Items being returned from Police at the end of investigation
Discussion
A friend (really!!) had a computer / IT / data issue (nothing pervy, more geeky) at work which then, due to the nature of the data, involved the police who removed various personal computer equipment, tablets, storage devices, phones etc belonging to my friend and their family and kids from the family home.
This was in June last year and my friend was suspended from work on full pay pending the conclusion of an investigation. At the same time the fiscal (this is in Scotland) was considering what charges, if any to bring. Fast forward 6 months to December and my friend and his company agreed a compromise agreement whereby he left the company with a settlement and an agreed reference and (almost) at the same time the fiscal decided there were no charges to be brought and the matter was at an end.
My question is a nosey one, when does my friend get his possessions back from the police? What is it that appears to be delaying that? What happens to stuff like phones, ipads, laptops etc that get taken away that mean it isn't as straight forward as just telling them to come and collect things once the process is ended?
I know my friend and his solicitor have contacted the police to get these items returned over the past 3 months and the solicitor has apparently said he spends a fair proportion of every day trying to get things back from the police at the end of the investigative process for clients and not to hold his breath for anything happening at any great speed.
This was in June last year and my friend was suspended from work on full pay pending the conclusion of an investigation. At the same time the fiscal (this is in Scotland) was considering what charges, if any to bring. Fast forward 6 months to December and my friend and his company agreed a compromise agreement whereby he left the company with a settlement and an agreed reference and (almost) at the same time the fiscal decided there were no charges to be brought and the matter was at an end.
My question is a nosey one, when does my friend get his possessions back from the police? What is it that appears to be delaying that? What happens to stuff like phones, ipads, laptops etc that get taken away that mean it isn't as straight forward as just telling them to come and collect things once the process is ended?
I know my friend and his solicitor have contacted the police to get these items returned over the past 3 months and the solicitor has apparently said he spends a fair proportion of every day trying to get things back from the police at the end of the investigative process for clients and not to hold his breath for anything happening at any great speed.
Maybe of some help: https://www.wilsonllp.co.uk/how-to-recover-propert...
Pertinent: "It is the officer in the case who has to release your property"
ps. The Police don't seize equipment and start criminal investigations due to "geeky" material.
Pertinent: "It is the officer in the case who has to release your property"
ps. The Police don't seize equipment and start criminal investigations due to "geeky" material.
It doesn't sound as if he will proactively get it back. What is he being told when he is contacting them every day?
From looking at that link it suggests that property will not be returned until "all relevant matters have been dealt with and court proceedings or investigations have come to a conclusion". Is there anything you can think of that might fall under "all relevant matters" ?
Either he's not getting (or telling you) the full story regarding the state of play, or he's not getting through to the right people on the phone.
edit: Ouch ^^
From looking at that link it suggests that property will not be returned until "all relevant matters have been dealt with and court proceedings or investigations have come to a conclusion". Is there anything you can think of that might fall under "all relevant matters" ?
Either he's not getting (or telling you) the full story regarding the state of play, or he's not getting through to the right people on the phone.
edit: Ouch ^^
If its anything like when police take a cctv recorder after an incident unrelated to the owner of the recorder but captured on the recorder dont expect it back in the next 5 years. I cant complain too much, I sell cctv recorders, i must have sold a couple of dozen in those circumstances over the last few years, never heard of anyone getting theirs back and the only one who ever saw any payment to replace the recorder came got it from dorset police, scottish police and manchester police dont give a f
k they will look you in the eye and steal thousands of pounds worth of equipment right out from under you and there is nothing you can do about it.
Funnily enough now a lot of people tell the police their cctv is broken when they come asking to see footage.
k they will look you in the eye and steal thousands of pounds worth of equipment right out from under you and there is nothing you can do about it.Funnily enough now a lot of people tell the police their cctv is broken when they come asking to see footage.
No. There’s nothing particularly sinister in the background and no other persons are involved. The issue probably should have remained an employment issue but there was enough of a grey area that I can appreciate the police involvement. Taking phones, tablets, etc from family at the home at the time always struck me as heavy handed but for all I know is just par for the course.
I was just surprised that it seemed to take forever to get possessions returned and that the solicitor couldn’t do much other than constantly write letters and seemed to do similar for a number of clients without much success.
I was just surprised that it seemed to take forever to get possessions returned and that the solicitor couldn’t do much other than constantly write letters and seemed to do similar for a number of clients without much success.
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