Faith in the police.

[Janpot]

Recently my son moved out into his own property. Within a week he had three seperate serious incidents of criminal damage to his car and also a personal threat to himself. He reported it to the police who seem unconcerned and don't appear to be doing anything about this crime. I am worried for my son's welfare (and it has rather taken the glory out of moving into his own house). We have found the same apathy with the police in several incidents that we have been involved in over the past 4 years. What do you have to have happen before they take action against criminals. Has anyone any similar instances?

[cockneyexile]

AFTER LIVING A NIGHTMARE FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS CAN TOTALY SYMPATHISE WITH YOU used to get up on a daily basis and find bricks through my car glass and death threats in the post the police were told who it was and took no action except to tell me if i touched this vandal they would prosecute me for assault in the end paid for a hidden video camera myself and caught the culprit on tape then the police had to act a question of what can,t speek can,t lie if the police insist on theyre useless stance with your son write to the cheif constable at force headquaters or tellyour local councillor after all the police are public servants and we pay they,re wages. hope your son catches the perpetrator

[Janpot]

Thanks for your answer, those are the options we are considering. My son feels sure he knows who caused the damage and it is the same person who threatened to slash him with a knife. The person is a well known local criminal and is working close to my son's house and is therefore passing there every day. A camera does seem like the only option. As for the police, what happened to the days when the public felt as if their complaints were being dealt with seriously and that there was real concern for law and order.

[thikasabrik]

This might sound like a daft solution but I read about it in the newspaper recently and it worked for the person in question. The writer was suffering similar problems to your son and encountered total apathy from the Police. On one occasion he phoned them to report a crime in progress (I think his car was being damaged) and they said they had no one to turn out. He then told the Police that he would therefore go outside and take the law into his own hands. I cant remember what weapon he said he had, but it wasnt a gun or anything like that, but some household object like a chair leg. This had the desired effect as two Police cars arrived within minutes.

[butter1]

it is totally ridiculous isn't it?  My brother is in the Met police force and when i was renting I had a creepy neighbour that wouldn't leave me alone.  Kept knocking on my door, looking through my windows (as I was told by my other neighbours).  I went to my brother for advice and he said that they have a new Harassment Act Law which came into place no long ago.  Apparantly, if you report the person the police they will go around and give him a verbal warning... blar blar, if he doesn't it again they can arrest him blar blar... and apparantly, if he still carries on they will arrest him straight away.  In the end I thought that it was better not to report him as I had to leave next door to him and didn't want any trouble as I lived on my own.  After a while, I think he got the message or must have got bored as he didn't bother me as much.  Thankfully I don't live near him anymore.  But quite a few 'boyfriends' of other girls came round to have a word with him so he must have done it to quite a few other girls.  Total weirdo.  So I do sympathize with your son... any harrassment is horrible.  I hope it gets sorted out.

[smudge]

Only one month ago at 02:30 am, I happened to look out of our bedroom window & watched a drunken yob twisting, bending & wrenching at our neighbours brand new VW car's wiper blade. I called the police & in the time it took for the operator to ask all his questions, the person had stumbled away & into a house opposite.

The police eventually went over to this yob's house, but within two minutes came back & said "There's no point in doing anything about it tonight, as he's so drunk he can't even talk properly"! Our next door neighbour was eventually informed that the yob had been warned about his behaviour & asked to pay for the replacement of the wiper. No charges were ever brought against this yob, even though he was caught committing criminal damage. Needless to say, I would never bother again.

[soconfused]

A couple of weeks ago sum1 told me that mine and my partners cars would b damaged by my ex, we informed the police immediately. they were damaged on the weekend by my sons father and his wife, i called the police and they said theres nothing they can do, no evidence. we have now been informed that nxt they will cut our brake leads, but if we go near them we''l get in trouble. we r havin cctv installed but they ave been cought on cctv b4 damaging sum1 elses cars and got away with it. we have now been told by 1 police officer that he is a police informant and that why hes gets away with it. he just drives past us know sticking his fingers up and laughing at us and theres nothin we can do! where,s the justice we sum1 ave 2 get hurt b4 anything is done?