"Why aren't you out catching real criminals?"
Discussion
To our BiB
I'm sure you've have heard this line many a time when you've pulled a motorist. (or should that be 'pulled over' a motorist ;))
However, I'm just wondering if there have been any cases when you've caught a murder/peadophile/mugger and they've had the humour to say "Why aren't you out catching those motorist? They're the real criminals!"
I'm sure you've have heard this line many a time when you've pulled a motorist. (or should that be 'pulled over' a motorist ;))
However, I'm just wondering if there have been any cases when you've caught a murder/peadophile/mugger and they've had the humour to say "Why aren't you out catching those motorist? They're the real criminals!"
Two days ago, got behind a car at midnight, driver of which had failed to pay for fuel. He failed to stop, and continued along a deserted dual carriageway and then M6 at a fairly sedate 80 to 100 mph, until he lost it on a damp motorway surface spinning then parking his car in the central reserve.
When arrested, he blamed his wife for the phone call which resulted in his loss of attention causing him to crash. He was cursing the fact that the petrol station was also the only place he could have purchased cigarettes (but couldn't because he had to nick the petrol). If he had been able to buy a pack of cigarettes he wouldn't have had to roll a cigarette which he was doing when his wife phoned resulting in his loss of control therefore the crash. He blamed us for trying to stop him, forcing him to make off hence the crash. He felt we should be locking up drink drivers, rather than picking on poor innocents such as him. He also felt that he would have got away from us, but for the crash.
We listened empathetically to him (NOT!), then ensured that the doctor was called to assess his mental state once in custody.
When arrested, he blamed his wife for the phone call which resulted in his loss of attention causing him to crash. He was cursing the fact that the petrol station was also the only place he could have purchased cigarettes (but couldn't because he had to nick the petrol). If he had been able to buy a pack of cigarettes he wouldn't have had to roll a cigarette which he was doing when his wife phoned resulting in his loss of control therefore the crash. He blamed us for trying to stop him, forcing him to make off hence the crash. He felt we should be locking up drink drivers, rather than picking on poor innocents such as him. He also felt that he would have got away from us, but for the crash.
We listened empathetically to him (NOT!), then ensured that the doctor was called to assess his mental state once in custody.
what a tw*t - hopefully he learnt his lesson! 
- StreakyIaHa said:
Two days ago, got behind a car at midnight, driver of which had failed to pay for fuel. He failed to stop, and continued along a deserted dual carriageway and then M6 at a fairly sedate 80 to 100 mph, until he lost it on a damp motorway surface spinning then parking his car in the central reserve.
When arrested, he blamed his wife for the phone call which resulted in his loss of attention causing him to crash. He was cursing the fact that the petrol station was also the only place he could have purchased cigarettes (but couldn't because he had to nick the petrol). If he had been able to buy a pack of cigarettes he wouldn't have had to roll a cigarette which he was doing when his wife phoned resulting in his loss of control therefore the crash. He blamed us for trying to stop him, forcing him to make off hence the crash. He felt we should be locking up drink drivers, rather than picking on poor innocents such as him. He also felt that he would have got away from us, but for the crash.
We listened empathetically to him (NOT!), then ensured that the doctor was called to assess his mental state once in custody.
i thought you were allowed 24 hours to return to the station and pay if you have to?
The garage beside mine (now out of business!) insisted on calling the police anytime anyone couldn't pay for their fuel.
I left my wallet at home once, and even offered to leave my watch (£300 worth), my radio faceplate (£500 worth of radio useless without it) and a handwritten, signed name and address statement - I live about 1mi away from the garage at most too!
Anyway, plod come - I'm left sitting in the back of the car feeling like a criminal (although I was chatting up the rather nice WPC at the same time!) until the other copper comes back over, he's not very chuffed at being called out after being shown what I was going to leave as collateral and said that if he could, he'd love to have nicked the attendant for wasting police time, and that all I'd need to do is bring the payment before 9am when the shift changes over...
A complete waste of time by the garage...
I left my wallet at home once, and even offered to leave my watch (£300 worth), my radio faceplate (£500 worth of radio useless without it) and a handwritten, signed name and address statement - I live about 1mi away from the garage at most too!
Anyway, plod come - I'm left sitting in the back of the car feeling like a criminal (although I was chatting up the rather nice WPC at the same time!) until the other copper comes back over, he's not very chuffed at being called out after being shown what I was going to leave as collateral and said that if he could, he'd love to have nicked the attendant for wasting police time, and that all I'd need to do is bring the payment before 9am when the shift changes over...
A complete waste of time by the garage...
IaHa said:
If he had been able to buy a pack of cigarettes he wouldn't have had to roll a cigarette which he was doing when his wife phoned resulting in his loss of control therefore the crash. He blamed us for trying to stop him, forcing him to make off hence the crash. He felt we should be locking up drink drivers, rather than picking on poor innocents such as him. He also felt that he would have got away from us, but for the crash.
We listened empathetically to him (NOT!), then ensured that the doctor was called to assess his mental state once in custody.
Different thing, really. There are many people in the world who flatly refuse to accept responsibility for anything at all (encouraged by Blairism, I might add).
However, there are serious questions about Policing priorities. Our CC admitted to me on the record that targetism had a major influence on policing priorities, and I think this is becoming more and more prevalent.
This is, I hasten to add, not the fault of serving officers.
Most people get stopped by traffic plod whose sole purpose is to police our roads, therefore if they weren't stopping motorists they wouldn't be out catching murderers anyway......
What annoys me is that the biggest criminal in the country has a police officer stood outside his front door all day!
What annoys me is that the biggest criminal in the country has a police officer stood outside his front door all day!
MilnerR said:
What annoys me is that the biggest criminal in the country has a police officer stood outside his front door all day!
For some reason, I have pantomime images in my head...
a comical policeman, standing outside a black door, with all the population shouting "He's behind you"
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