Fire & Uninterested Police

[Kepis]

I happened to look out of the window earlier and saw a load smoke coming from the copse at the end of the road, knowing that hooligans have been up there recently sniffing aerosols and drinking, apart from trashing the copse and trying to burn it to the ground, i thought this time id phone the non emergency line for the Police rather than phone 999, well it's a report, not an emergency, well that's what i thought.

The woman i spoke to couldn't have been more disinterested if she had tried, despite the fact i told her there was under-age drinking, solvent abuse and probably various other things going on, she asked me to phone back in a couple of hours - unbelievable, so i phoned the Farm and told them, he was grateful for the heads up and stunned at the laws response or rather lack of it, i didn't go up there myself in the name of safety, you never know what these people will do if they are drugged and drunk?

Anyway a short time later, i see a Fire tender go down the lane, in the short time since i was brushed off by the Police, the hooligans have set fire to the wood yard, apols for the rubbish pic, taken on my phone in failing light

If the coppers had responded in the first place, i dare say this catastrophe could well have been avoided and the yards owners livelihood not put in jeopardy.

Makes my blood boil stuff like this, yet if the coppers want something, they expect you to go running there and then, you play the good citizen and report stuff and they are not interested, next time, i really hope there is not a next time, it happens, i tell them there is a car up there without a tax disc, bet you wouldn't be able to move for coppers then

 

[Robbi]

a sad but all too often true story

 

[georann]

Stuff like this that just makes you wonder what taxes are for!
I dont know if any of you have heard of the crazy forest fires we've been having down here in the south. I live just a few miles from swinley forest which has been burnt to a crisp by idiots playing wth fire!

 

[Toddy]

Make a formal complaint.
If no one complains, nothing changes.

It's the sticking your head above the parapet though.
You could get together with the folks at the farm and the wood yard and make the complaint en masse, and get hold of the local paper and get them to do an article too.

If the police have a reasonable excuse.....manpower already stretched, at a motorway pile up, or some nutter running amok with a firearm or the like, then fine, but otherwise, it doesn't reflect well on them.

I detest the random arsonists and their wanton stupidity and most of the time their parents are those who scream loudest that there's nothing for their children to do while they spend their lives glued to the goggle box. Time they took responsiblity for their offsprings' behaviour.

M

 

[Kepis]

Im hopefully meeting the farmer tomorrow, so i will be seeing if he wants to take it further, if he does then, yep, a united front is far better and certainly stronger than doing it as individual parties, the farmner was going to send one of his lads up earlier to have a look around, but i suggested he didnt, as you never know what type of response awaits you, also the reason i didnt go up there, better safe than sorry, let you know what happens

 

[mikeybear]

This is really annoying but it seems to be the norm these days.

Each time I hear something like this it reminds me of the following "joke ?" in the first paragraph.

http://www.philcallaway.ab.ca/articles/special%20pages/news_we_are_not_making_up.htm

MB

 

[mountainm]

When we lived in London I had a similar thing with Kids firing fireworks across the road. One nearly hit this young lass and a couple hit some cars. We rang up the incident line and reported it - we were told quite matter of factly that there was no point sending anyone out as they'd never get there in time.

the phrase "nip it in the bud" springs to mind... but what do I know?

 

[Kepis]

Each time I hear something like this it reminds me of the following "joke ?" in the first paragraph.

http://www.philcallaway.ab.ca/articles/special%20pages/news_we_are_not_making_up.htm

MB

Excellent .

 

[Wayne]

Hi Kepis.

i am not where in Sussex your based but I had a similar incident in Bognor two weeks ago. the Police only turned up at 2am when I told them I was going to personally evict the youths.

Sussex police where not interested in making an arrest.

 

[slasha9]

A few years back (after having my garden shed broken into a number of times) I rang the local force to report that a mob of twenty to thirty youths were openly stealing from the gardens in my road. Their response 'Well why don't you go out there and ask for them to put the items back?'

Great stuff!

