Another blunder
Discussion
A lot closer to home this time. Just venting.
At just past midnight last night I received a very tearful phonecall from my daughter who was sounding scared and shocked about the prospect of her flat being broken into by a drunken yob.
In the background I could hear heavy banging on her front door and muffled but unintelligible shouts.
She lives about 5 or 6 miles away from me in a rather expensive apartment complex that seems to be inhabited mainly by well off retirees.
I told her to hang up and call the police while I grabbed my car keys. After a while of hammering on the door (at past midnight in a quiet residential area populated by OAPs) the yobbo at the door decided to identify themselves.
Of course, you already know the punchline. While still on the phone to 999 my daughter opened the door to be greeted by 7 or 8 police officers (who had arrived in 5 cars) who pushed past her and proceeded to search through the various rooms and cupboards while a WPC talked to my daughter.
The WPC confessed that she had seen my daughter through an uncurtained window and knew that this entry wasn't going to be fruitful. But instead of using the doorbell like a human they still decided to go in loudly. Thankfully the large red key wasn't used.
My daughter says that once she had calmed down she could see from the faces of the officers that they knew they had goofed from the moment they entered and to their credit they each apologised to her.
But strangely none supplied her with any contact details or even let her know which station they had come from.
Turns out that they were looking for someone - obviously. But not my daughter who has lived at that address for over 2 years. Nor the old couple who she bought the place from who had lived there for almost ten years. They were after a friend - a friend - of the resident who had lived there over a decade ago. This previous resident is a reasonably well known sportsman and a simple Google will give his whereabouts which is some 150+ miles from here.
Top intel boys and girls. Doing the job proud there. Let's hope you are suitably embarrassed on your debrief and don't treat this as just another thing to laugh about. But I doubt it. A complaint will be forthcoming.
At just past midnight last night I received a very tearful phonecall from my daughter who was sounding scared and shocked about the prospect of her flat being broken into by a drunken yob.
In the background I could hear heavy banging on her front door and muffled but unintelligible shouts.
She lives about 5 or 6 miles away from me in a rather expensive apartment complex that seems to be inhabited mainly by well off retirees.
I told her to hang up and call the police while I grabbed my car keys. After a while of hammering on the door (at past midnight in a quiet residential area populated by OAPs) the yobbo at the door decided to identify themselves.
Of course, you already know the punchline. While still on the phone to 999 my daughter opened the door to be greeted by 7 or 8 police officers (who had arrived in 5 cars) who pushed past her and proceeded to search through the various rooms and cupboards while a WPC talked to my daughter.
The WPC confessed that she had seen my daughter through an uncurtained window and knew that this entry wasn't going to be fruitful. But instead of using the doorbell like a human they still decided to go in loudly. Thankfully the large red key wasn't used.
My daughter says that once she had calmed down she could see from the faces of the officers that they knew they had goofed from the moment they entered and to their credit they each apologised to her.
But strangely none supplied her with any contact details or even let her know which station they had come from.
Turns out that they were looking for someone - obviously. But not my daughter who has lived at that address for over 2 years. Nor the old couple who she bought the place from who had lived there for almost ten years. They were after a friend - a friend - of the resident who had lived there over a decade ago. This previous resident is a reasonably well known sportsman and a simple Google will give his whereabouts which is some 150+ miles from here.
Top intel boys and girls. Doing the job proud there. Let's hope you are suitably embarrassed on your debrief and don't treat this as just another thing to laugh about. But I doubt it. A complaint will be forthcoming.
Cold said:
A lot closer to home this time. Just venting.
My daughter says that once she had calmed down she could see from the faces of the officers that they knew they had goofed from the moment they entered and to their credit they each apologised to her.
But strangely none supplied her with any contact details or even let her know which station they had come from.
Apologies from each of them would be enough for me, they have a difficult job and can't get it right every time.My daughter says that once she had calmed down she could see from the faces of the officers that they knew they had goofed from the moment they entered and to their credit they each apologised to her.
But strangely none supplied her with any contact details or even let her know which station they had come from.
Trevor555 said:
Cold said:
A lot closer to home this time. Just venting.
My daughter says that once she had calmed down she could see from the faces of the officers that they knew they had goofed from the moment they entered and to their credit they each apologised to her.
