Sorry But Basingstoke Police

[Deano]

People riding motorbikes up and down the paths setting fire to the trees outside shouting making noise

Basingstoke Police responce "Oh dear sir errrm can you call back in an hour as were a b it busy and if their still doing it we'll send someone round"

Please note the time of posting 02:06 AM

[Burratha]

Sorry to hear that, mate :(

[wazza]

Thats life...Friday is a busy night and priorities you know....!

[XDC]

That's awful! Where are all the cops to respond to these calls? Civilianisation is supposed to have released hordes of cops for operational duty - where are they? http://www.5ive-o.com/forum/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

[pauleds]

I spent 12 hours doing paperwork the other day,calls coming in left,right and centre and i never left the nick.
Labour need to go.They have totally stifled the entire system in their quest for statistics.

[Eunos]

On the radio the other day the control room were calling out for people to go to jobs. The duty Sargeant called up and said that the officers were not allowed to go out as they were doing a paperwork check!

[XDC]

The police service needs to be run by police - not politicians and spin doctors. What's needed is some chief officers with the nads to get together and resist this rubbish.

[JaneC]

Mmm, the police force is starting to sound remarkably like the NHS. Loads of stats/data required to prove how well we're doing :rolleyes: . Think yourselves lucky that police forces aren't star rated each year. (They're not are they ?)

Sorry for going off-topic :)

[XDC]

Mmm, the police force is starting to sound remarkably like the NHS. Loads of stats/data required to prove how well we're doing :rolleyes: . Think yourselves lucky that police forces aren't star rated each year. (They're not are they ?)

Sorry for going off-topic :)
You're not really off topic Jane. Whilst the police aren't star rated, forces are rated on annual league tables which are published. The only people who really care about these stats are politicians and senior officers - the rank and file who do the job at the sharp end, know that the figures are pretty meaningless. Deano will judge the police on the reponse to his call regardless of how well the stats say they're doing. The type of problem Deano had is just exactly the sort of problem which directly affects the quality of peoples lives where they live. It's very sad to see the lack of response - particularly when as the guys have said, the available cops are probably filling in stats forms. The priorities really suck!

[Hoon Devil]

It feels like 'death by target' at times...

[Erica]

Now Deano, if you'd mentioned that you had a curry on the go, then you might have had a much better response.

You know our resident Feds like a curry. :D

[Turboderv]

I had a similar incident a few months ago, kids (well, 14 -16) were throwing stones at our living room window where my baby son was sitting in his chair.


I eventually phoned the police to tell them, first they admitted that I was not the only call they had received that evening, other people in the same road had phoned them about stone throwing at windows.

Then I was told off for dailing 999 as it wasn't an emergency.

Then they asked me if they had caused any damage, I said that they hadn't yet so I was told that no one would be sent.

About an hour later it was still going on so I phoned the police again (not 999 this time) and they said they would send our community PC bloke round to see me, I stayed up late and this never happened.

In the mean time, a few neighbours decided to "deter" the youngsters themselves which worked much better than any police presence could ever have achieved. There hasn't been any stone throwing or broken windows here since.

We are living in a time when people know that the police do not respond to emergency calls which affect "real" people, problems which really affect law abiding citizens so people are forced to take the law into their own hands - which I don't think is necessarily the right way.

At least three times now I have phoned the police about different problems and the feeling I get is that they don't give a monkeys.

They are too busy dealing with other crimes such as people driving at 33 MPH.

Incidentally I live about 3 mins walk away from our local police HQ.

I don't mean to rant but it drives me mad, we have parking attendants, speed cameras, community patrols - all sorts of initiatives to free up the police's time but where are they all ? ? ?

[clinka]

That's awful! Where are all the cops to respond to these calls? Civilianisation is supposed to have released hordes of cops for operational duty - where are they? http://www.5ive-o.com/forum/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

I can't talk for any other county, but at this time of a morning on Friday Saturday and now Sunday, we are sitting in public order vans outside nightclubs, or waiting by the doors for people to kick off.

Failing that we are attending fights outside kebab shops, or turning up at domestic disputes. All alcohol related of course.

Still, it is very sad that Deano has been let down in this way.

