Letter from Police

[sploosh]

Had a letter with a West Midlands Police franking mark today.

Sent the heart racing as I stick to the speed limits.

"Your vehicle XXXXXX was recently observed by one of our officers, parked in XXXXX on XXX with the following property on display:

Sat nav holder

As you are aware, this is an open invitation for theives to break into your car and steal your property. In future do not leave any valuables or items on display. Ideally, all items of value should be removed.

We want to reduce the chance of you becoming a victim of crime and assure you that we are patrolling the area reguarly and targeting offenders."

Not heard of this sort of thing before, seems a bit OTT.

On the "fear of crime" statistics that they're always going on about I now feel less safe.

They'd have had kittens if they'd seen my spitfire parked with the roof down, doors unlocked and cds in the passenger footwell.

Still, at least it wasn't a fine.

[Jasandjules]

FFS.

That is all.

[anonymous-user]

Jasandjules said:

FFS.

That is all.

Quite

Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 20th November 21:07

[kiethton]

All i will say is good on them, to me it shows that they are doing somthing to actually prevent crime which can only help to reduce the number of thefts in the future...whats the problem?

[Mastodon2]

kiethton said:

All i will say is good on them, to me it shows that they are doing somthing to actually prevent crime which can only help to reduce the number of thefts in the future...whats the problem?

Some people might say the already extremely busy police officers should be prioritising more important tasks than noting who is leaving a sat nav holder / mobile phone / laptop bag etc on display in a car.

[Poledriver]

Letter from West Midlands Police.


"Your vehicle XXXXXX was recently observed by one of our officers, parked in XXXXX on XXX with the following property on display:

Sat nav holder

As you are aware:-
The police are so inneffective against real crime as we are too busy catching the murderous thugs who are exceeding the speed limits.
The criminals do not feel under any threat as the courts (if they ever get there) will merely slap their hands and tell them not to be naughty again.
The social services will reward the 'criminal' with a new house and more benefits.
We need to reduce crime figures, stopping you from deliberately causing someone to comit a crime is easier than actually catching criminals.

In future do not leave any valuables or items on display. Ideally, all items of value should be removed.

We want to reduce the chance of you becoming a victim of crime and assure you that we are patrolling the area reguarly and will arrest you and crush your car if wee see anything moveable inside it again!

EFA

[mph1977]

Mastodon2 said:

kiethton said:

All i will say is good on them, to me it shows that they are doing somthing to actually prevent crime which can only help to reduce the number of thefts in the future...whats the problem?

Some people might say the already extremely busy police officers should be prioritising more important tasks than noting who is leaving a sat nav holder / mobile phone / laptop bag etc on display in a car.

It's exactly the sort of job that PCSOs were invented for or that the old school police employed TW could have had added to their role, along with telling those without watches the time upon being asking and helping old ladies cross the road ....

[Amused2death]

mph1977 said:

Mastodon2 said:

kiethton said:

All i will say is good on them, to me it shows that they are doing somthing to actually prevent crime which can only help to reduce the number of thefts in the future...whats the problem?

Some people might say the already extremely busy police officers should be prioritising more important tasks than noting who is leaving a sat nav holder / mobile phone / laptop bag etc on display in a car.

It's exactly the sort of job that PCSOs were invented for or that the old school police employed TW could have had added to their role, along with telling those without watches the time upon being asking and helping old ladies cross the road ....

Nothing specific mentioned in the letter that it was a pc who observed the sat-nav.

Perhaps it would have been better for some scrote to nick it and then they would recieve a "Sorry there is nothing we can do" letter?

I know what I'd rather get

[Poledriver]

mph1977 said:

Mastodon2 said:

kiethton said:

All i will say is good on them, to me it shows that they are doing somthing to actually prevent crime which can only help to reduce the number of thefts in the future...whats the problem?

Some people might say the already extremely busy police officers should be prioritising more important tasks than noting who is leaving a sat nav holder / mobile phone / laptop bag etc on display in a car.

It's exactly the sort of job that PCSOs were invented for or that the old school police employed TW could have had added to their role, along with telling those without watches the time upon being asking and helping old ladies cross the road ....

On a more serious note... What has gone wrong with society where the police (and I'm NOT knocking them!) are spending their already limited time in investigating totally innocent people for doing nothing wrong when the whole of our social/law system need to try to return our society to one where you shouldn't need to worry about leaving valuables in the car because there should be no fear of anyone wanting to steal from it!

I, know, I'm living in the past/cloud cuckoo land, but there was a time when this is how it was!

[not applicable]

It is Traffic Wardens that generate these letters round our way. Not a bad idea really, some folk are never happy though.
n/a

[sploosh]

Amused2death said:

Nothing specific mentioned in the letter that it was a pc who observed the sat-nav.

Letter was from PC 5351 and PS 1704

Thing is, I didn't do anything wrong yet I feel guilty and more worried about crime than before.

I had a laptop in the boot and nothing else on show. I was parking in a well used car park in the middle of the day. To be honest, I usually move the sat nav holder when I park on a street or in a dodgey area of town.

