Dodgy police tip off

[anonymous-user]

Hi guys

So I've just been stopped out of the street outside my flat by two police officers than knew my name and said that they had a distress call from a member of the public that someone fitting my description was about to hurt themselves.

Given I had a curry on the way and had just procured some provisions from the local shop for the last "free" night I have before Christmas, this was news to me.

Que a whole 6 minute thing with them refusing to let me go back into my flat. I confirmed my legal name and address to them, pointed out ridiculousness of the situation, asked if I was being detained and when it was a "no" and I attempted to leave I was then followed further to the door of my block, where one officer put his leg/foot in front of it to block me from pulling it open. I genuinely believe this was some sort of "bait" tactic as I have no doubt that if I had tried to "force" the door open, I'd be in cuffs looking at an assault on a officer charge.

Eventually they left me alone, but not after 6 or so minutes of back and forth. It was unsavoury and unpleasant, and has made a concerning situation (someone stalking me and putting in fake police tips) even worse.

So two questions really;
What's the likelihood that the police are going to chase up this dodgy call and provide me some sort information as to what actually happened - I am quite scared that someone who apparently knows my name, address and is watching me so closely that they can see me leave my flat and go to the shop.

When a police officer states that you are not detained, do they legally have the right to block a citizen's path to prevent them from going about their business? As I mentioned earlier, I was pretty disgusted by this tactic as it seemed in hindsight they were doing it to try and escalate the situation.

Very much a "cool story bro" situation but I'm just trying to unpack and see if anything similar has happened to other people on here?

Thanks

[Caddyshack]

Consider putting in a complaint or asking for an appointment at the local station to enquire more…I guess they won’t tell you much Cos gdpr….I wonder what happens with a subject data access request with them?

I expect it’s nothing to worry about.

My mate split up with his MRS and it seems she phoned the police and said he would be drink driving as he got pulled and breath tested 4 or 5 times in a 6 week period…blew clear each time and after that it went away…she tried a few tricks until she got warned by the Police.

[Inigo Montoya]

What else do you expect them to have done?

If the police have a tip-off that someone is likely to hurt themselves, don't you think they would investigate? I can appreciate that it might have been a strange experience for you but they would need to be sure that you were safe.

[Red9zero]

Our neighbour is officially the biggest abuser of the 999 system in our area. One of her favourite calls is where she is threatening to harm herself. There will be a Police car, and sometimes an ambulance too, within 10 minutes, occasionally less. We have been told that while they know it is probably a waste of time, the one time it isn't they would be in a lot of trouble for not attending ASAP.

[Wills2]

Clearly you've upset someone enough for them to play this card (odd card though it is) but you must have an idea who this person is, the description of the Police stop does seem odd, if they were concerned for your welfare their tactics seem strange and as you say the final bit was a bit of a bait and you wouldn't do that in a welfare situation, perhaps the person you've upset knows them?

[Cold]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Sounds like the policemen's communication skills were lacking.

[FNG]

Sounds like armchair expert’s self awareness is lacking.

[anonymous-user]

Red9zero said:

Our neighbour is officially the biggest abuser of the 999 system in our area. One of her favourite calls is where she is threatening to harm herself. There will be a Police car, and sometimes an ambulance too, within 10 minutes, occasionally less. We have been told that while they know it is probably a waste of time, the one time it isn't they would be in a lot of trouble for not attending ASAP.

This is an issue in general.... you can imagine the news headlines

[Tyre Smoke]

Any astute policeman would quickly ascertain it was rubbish if you had answered their questions properly. I suggest there was some belligerence on your part, hence them not satisfied you weren't a threat to yourself.

Surely if you were sober, had explained you've just got some tinnies and were expecting a vindaloo any moment, they'd realise they were being misled. Asking if you were being detained is an odd thing to say.

[monthou]

Tyre Smoke said:

Any astute policeman would quickly ascertain it was rubbish if you had answered their questions properly. I suggest there was some belligerence on your part, hence them not satisfied you weren't a threat to yourself.

Surely if you were sober, had explained you've just got some tinnies and were expecting a vindaloo any moment, they'd realise they were being misled. Asking if you were being detained is an odd thing to say.

Quite a statement given you weren't there.