[pauleds]

I totally agree with all the comments here but especially those made by XDC.

People in senior positions in Forces are moving crime recording goal posts and re-classifying certain offences to make it look like they are performing well.
In reality it does absolutely NOTHING to improve response times or customer satisfaction.
If you are a senior officer and you stand up against rubbish policies then you find yourself removed from the equation.
Sad but true.

[Turboderv]

I made a complaint after my experience which I have to say was dealt with quite well. Apparently when I called they were responding to 90 emergency calls and had to prioritise the urgent ones, which I understand completely.

The youths moved on that night, well, I should say that they were moved on and it turned out ok.

A little while ago a guy chased me and cornered me in a carpark, to this day I have no idea why. Anyway, I called the police when he broke off my door mirror and started to strike a ring spanner against my window my wife was very upset and I was scared too - a genuine reason to call the police because we were in fear of our safety .

Would anyone like to hazard a guess at how long the police took to arrive ?



45 MINS now that to me is absurd, fortunately in the meantime a security guard from one of the nearby shops sorted things out so when the police arrived they acutally laughed at me and made remarks about how expensive it will be to replace a volvo door mirrior and drove off.

So with my personal experiences you can see how I don't have total confidence in the police. I do however respect them and understand how busy they can be, it's just that whenever I have needed them they have been very very busy LMAO

[pauleds]

Disgusting....


No Matter how late or busy you are proffessionalism comes first.

[gobsmacked]

I think many members of the public have had this type of non-response; I know I have. What's more, the worst experiences I recall happened before the present govt were in power. I really cant swallow all this stuff about it being the politician's fault, because it happens under all of them - tho I do know the current lot are stats crazy. The tale about not allowing officers to leave the station so they could do their paperwork made me pretty angry - how would you like it if one of yours was waiting for help which never arrived?

[XDC]

I think many members of the public have had this type of non-response; I know I have. What's more, the worst experiences I recall happened before the present govt were in power. I really cant swallow all this stuff about it being the politician's fault, because it happens under all of them - tho I do know the current lot are stats crazy. The tale about not allowing officers to leave the station so they could do their paperwork made me pretty angry - how would you like it if one of yours was waiting for help which never arrived?

We can't lay all the blame at the door of the present government - the decline started long before they came to office, with civilianization, prioritising of responses and many types of crime no longer even rating a police visit - my garage burglary for example. http://www.5ive-o.com/forum/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif Guess what? - the same people who screw garages screw houses. Recruiting standards have changed considerably with even people in their late 40s joining on short term contracts. The job bears little relationship to what it did just 20 years ago, and few of the changes have been made for the benefit of the job or the public.

I'm the cops worst critic when they deserve it, and sometimes they undoubtedly do, but the vast majority of the problems we see today aren't down to them!

[stuart30]

Well after reading the above it just makes me feel that if the police are unavailable for what ever reason then ""joe public"" should be allowed to protect themselves in the manner they feel appropriate..so if little thugs are throwing stones at your windows and you feel confident to deal with it yourself then the law should allow you too....maybe a couple of slaps would make the little thugs stop (lets face it they would only laugh at the police anyway)...or if some guys threatening you with a spanner then id run the guy over if i was fearfull for my safety.....all of which im sure would make me a criminal.But at least it might make the thugs and the alike think twice.

Just my thoughts......lol.

[Cookie]

Had the same thing happen to me once...

Police never turned up - they didn't really care... so we went out into the street (myself and my neighbours) and persuaded them nicely to leave (whilst wielding cricket bats). Its little wonder there aren't more people just taking a vigilante approach to policing when the response times are this dire :(

Don't get me started on the 5 hours I waited in a freezing police station lobby waiting to give a statement when I'd been threatened to have my legs broken by an angry ex girlfriends stepdad :|

[edge]

Like Erica says, it seems you occasionally need to offer 'incentives.' How about informing them you have doughnuts and there's double yellows they can park on outside to collect.

There's that scenario I've heard about a few times before when one guy called the Police about three times and they were unable to attend the scene (for whatever reason) When he called the Police for the fourth time to inform the Police that the situation had since been settled with his gun and that their presence was no longer needed the Police arrived in minutes.