Gone to a lot of bother to find out my address, presumably there is now a record of the letter on file somewhere. Sure they won't, but what if they were to notify my insurance company.... all of a sudden I'm a higher risk.

I totally agree with comments about a visible police force and crime prevention, just a bit unexpected and OTT.

Edited by sploosh on Saturday 20th November 21:47

Edited by sploosh on Saturday 20th November 21:47

[mrmr96]

Why does this letter bother you?

[Shuvi Tupya]

If my memory serves me , another PH'er once got his valuables taken from his car , but by the police. They did it to prevent the items being stolen by someone else, or some such line.

I also seem to remember he then had to go to the police station to prove he owned the goods, and collect them.

For me that is more worrying as i often am not good at keeping receipts for things, I would have more luck trying to get my possessions back from a theif, than the cops

[14-7]

Shuvi Tupya said:

If my memory serves me , another PH'er once got his valuables taken from his car , but by the police. They did it to prevent the items being stolen by someone else, or some such line.

I also seem to remember he then had to go to the police station to prove he owned the goods, and collect them.

For me that is more worrying as i often am not good at keeping receipts for things, I would have more luck trying to get my possessions back from a theif, than the cops

Yep, sounds about right.

The police walked in through my front door the other day and took all my belongings because I'd left the front door open.

They then had the cheek to ask me to provide proof of ownership to get everything back!

[eldar]

mrmr96 said:

Why does this letter bother you?

Good question. Leaving a satnav mount in place is an invite for a scrote to have a rummage in your car. I'd assume the police have a good idea about the crime levels in a particular area.

Wouldn't bother me at all.

[Amused2death]

sploosh said:

Amused2death said:

Nothing specific mentioned in the letter that it was a pc who observed the sat-nav.

Letter was from PC 5351 and PS 1704

Thing is, I didn't do anything wrong yet I feel guilty and more worried about crime than before.


Gone to a lot of bother to find out my address, presumably there is now a record of the letter on file somewhere. Sure they won't, but what if they were to notify my insurance company.... all of a sudden I'm a higher risk.

I totally agree with comments about a visible police force and crime prevention, just a bit unexpected and OTT.

Ah, in which case I apologise for making an assumption based upon what you wrote

As for you feeling more worried about crime now.....that's probably for the best...this time it was a PC...might be the scrote next time, and I bet HE won't send you a nice letter

[R1 Loon]

sploosh said:

Letter was from PC 5351 and PS 1704

Thing is, I didn't do anything wrong yet I feel guilty and more worried about crime than before.

I had a laptop in the boot and nothing else on show. I was parking in a well used car park in the middle of the day. To be honest, I usually move the sat nav holder when I park on a street or in a dodgey area of town.

Gone to a lot of bother to find out my address, presumably there is now a record of the letter on file somewhere. Sure they won't, but what if they were to notify my insurance company.... all of a sudden I'm a higher risk.

I totally agree with comments about a visible police force and crime prevention, just a bit unexpected and OTT.

Is there a prize in this paranoid section for the most paranoid social inadequate, because you've got one hell of a shout at it.

The Police are doing you a favour and it's far less time-consuming and cost effective to tap a number in the PNC system and produce an automated letter to the registered keeper, than be called out to a theft from a vehicle, with SOCO and all the other manual paperwork that would entail.

As for the police writingto your insurers - what a load of garbage.
Do they write to them when you get poinnts? No.
Do they write to them if you get banned? No
Do they write to them for any info? Very, very rarely and even then it's normally to do with organised fraud.
Do you really think insurers have a special rating system for people who have received a letter off the police? Don't make me laugh.

[zollburgers]

sploosh said:

I feel guilty about crime than before.

Stop doing crime, simple. Just stop, back away, resist etc. Crime is for bds and do you want to be a bd?

It's your choice sonny.

[Nigel Worc's]

The Police really can't win can they ?

If they'd stopped you and educated you about breaking the speed limit instead of nicking you, you'd have been delighted I guess.

They are offering you you free crime prevention advice, because there isn't enough of them to prevent all crime.

I would however take a different view if they removed my property and then refused to return it to me unless I could produce a recipt ..... if indeed they do that, if I'd been stupid enough to leave it in a position where they could remove it, and then they gave it back to me (they will know what they have taken), that'd be ok, I'd thank them and feel silly for my stupidness.

[Shuvi Tupya]

ajstephe said:

Shuvi Tupya said:

If my memory serves me , another PH'er once got his valuables taken from his car , but by the police. They did it to prevent the items being stolen by someone else, or some such line.

I also seem to remember he then had to go to the police station to prove he owned the goods, and collect them.

For me that is more worrying as i often am not good at keeping receipts for things, I would have more luck trying to get my possessions back from a theif, than the cops

I have done this before. A shopper had left their car window open with a satnav and PSP on the passenger's seat. Waited around for 5 minutes to see if they would return which they didn't. Left a note in the car that I had taken the items out of the car and brought it to the station around the corner for safe keeping and they could get the items back. I can't see the problem in doing it especially as this area was well known for theft from vehicles.

Well, now you know not all members of public appreciate government officials poking their nose into our business when not asked too. I am quite sure i am in the minority, but i have never been asked if i want this service, and i don't