But strangely none supplied her with any contact details or even let her know which station they had come from.
Apologies from each of them would be enough for me, they have a difficult job and can't get it right every time.My daughter says that once she had calmed down she could see from the faces of the officers that they knew they had goofed from the moment they entered and to their credit they each apologised to her.
But strangely none supplied her with any contact details or even let her know which station they had come from.
Edited by Pothole on Friday 24th April 15:09
Cold said:
Top work guys. I knew it would be her fault. 
I don't think anyone's said that, I certainly didn't.The Police get slammed if they do something, slammed if they don't.
They get info, they have to make fast decisions. Not like your local council who'll have 5 meetings before making a move.
I agree it wasn't nice for her, but they each apologised, so unless she's now after some compensation what's the point in complaining?
Trevor555 said:
I don't think anyone's said that, I certainly didn't.
The Police get slammed if they do something, slammed if they don't.
They get info, they have to make fast decisions. Not like your local council who'll have 5 meetings before making a move.
I agree it wasn't nice for her, but they each apologised, so unless she's now after some compensation what's the point in complaining?
She's not after any compensation, no. Although she has jokingly suggested that a cleaner be supplied to disinfect every hard surface as they've plonked their size elevens all over her self-isolation.The Police get slammed if they do something, slammed if they don't.
They get info, they have to make fast decisions. Not like your local council who'll have 5 meetings before making a move.
I agree it wasn't nice for her, but they each apologised, so unless she's now after some compensation what's the point in complaining?
I doubt that this particular mini task force was the result of any fast decision. Five cars and eight officers deliberately targeting an address at past midnight doesn't sound much like a spur-of-the-moment action.
Getting it so wrong suggests lazy or incompetent intelligence gathering, neither are virtues to be applauded or encouraged.
As for slamming the police? Well, they've only got themselves to blame here, so yes a complaint will be made. The point of this complaint will be to complain - as is her right and in this case entirely justified and that is all. Perhaps it will make its way back to the desk of whoever sanctioned this raid and maybe, just maybe they will take extra care to check their intel before launching their next crusade.
Cold said:
Trevor555 said:
I don't think anyone's said that, I certainly didn't.
The Police get slammed if they do something, slammed if they don't.
They get info, they have to make fast decisions. Not like your local council who'll have 5 meetings before making a move.
I agree it wasn't nice for her, but they each apologised, so unless she's now after some compensation what's the point in complaining?
She's not after any compensation, no. Although she has jokingly suggested that a cleaner be supplied to disinfect every hard surface as they've plonked their size elevens all over her self-isolation.The Police get slammed if they do something, slammed if they don't.
They get info, they have to make fast decisions. Not like your local council who'll have 5 meetings before making a move.
I agree it wasn't nice for her, but they each apologised, so unless she's now after some compensation what's the point in complaining?
I doubt that this particular mini task force was the result of any fast decision. Five cars and eight officers deliberately targeting an address at past midnight doesn't sound much like a spur-of-the-moment action.
Getting it so wrong suggests lazy or incompetent intelligence gathering, neither are virtues to be applauded or encouraged.
As for slamming the police? Well, they've only got themselves to blame here, so yes a complaint will be made. The point of this complaint will be to complain - as is her right and in this case entirely justified and that is all. Perhaps it will make its way back to the desk of whoever sanctioned this raid and maybe, just maybe they will take extra care to check their intel before launching their next crusade.
But in your opening post you said each one of them apologised at the scene.
Most planned raids are done at dawn by the way.
Five cars and eight officers at midnight sounds like they were after a highly sought, possibly violent, individual.
As for the cleaner, yes if they made a mess. I'm certain the local Force will settle the bill for her.
Edited by Trevor555 on Friday 24th April 16:58
Edited by Trevor555 on Friday 24th April 17:00
Cold said:
She's not after any compensation, no. Although she has jokingly suggested that a cleaner be supplied to disinfect every hard surface as they've plonked their size elevens all over her self-isolation.
I doubt that this particular mini task force was the result of any fast decision. Five cars and eight officers deliberately targeting an address at past midnight doesn't sound much like a spur-of-the-moment action.
Getting it so wrong suggests lazy or incompetent intelligence gathering, neither are virtues to be applauded or encouraged.