[anonymous-user]

Caddyshack said:

Consider putting in a complaint or asking for an appointment at the local station to enquire more…I guess they won’t tell you much Cos gdpr….I wonder what happens with a subject data access request with them?

I expect it’s nothing to worry about.

Complaint fired through just now whilst Its fresh in my mind.
Now the adrialine has worn down I'm not too upset with the officers in question, although them blocking the door to my flat when It was clear that i wasn't being detained wasn't on, but its the concept that someone with my name and is watching me to the point they can get a 20 minute window of me popping to the shops is slightly more worrying... Unless the officers were lying about *something*, but they had my name which is just nuts

Inigo Montoya said:

What else do you expect them to have done?

If the police have a tip-off that someone is likely to hurt themselves, don't you think they would investigate? I can appreciate that it might have been a strange experience for you but they would need to be sure that you were safe.

They could have done what they eventually did when the other officer said "Leave it" to his coulleuge that was blocking me from peacefully entering my property.
"Are you ok" Yes
"Do you need police assistance" No
"Do you have any intention of harming yourself" No

It took 10 seconds. I don't see how me letting them paw at my driving license (which I didn't even have!) or through my bag of co-op shopping like they wanted to make me any more or less likely to harm myself. It was a clear bogus tip, they just seemingly wanted to play some sort of game.

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I of course told them it was a bogus tip. Many, many. MANY times all between the bemusement that then admittedly turned to frustration when they stopped me from entering my flat despite me not being detained.

Could I have been more compliant? Of course, I could have offered to run up and get my ID, maybe invited them in for a cuppa whilst they pawed through my bag of shopping, but why? Especially for a bogus tip.

Wills2 said:

Clearly you've upset someone enough for them to play this card (odd card though it is) but you must have an idea who this person is, the description of the Police stop does seem odd, if they were concerned for your welfare their tactics seem strange and as you say the final bit was a bit of a bait and you wouldn't do that in a welfare situation, perhaps the person you've upset knows them?

There's one neighbour I know that doesn't like me, but she wouldn't have been able to see me leave, let alone know my name so its an absolute mystery.

Although, this block is full of weirdos. There's another guy that I catch staring at me from out the window when I park up, who then by the time I've walked around to the other side of the building to the communal entrance, I see that he's moved and is watching me through the frosted glass of his front window as I walk up the stairs . I've never spoken to the guy, never seen him iirc, but he does this semi regularly.

You know what, reading that backwards has convinced me to move

But I'm not sure if the foot against the door thing was bait or just a naughty way for the officer to keep me talking without actually detaining me, but all I think of is what would have happened if I had tried to force the door open? On his foot? Whilst his colluege with a bodycam watched on at the top of the stairs? Pretty sure they were packing tasers as well

[steve S owner]

I think you need to move on mate as far as the cops are concened. Soemtimes people who wish to self harm will deny it or may cover up their true wishes by being beligerent.Would they have been checking your shopping for boxes of tablets maybe? They have no axe to grind against you and simply didnt want you topping yourself which sadly lots of guys do.

[anonymous-user]

Tyre Smoke said:

Any astute policeman would quickly ascertain it was rubbish if you had answered their questions properly. I suggest there was some belligerence on your part, hence them not satisfied you weren't a threat to yourself.

Surely if you were sober, had explained you've just got some tinnies and were expecting a vindaloo any moment, they'd realise they were being misled. Asking if you were being detained is an odd thing to say.

"Belligerence" = Not giving the officers in question an easy life by waving my rights?

Initially I, as a black person walking home from the shops mind their own business had a police van slow down, roll down the window and ask "Where I was going?" Given in that moment I saw my night going EXACTLY as you describe (vindaloo, tinnies and all - Are you the stalker? ) turning into some surreal "thing" that I wanted no part in. I opted to walk away.

When they caught back up with me on foot, I confirmed that the legal name was what they had, I explained why I hadn't stopped earlier, I gave them my address and asserted that their tip was ridiculous and I wanted to leave. They wanted to see my ID (which I did not have), I declined, I was then asked if I had anything in my carrier bag that might harm them, and it was at this point I asked if I was being detained and it escalated further

Yes my back was up, but I have heard enough stories and had enough interactions with the police (as an innocent party I hasten to add) to want to keep my interactions with them to the barest of all minimums and to excise my rights.

