Police stole my bong!

[stitched]

spitfire123 said:

tenohfive said:

Here's what you need to do:

Ring up the station. Demand to speak to the highest ranking officer. Complain to the IPCC. Inform the press whilst you're at it.
That way instead of the minor inconvenience of having to collect it from the police station, you can be nicked for whatever traces of illegal substance are in the bong.

So complain away.



(And yes, if police have entered the property lawfully for one reason - such as to protect other peoples property from a leak - they can deal with criminality that is put right in front of their faces.)

I'm not going to ask to speak to a high ranking officer. I'm going to ask to speak to a fair and reasonable officer who will listen to what I have to say.

Seeing a bong in a students flat stretches the definition of "criminality that is put right in front of their faces". The police do a great job, but the guy who saw my bong and decided to take it is an asshole. It doesn't smell of anything, it's generally clean, and only through forensics would any trace of an illegal substance be found. There was no other smoking related paraphenelia in my flat, which is a modest, generally tidy student flat.

The police needed, and had a right, to be in my flat.

I'm going to tell whoever I speak to tomorrow that I'll take a caution if any illegal substance is found on the gauze. They can confiscate the gauze and give me my bong back.

The caution is not a certainty, they could choose to prosecute for possesion in which case you could end up with a drug related criminal record.
Take it on the chin mate.

[Toni896]

spitfire123 said:

It was a water leak, sorry, I should have mentioned.

your bong was leaking water? maybe thats why they took it

[jms700]

surely as it was bought second hand for purly ornimental purposes the police couldnt comment on any forensic evidence that the previous owner left in it.

ie theres no proof that You have used it

[stitched]

jms700 said:

surely as it was bought second hand for purly ornimental purposes the police couldnt comment on any forensic evidence that the previous owner left in it.

ie theres no proof that You have used it

IIRC possesion is an absolute offence

[rs1952]

DPX said:

rs1952 said:

So now we've been told.

But for the over 55s on this site, after reading the title of this thread I've now got a variation on Billy Cotton's theme tune "Somebody stole my Gal" going through my head ....

Wakey Wakey!!!!!!

Naaaa

Ding Bong Merrily On High

[Frog Dog]

stitched said:

jms700 said:

surely as it was bought second hand for purly ornimental purposes the police couldnt comment on any forensic evidence that the previous owner left in it.

ie theres no proof that You have used it

IIRC possesion is an absolute offence

Possession of some long before smoked weed ash on a second hand bong? You reckon they could get you for that?

I'd be willing to risk court to fight that one myself.

[stitched]

Frog Dog said:

stitched said:

jms700 said:

surely as it was bought second hand for purly ornimental purposes the police couldnt comment on any forensic evidence that the previous owner left in it.

ie theres no proof that You have used it

IIRC possesion is an absolute offence

Possession of some long before smoked weed ash on a second hand bong? You reckon they could get you for that?

I'd be willing to risk court to fight that one myself.

Rather like dealing in stolen goods I believe, I may well be wrong but as I recall possesion charges do not rely on the perpetrator knowing they were in possesion.
Hence absolute offence

[Frog Dog]

stitched said:

Frog Dog said:

stitched said:

jms700 said:

surely as it was bought second hand for purly ornimental purposes the police couldnt comment on any forensic evidence that the previous owner left in it.

ie theres no proof that You have used it

IIRC possesion is an absolute offence

Possession of some long before smoked weed ash on a second hand bong? You reckon they could get you for that?

I'd be willing to risk court to fight that one myself.

Rather like dealing in stolen goods I believe, I may well be wrong but as I recall possesion charges do not rely on the perpetrator knowing they were in possesion.
Hence absolute offence

I'm pretty sure that to be prosecuted for 'possession' of drugs, you have to be caught with drugs. If you're caught with a cold bong, in an empty house that may or may not have drug ash, which you may or may not have smoked possibly at some point, is a pretty flimsy case that wouldn't get near a conviction.

[S1_RS]

Bong is one of those words that the more you say (or read it in this case) the more ridiculous it sounds !

[ExChrispy Porker]

Good way of getting known at the local nick, if you are thinking of a police career

[John145]

spitfire123 said:

Are you a criminal?

Have you ever downloaded from PirateBay or recorded Coronation Street on a VCR? How would you feel if the police broke down your door, saw your laptop, and decided to just take it because it could be used for torrenting? Or took your VCR because it could have been used to record Eastenders?

Oh, your car could be used to commit many crimes. Let them speculatively take that too.

