Thursday 11 February 2010

Police stand in for striking burglars.

Some time back, there were stories of police breaking in to cars and taking away anything visible, then telling people off for leaving valuables visible where they could be stolen by police. There were C3PO's or whatever they are called locking people's doors while they went out to fetch their bins and walking into unlocked houses to tell people off for leaving doors open and risking letting nutters in uniform into their homes. I think Ambush Predator covered all those and more.

Lately, it seems burglary is in decline. There's no point stealing a DVD player that Tesco sell for £20. There's not much in the average house that has a resale value any more. Burglars are now going for mugging instead so that they get cash and iPhones and don't risk getting the crap beaten out of them by a whole family of enraged people. On the street, they know we are not armed. In our houses, there are many things to hit them with.

So, since the burglars refuse to do their jobs and are effectively on strike, the Police have been drafted in to help.

How long before the first householder is in court for battering a policeman who broke into his home in the middle of the night? If they can no longer get you for battering the burglars, they are sure to get you for battering the Burgle Squad.

It'll boost the arrest figures, but it won't achieve anything else.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

catapults are cheap, so is a big bag of glass marbles. when in doubt, if you see a head - hit it.

evening all said...

There was a case recently where a householder sliced off a burglars ear with a samurai sword when he was threatened in his home. Surely health and safety will intervene and force police officers to wear ear defenders just in case of mistaken identity ?
Someone banging on your door at 3am is probably one of the scariest things that could happen to you. Elderly people will assume it's a burglar or the police reporting the death of a relative. Nice.

Anonymous said...

if they wake me at 3 am... i will be charged

JuliaM said...

It seems the pointy-headed idiot who dreamed it up is well aware of the response he's going to get, and is attempting to frame the debate in advance:

"Insp Gareth Woods, who is heading up the operation, admitted some people will not be happy about the early hours wake-up calls.

He said: 'If we're told to get lost then that's a risk we take.

It's a difficult balance to strike.

'The bottom line is officers get a mixed reception when doing anything like this, but I say to any of my officers that if they see an insecure car or house to let the owner know, no matter what time of day or night.

'Most reasonable people will say thanks for letting them know and be grateful.'"


Ergo, if you don't thank them profusely, you aren't reasonable...

I doubt the rank and file are happy about this.

JuliaM said...

And thinking on this a bit more, isn't it just another front in the continuing PR campaign to try to embed the idea that if you are a victim of crime, it's because you are - somehow -at fault?

YOU didn't lock your door. YOU have a nice mobile phone. YOU have a home in the suburbs and a car.

When in actual fact, it's because the courts and police, for which we pay through the nose, have failed in their responsibility to protect us...

evening all said...

JuliaM

I think you're right. There's a police campaign in my area targetting OAP's.
They're being cautioned about carrying too much money. Having a handbag. Going out alone. Responding to cold call scammers. Leaving windows and doors unlocked. Not having a chain on their door. Not locking doors and windows etc
Zip about how the police are going to stop all the OAP attacks.
Not one case of anyone being caught in the last year.

Roue le Jour said...

Sorry to go O/T, but you must be annoying someone.

john miller said...

Time to make up a list of all the things you can do to the Old Bill while they are on duty, as part of your effort to make them police more effectively.

You won't believe how grateful they will be.

Leg-iron said...

Roue le Jour - I'm about to annoy them some more ;)

John Miller - now that has to be worth some thought.

Anonymous said...

From the link.
An 82 year old who should know better.

‘If I got a knock on my door at 1am I'd tell whoever was there where to get off and I wouldn't be polite about it.'

I did exactly that!!!!!

The Police were at the door, wrong house but hell bent on coming in. The battering ram came out and I admit my refusal to allow access was somewhat verbally robust, but it was 1am. Finally they admitted their mistake and left.

Result: Two days later I was arrested. Without leaving my house I was able to commit a public order offence, £80 fixed penalty notice!
Cheaper than a new front door, but I now know resistance is futile. Be warned.

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