Sean

 

[Kepis]

Hi Wayne,

Im about 15 miles or so East of your woods, ive written a letter of complaint this evening about the whole affair, but haven't sent it yet, thinking i'll read it again in the morning and make some amendments, but yep it's a sorry state of affairs really, i think the farm had the right idea, tell the coppers you think they kids had guns, that way they have to come out, only problem with that is the Politicians will use the stats for fire arm offences to make life harder for people, such as myself, who are law abiding shooters, it's a no win situation really, no wonder this country has gone to the dogs

 

[bb07]

This is really annoying but it seems to be the norm these days.

Each time I hear something like this it reminds me of the following "joke ?" in the first paragraph.

http://www.philcallaway.ab.ca/articles/special%20pages/news_we_are_not_making_up.htm

MB

That's hilarious. As far as the police not responding, it's much the same here, unless it's very serious.

 

[Wayne]

I emailed the inspector in charge of neighbour policing and got quite a detailed reply to the points I raised and a further email from the Sargent tasked with investigating my complaint. The up shot was that the offenders were known to the police and would be talked to. Charges however would not be forth coming. The total number of uniformed police covering Bognor Regis and Littlehampton at night 3.

 

[geordienemisis]

Seems to be a wide spread problem, I live in the north East and the police have lost the community spirit. They drive around in cars and have no contact with people unless there has been a crime committed. I could go on forever about this..........................................................................................................................................................

 

[widu13]

Let me get this right. Anti social behaviour was reported in a privately owned field and the police were expected to sort it out? Frankly I'm not surprised they didn't attend. With the current cuts you will NOT see police on the beat (at all). There will be a gauged graded response to incidents. Some of these gradings will not warrant any attendance.

The policing style of Dixon of Dock Green is a myth it never happened. I know that in Sussex there aren't enough coppers to fill the cars never mind have them walk about as well! I suppose we could all call for the Government to provide MORE police, but then we would whinge about having to fund them!

 

[Wayne]

Let me get this right. Anti social behaviour was reported in a privately owned field and the police were expected to sort it out? Frankly I'm not surprised they didn't attend. With the current cuts you will NOT see police on the beat (at all). There will be a gauged graded response to incidents. Some of these gradings will not warrant any attendance.

The policing style of Dixon of Dock Green is a myth it never happened. I know that in Sussex there aren't enough coppers to fill the cars never mind have them walk about as well! I suppose we could all call for the Government to provide MORE police, but then we would whinge about having to fund them!

I am sorry but when the police are called to deal with acts of criminal damage and vandalism. I expect them to turn up and when they catch the people involved in the act. I want to see them arrested and at the very least given a formal police caution.

If I am drive at 35 mph in a 30 zone Sussex police are only too happy to issue a fixed penalty and 3 points. Yet when people cause premeditated damage to property and blight the lives of the law abiding masses they get ticked off and sent on there way.

One is a cheap conviction the other a mess of paperwork involving the CPS and the courts.

 

[Robbi]

+1 Wayne, 100% correct mate.

 

[Trunks]

Good work, now contact the local paper, get the community on the case too.

 

[widu13]

Wayne, not having a pop about your incident mate, but the post said NOTHING about criminal damage / vandalism being caused at the time, more that smoke was seen and being public spirited he attempted to head off any potential problems by calling the old bill because of previous problems. Extreme, but no different to calling an ambulance because someone's got indigestion and you want to prevent a heart attack (The analogy is the same).

If you drive at 35 in a 30 expect a ticket. If you punch someone expect to be arrested.

More old bill? Yes please. Problem is people whinge about paying for them.

 

[Faz]

The problem you have is that the person you spoke with is not a police officer, its an office type person who answers the phone. The same people who answer the phones to everyone who calls the cops.

There have been several examples in the last few years now of these people being sacked and even put through court due to lack of care or understanding.

This suggests that a police officer might not have known about the fire due to the person on the end of phone.

If you bumped into an officer or shouted them down and told them about this then the officer would have gone.

I also think the reason you only see them in cars these days is because in most places you have 5 or less officers covering a massive area. The government says cops have to get to a 999 call, say within 5 mins, they just aint gonna get there on foot/cycle/bus.

This all falls on the government and not an actual police officer.

Sorry to hijack for a rant! Im sort of on a downer about the management of government and public services!