at junctions without looking or indicating

4. cutting you up on roundabouts

5. tailgating when I'm doing 40 in a 40 zone and the right hand lane is empty

6. doing U-Turns underneath a sign that clearly says NO U Turns

7. running red lights (particularly a certain pedestrian crossing on my route)

8. ignoring zebra/pelican crossings

 

People constantly do it here because it is not policed and they can get away with it. They'll even do it right under the noses of the cops because they know they won't get stopped.

 

And if/when they do cause an accident it's "oh well my insurance will sort it" or "I'll do a runner" if they don't have insurance, leaving the victims to pick up the pieces.

[chiefmegawatty]

That's very interesting. In our local paper (I live near Bristol), there is a column called "In the courts".

The column lists and details recent Magistrates and Crown court cases.

The vast majority are motoring offences.

I have also seen many motorists driving badly as you describe.

However myself and many people I know have been pulled in my the Police for no reason when driving perfectly.

This implies that the Police can't tell the difference between a motorist driving badly and a motorist driving perfectly.

[goodatresearch]

You have my sympathy.

 

We were told after one of these incidents that we should drop the matter because the little s**s father was a real nasty b****** and the son has a record. Presumably, we are all supposed to sit quivering in our homes putting up with having our property destroyed. when it got to court the CPS told us to drop it as he was only a child. He was actually a teenager, appearing at the same court 3 times that week for 3 different incidences and had assaulted a police officer.

 

If the Police refuse to do their duty with regards what they think are minor incidents, some people will take matters into their own hands, or as we have seen, will commit suicide as they can no longer cope.

 

 

Oh you have had it easy compared to me.

My house was broken into three years ago, doors smashed and items stolen.

I caught the offender red handed and threw him out.

Police dropped the case beacuse there were no witnesses and no camera evidence.

I later discovered that the offender's wife was friendly with a Police woman on Facebook.

A while after this, a gang of thugs broke into my daughters house and attacked her.

Case dropped due to lack witnesses even though there was a witness who was willing to testify.

[goodatresearch]

Probably to make their figures look good. Don't forget according to one report crime is on the decrease but then another report suggested figures are being fudged, victims of rape told to forget it, on the spot fines for crimes that should go court etc, etc.

 

That's very interesting. In our local paper (I live near Bristol), there is a column called "In the courts".

The column lists and details recent Magistrates and Crown court cases.

The vast majority are motoring offences.

I have also seen many motorists driving badly as you describe.

However myself and many people I know have been pulled in my the Police for no reason when driving perfectly.

This implies that the Police can't tell the difference between a motorist driving badly and a motorist driving perfectly.

Edited September 9, 2014 by citizenB
restored quote box

[chiefmegawatty]

For many years I have suspected that the target driven culture is responsible for the mess we are in.

This was imported from America along with many other insane management ideas.

All crime figures are now fudged to make things look good, we all know that.

Sadly the Government thinks we have all been dumbed down and are all thick.

They have forgotten that there are many people still around who are well educated who can see right

through their lies and deception.

[Conniff]

I see no point in the police investigating anything when the courts just tut at them and tell them not to do it again. The whole exercise is a complete waste of money.

[goodatresearch]

Victims of crime are entitled to expect the police to act. Are you saying we should all put up with being victims? This is a very dangerous attitude, what would it lead to in the long run?

 

I'm afraid I insisted on continuing and the youth was ordered to pay for the damage to the fence, which was all I wanted in the 1st place. Got the money in under a month.

 

 

 

I see no point in the police investigating anything when the courts just tut at them and tell them not to do it again. The whole exercise is a complete waste of money.

Edited September 9, 2014 by citizenB
restored quote box

[goodatresearch]

victims of crime are entitled to expect the police to act. Are you saying we should all put up with being victims? This is a very dangerous attitude, what would it lead to in the long run?

 

I'm afraid i insisted on continuing and the youth was ordered to pay for the damage to the fence, which was all i wanted in the 1st place. Got the money in under a month. I know this doesn't always happen, but if we all just give up, i dread to think what sort of society our chidren/grandchildren will be left with.

 

 

 

Quote=conniff;4608201]i see no point in the police investigating anything when the courts just tut at them and tell them not to do it again. The whole exercise is a complete waste of money.

[Conniff]

Victims of crime are entitled to expect the police to act. Are you saying we should all put up with being victims? This is a very dangerous attitude, what would it lead to in the long run?

 

I'm afraid I insisted on continuing and the youth was ordered to pay for the damage to the fence, which was all I wanted in the 1st place. Got the money in under a month.

 

 

 

I see no point in the police investigating anything when the courts just tut at them and tell them not to do it again. The whole exercise is a complete waste of money.

 

 

That's another thing courts never seem to do. Someone damages your property and they might get a fine, well what about compensation, that should be the first consideration and punishment the second.

[goodatresearch]

In my case, he was ordered to pay for repair of the fence.

 

That's another thing courts never seem to do. Someone damages your property and they might get a fine, well what about compensation, that should be the first consideration and punishment the second.

[steampowered]

If you report something like a broken window and stolen stereo, its difficult to see how the police could have ever chased that down without any leads?

[Conniff]

If you report something like a broken window and stolen stereo, its difficult to see how the police could have ever chased that down without any leads?

 

 

Which is why it's important to report these things and get a crime number then when they do a drugs raid or whatever at some time in the future somewhere and find a stereo, they can check the serial number and see where it came from.

[goodatresearch]

Plus you'd need a crime number for insurance claim

 

Which is why it's important to report these things and get a crime number then when they do a drugs raid or whatever at some time in the future somewhere and find a stereo, they can check the serial number and see where it came from.

[king12345]

I live in a closed road and at the end of it (50 yards) there's a school entrance.

My neighbours and I have had our cars damaged by mums driving stupidly large 4x4 right to the school gate only to find that there's no parking spaces and try to reverse out while other 4x4s attempt the same manoeuvre.

Also kids on scooters and bikes riding on the pavement through a crowd inevitably fall against our cars.

I reported damage to my car twice but the police was not interested despite the school having cctv covering that spot.

Of course the school said that I couldn't have the cctv because of dpa.

On three occasions I witnessed my neighbour's cars being hit and run out of the house to stop the offender.

On the first and third occasion I managed to keep them there by blocking the road with my car while they were making all sort of threats.

The coppers arrived and got their details.

They gave them to me to pass to my neighbours and took no further action.

What about attempting to leave the scene of a rta?!?!

" Well, they didn't leave, you kept them here. Well done!" I was said.

On the second occasion I didn't grab my car keys and this mad chav almost run me over to escape.

Called 999 and gave them reg number.

I was told it was not an emergency and to report it to local police station.

I am not a copper, but leaving the scene of a rta and try to run someone over while doing so sounds like a criminal offence to me.

What if the woman was drunk and went on to kill a pedestrian?

Wouldn't that look bad in the evening standard?