[aussiegirl]

it is not just an isolated situation over there...Wallaby Mick got called out last night and while he was out 3 tinted chaps came to the residence ****ed as parrots and wanting to see him. I told them he wasn't here they got quite annoyed so i had to ring the radio room ( which is based in newcastle) [9 hours away]. they then broadcast the job 45 mins later as an information call only... Go figure

[Halski]

...Wallaby Mick got called out last night and while he was out 3 tinted chaps came to the residence ****ed as parrots and wanting to see him.

hmmmmmmmmm - I'm not deliberately trying to pick a fight - I'm really not - and its not my intention to turn this into a "you said"/"I meant" exchange - but what makes you think that some/most/all the folks on 5ive-0 aren't tinted/married to someone whose tinted/some of whose best friends are tinted - or are they somehow different?

[Katana]

Well after reading the above it just makes me feel that if the police are unavailable for what ever reason then ""joe public"" should be allowed to protect themselves in the manner they feel appropriate..so if little thugs are throwing stones at your windows and you feel confident to deal with it yourself then the law should allow you too....maybe a couple of slaps would make the little thugs stop (lets face it they would only laugh at the police anyway)...or if some guys threatening you with a spanner then id run the guy over if i was fearfull for my safety.....all of which im sure would make me a criminal.But at least it might make the thugs and the alike think twice.

Just my thoughts......lol.
Its easy to say that you can deal with your situation yourself through force. Litigations aside, not many people are capable of resolving physical conflict efficiently without incurring some form of collateral damage. I doubt even someone like BuRR or Pauleds, the two biggest officers on this site or even wazza, a former red cap would be capable of stopping a gang of youths on his own without any backups. Hell I know I couldnt do it and thats not through lack of training or physical strength. We're only human at the end of the day and should just leave the job to the professionals.

I know its difficult to accept that you're not in total control of your life but these violent people have probably been doing it for a long time. The average Joe would not stand a chance against them. Believe me, I've seen a lot of this situation being played out.

[offdutyPC]

The other problem is sometimes not getting the call for ages as an officer patrolling. What you have to realise is you phone New Scotland Yard for example, they pass it to the borough, they then put it out, the radios arent the best and sometimes you miss the call. If its not answered they leave it a few minutes, by now the call can be 5/10 minutes old since you picked up your phone. We do try people but also these EXTRA police all seem to push more officers with valuable experience into offices, not core policing.

Saturday we came on duty to 23 outstanding calls, and theres still calls coming in, who do you go too, the old ones to make the response time mediocore but then be late to the new ones or get good response times to the new ones and mega bad for the old? Difficult people!

Sorry to hear about your bad experiences.

[gobsmacked]

these EXTRA police all seem to push more officers with valuable experience into offices, not core policing.



Others have mentioned this too. Why do the most senior people, responsible for planning the service, not stop this? Or is it because (dare I say it, taking cover from the missiles already!) many police would rather be sat in the office? And that after a certain number of years of service, it is seen as their 'turn' to get the comfy chair?

[XDC]

Others have mentioned this too. Why do the most senior people, responsible for planning the service, not stop this? Or is it because (dare I say it, taking cover from the missiles already!) many police would rather be sat in the office? And that after a certain number of years of service, it is seen as their 'turn' to get the comfy chair?

The comfy chair doesn't exist any longer - it's been civilianised.

I spent my last 3 and a half years deskbound in a Criminal Justice Unit - basically just sorting out crime files into a state fit to go to court and liaising with CPS. Far from being a comfy chair, it was one of the most stressful periods of my 30 years, dealing with a new influx of files every day and just trying to keep on top of the workload. When I retired, 'management' made no secret of the fact that it was becoming increasingly difficult to find officers with the experience to perform that task - and that was nine years ago, I doubt things have got any better.

The only office jobs which exist for officers are those which need an officer's experience, the rest as I say, have been civilianised long ago.

Few would argue with you that there aren't many things wrong with the police service today but there aren't too many comfy chairs or easy rides for anyone - far from it. ;) As to whether all the government and spin doctor meddling with the service over the years has made it more efficient or not - Deano's post and many others just like it which I see elsewhere would seem to say it hasn't - as if there were any doubt anyway.