As for slamming the police? Well, they've only got themselves to blame here, so yes a complaint will be made. The point of this complaint will be to complain - as is her right and in this case entirely justified and that is all. Perhaps it will make its way back to the desk of whoever sanctioned this raid and maybe, just maybe they will take extra care to check their intel before launching their next crusade.
Seems like this hasn't quite gone the way you were expecting. You might have had better luck posting after you had made the complaint and had it responded to. Any reason you haven't done so this long after the event, by the way? The force's contact centre would likely have been quite quiet just after the officers left. That would have been an ideal time to raise it.I doubt that this particular mini task force was the result of any fast decision. Five cars and eight officers deliberately targeting an address at past midnight doesn't sound much like a spur-of-the-moment action.
Getting it so wrong suggests lazy or incompetent intelligence gathering, neither are virtues to be applauded or encouraged.
As for slamming the police? Well, they've only got themselves to blame here, so yes a complaint will be made. The point of this complaint will be to complain - as is her right and in this case entirely justified and that is all. Perhaps it will make its way back to the desk of whoever sanctioned this raid and maybe, just maybe they will take extra care to check their intel before launching their next crusade.
Mistakes happen. When I was at uni we had a dawn raid with the big red key and s
t ourselves only to find the house they wanted was round the corner. The two roads had very similar names. Huge apology and they fixed the door.
If she lives in an apartment block then surely there is a front door that is access controlled before they even get to your own private door in the corridors?
t ourselves only to find the house they wanted was round the corner. The two roads had very similar names. Huge apology and they fixed the door.If she lives in an apartment block then surely there is a front door that is access controlled before they even get to your own private door in the corridors?
Trevor555 said:
I don't think anyone's said that, I certainly didn't.
The Police get slammed if they do something, slammed if they don't.
They get info, they have to make fast decisions. Not like your local council who'll have 5 meetings before making a move.
I agree it wasn't nice for her, but they each apologised, so unless she's now after some compensation what's the point in complaining?
The point is that if you do not complain loudly and make as much public noise about it as possible the wThe Police get slammed if they do something, slammed if they don't.
They get info, they have to make fast decisions. Not like your local council who'll have 5 meetings before making a move.
I agree it wasn't nice for her, but they each apologised, so unless she's now after some compensation what's the point in complaining?
kers will keep doing it. Police intelligence - an oxymoronThe OP's daughter was at least entitled to an explanation in relation to the 'visit' on the night, plus the warrant numbers of those present - which should have been offered by whoever was in charge - plus the powers under which the officers entered the flat.
No she shouldnt have to go round collecting numbers in the heat of the moment.
No she shouldnt have to go round collecting numbers in the heat of the moment.
Bigends said:
The OP's daughter was at least entitled to an explanation in relation to the 'visit' on the night, plus the warrant numbers of those present - which should have been offered by whoever was in charge - plus the powers under which the officers entered the flat.
No she shouldnt have to go round collecting numbers in the heat of the moment.
Shoulder numbers are fine to ID officers - that's why they're there. She was given an explanation, by the account of the OP. They entered the flat because she let them by the sound of things.No she shouldnt have to go round collecting numbers in the heat of the moment.
They’ll be no investigation over this. Officers attend address and knock on, no reply yet can see someone inside. Stay restrained and gain access with no damage caused and then apologise before leaving. A call to complain will go to the inspector and possibly they’ll call to apologise again and the officers involved won’t get spoken to about it, past explaining the above.
People lie to police, it’s their job to do what they’ve done, when intel suggests someone who is wanted is at a location, that can be actioned very quickly depending on numbers. Within the hour is easy depending on what they’re wanted for.
People lie to police, it’s their job to do what they’ve done, when intel suggests someone who is wanted is at a location, that can be actioned very quickly depending on numbers. Within the hour is easy depending on what they’re wanted for.
Pothole said:
Bigends said:
The OP's daughter was at least entitled to an explanation in relation to the 'visit' on the night, plus the warrant numbers of those present - which should have been offered by whoever was in charge - plus the powers under which the officers entered the flat.
No she shouldnt have to go round collecting numbers in the heat of the moment.
Shoulder numbers are fine to ID officers - that's why they're there. She was given an explanation, by the account of the OP. They entered the flat because she let them by the sound of things.No she shouldnt have to go round collecting numbers in the heat of the moment.
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