Surprisingly I'm under 25 and buy my DVDs or go to the cinema to watch films believe it or not! Also recording coronation street on VCR and transferring it to my laptop would be too much effort, probably just watch it online with a supported online viewer if I was so inclined.

And no I have NEVER committed a crime in my car, motoring offences yes but they don't give you a CRIMINAL record.

Have you rang the police yet and asked for your bong yet?

[oldsoak]

Mmmmm....Police bashed in your door in order to allow access (presumably for a plumber) to remedy a water leak by turning off your water supply, and on your return home you find some property (namely one 'Bong') missing and so assume the Police took it?

Things have changed an awful lot since I was in the job, but I don't think they've changed THAT much where police can remove property from someone's home in such a manner as you describe...unless of course the 'water leak' is fantasy on your part and they busted your door to allow the execution of a warrant looking for drugs or drug related paraphernalia.

Or was there a note saying (to the effect of...) Dear Sir, A leak in the water system of your flat was affecting the property below.
Unable to gain access, we were called to bust your door down so the plumber could turn your water supply off. Oh BTW we saw you had a bong and believed it was being used unlawfully so we took it to prevent you from breaking the law any more.
Kind regards
Your local Plod


No?
If your story is true then how do you know the Police took it and why are you not asking them for it back instead of wasting time here?
Sorry I'm calling BS on this one.

[Greendubber]

oldsoak said:

Mmmmm....Police bashed in your door in order to allow access (presumably for a plumber) to remedy a water leak by turning off your water supply, and on your return home you find some property (namely one 'Bong') missing and so assume the Police took it?

Things have changed an awful lot since I was in the job, but I don't think they've changed THAT much where police can remove property from someone's home in such a manner as you describe...unless of course the 'water leak' is fantasy on your part and they busted your door to allow the execution of a warrant looking for drugs or drug related paraphernalia.

Or was there a note saying (to the effect of...) Dear Sir, A leak in the water system of your flat was affecting the property below.
Unable to gain access, we were called to bust your door down so the plumber could turn your water supply off. Oh BTW we saw you had a bong and believed it was being used unlawfully so we took it to prevent you from breaking the law any more.
Kind regards
Your local Plod


No?
If your story is true then how do you know the Police took it and why are you not asking them for it back instead of wasting time here?
Sorry I'm calling BS on this one.

My first thoughts were boo fking hoo... some waster moaning about his bong going missing but the more I read the more I'm inclined to agree with your last line

Just phone the station and ask about it if its that much of an issue.

[1]

spitfire123 said:

I know using a bong isn't illegal, but I "used" my bong. I'm an otherwise law abiding student and even hope to join the police one day.

Be sure to tell them this when you visit the police station.

As I'm sure you'll find out when you join the force, it's normal in cases like this for them to compensate you for your inconvenience with a few grams from their vast stash of confiscated weed.

[simoid]

spitfire123 said:

I feel like I'm getting the piss taken out of me and that this is just a joke

O rly?

[ExChrispy Porker]

Just a thought. If you do join, don't take your bong to training school.
They're funny about that sort of 'ornament'.

[Greendubber]

ExChrispy Porker said:

Just a thought. If you do join, don't take your bong to training school.
They're funny about that sort of 'ornament'.

Dont smoke any pot for a while prior to your medical either as they'll take a pee and hair sample from you.

[AlexiusG55]

stitched said:

jms700 said:

surely as it was bought second hand for purly ornimental purposes the police couldnt comment on any forensic evidence that the previous owner left in it.

ie theres no proof that You have used it

IIRC possesion is an absolute offence

If they could get you for "possession" of traces that require analytical testing to discover, then anyone with a £20 note in their wallet would be in trouble...

[mybrainhurts]

So, what you're saying is a policeman smashed your back doors in and lifted your bong...

[spitfire123]

La Liga said:

spitfire123 said:

Let them speculatively take that too.

How is it speculative when you've just said this?

spitfire123 said:

and other than trace amounts perhaps in the water or gauze, has nothing illegal in it.

^^

It's speculative because the officer who took it got lucky. There's no way he could tell from looking at and examining my bong that there were any trace amounts of any illegal substance on it. I'm sure their forensic department will be able to find 3 or 4 molecules though.

There was no mention on the note left of the bong at all and that's what pisses me off. I was last to leave in the morning, locked up, and was first home this evening. So unless my house has been burgled and my bong stolen, I'm going with the "police took it" theory.

For those interested, it was a Roor BubbleMaster, and a present from my girlfriend before I left for uni. Just typing this out makes me mad. I don't care what anybody says, the cop who took it is an asshole. I'm going to phone tomorrow and ask for 10 minutes with someone to put my point across.