I also refuse to feed into whatever weird mind game the tipster intended. I don't feel like I need to roll over and beg to go home to my nice warm flat because some sad tt wants to use the police to try and mess with me

[Evanivitch]

Tyre Smoke said:

Any astute policeman would quickly ascertain it was rubbish if you had answered their questions properly. I suggest there was some belligerence on your part, hence them not satisfied you weren't a threat to yourself.

Surely if you were sober, had explained you've just got some tinnies and were expecting a vindaloo any moment, they'd realise they were being misled. Asking if you were being detained is an odd thing to say.

Any astute officer would have realised that acting in the way they did was likely to provoke the response the OP had.

Suggesting people should just answer any which question the police choose to ask for the sake of a quiet life is a terrible bit of advice.

[Durzel]

Inigo Montoya said:

What else do you expect them to have done?

If the police have a tip-off that someone is likely to hurt themselves, don't you think they would investigate? I can appreciate that it might have been a strange experience for you but they would need to be sure that you were safe.

Damned if they do, damned if they don’t…

Imagine the furore if they had not bothered to investigate it thoroughly or just accepted whatever they were told at face value by the person that is apparently at risk and just left?

But hey ho let’s bash the Police again.

[anonymous-user]

"where one officer put his leg/foot in front of it to block me from pulling it open"

I have never ever pulled open the front entrance door to a house or flat in the UK

Edited by MonkeyMatt on Sunday 19th December 02:21

[Enut]

WorldBoss said:

Tyre Smoke said:

Any astute policeman would quickly ascertain it was rubbish if you had answered their questions properly. I suggest there was some belligerence on your part, hence them not satisfied you weren't a threat to yourself.

Surely if you were sober, had explained you've just got some tinnies and were expecting a vindaloo any moment, they'd realise they were being misled. Asking if you were being detained is an odd thing to say.

"Belligerence" = Not giving the officers in question an easy life by waving my rights?

Initially I, as a black person walking home from the shops mind their own business had a police van slow down, roll down the window and ask "Where I was going?" Given in that moment I saw my night going EXACTLY as you describe (vindaloo, tinnies and all - Are you the stalker? ) turning into some surreal "thing" that I wanted no part in.I opted to walk away.

When they caught back up with me on foot, I confirmed that the legal name was what they had, I explained why I hadn't stopped earlier, I gave them my address and asserted that their tip was ridiculous and I wanted to leave. They wanted to see my ID (which I did not have), I declined, I was then asked if I had anything in my carrier bag that might harm them, and it was at this point I asked if I was being detained and it escalated further

Yes my back was up, but I have heard enough stories and had enough interactions with the police (as an innocent party I hasten to add) to want to keep my interactions with them to the barest of all minimums and to excise my rights.

I also refuse to feed into whatever weird mind game the tipster intended. I don't feel like I need to roll over and beg to go home to my nice warm flat because some sad tt wants to use the police to try and mess with me

'I opted to walk away', I'm pretty sure this didn't help matters, did it? Imagine if you had of stayed there and answered their questions, it would probably all been over in a couple of minutes.

And them checking your bag? Of course they did, imagine if they hadn't and you'd gone into your flat to swallow the 48 paracetamol and drink the litre of gin you could have had in there, then they'd be right in the st wouldn't they?

I think the police did a pretty good job here, and they're rewarded with a complaint, thus taking up more valuable police time.

[S100HP]

I'm utter shocked police attended a concern for welfare..they normally palm it off to ambulance.

[NGee]

MonkeyMatt said:

"where one officer put his leg/foot in front of it to block me from pulling it open"

I have never ever pulled open the front entrance door to a house or flat in the UK

Edited by MonkeyMatt on Sunday 19th December 02:21

Communal entrances to blocks of flats often open outwards.
I believe that if it is classed as a fire escape route then it has to open outwards.

[trickywoo]

Inigo Montoya said:

If the police have a tip-off that someone is likely to hurt themselves, don't you think they would investigate?

Civil matter. Most things are where the police are concerned.

I’d say there is a good chance you’ve got on the wrong side of someone with police connections. Really strange for such quick or any action from a tip off.