Anyone see the Carjacker show last night?
Anyone see the Carjacker show last night?
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Discussion

toad_oftoadhall

Original Poster:

936 posts

272 months

Tuesday 9th December 2003
quotequote all
Gang of thugs staged a number of violent break ins to steal car keys & hence cars. (You may remember - the ones who got their photo taken in gangster outfits)

The Police [1] (in a rare case of not focussing on speeding) were on to them for yonks.

On the *night* they had evidence and planned to arrest them uniformed plod picked them up red handed!!!

Pissed of the Sweeney a bit! But the public got the required result!

Very brave uniformed plod. Arresting armed thugs. I, for one, was v. impressed!!!

Damn fine show.

[1] Flying Squad.

john_p

7,073 posts

271 months

Tuesday 9th December 2003
quotequote all
It was a good result in the end, but I found the fact the Flying Squad allowed armed robberies to continue just so they could get evidence a bit concerning ..

If they had been real guns, and one of the car owners had decided to be a hero, and been shot, that would have reflected pretty badly on the police wouldn't it?

tony_996hasgone

3,160 posts

279 months

Tuesday 9th December 2003
quotequote all
john_p said:
...but I found the fact the Flying Squad allowed armed robberies to continue just so they could get evidence a bit concerning ..

Just a sad endictment that they knew that the scrotes would simply walk away unless they had absolute perfect evidence.... result: 80 years banged up for the gang as a whole, most of them got over ten years individually... a definite result!

john_p

7,073 posts

271 months

Tuesday 9th December 2003
quotequote all
True. It raises an interesting moral question does it not?

tony_996hasgone

3,160 posts

279 months

Tuesday 9th December 2003
quotequote all
After seeing that, I also made a point of showing the "other half" where I hide the car keys!!!.... the thought of the scrotes holding a gun to her head, and her not knowing where the hell the keys were, is not worth considering!!! It's only a car at the end of the day!

danhay

7,502 posts

277 months

Tuesday 9th December 2003
quotequote all
I must admit I was a bit disturbed by the way the operation was run. They said the gang were getting more daring because they kept getting away with it. Would this imply that at least some of them might have given it up as a bad idea if they had been caught earlier on, even if they didn't get custodial sentences? I guess we'll never know.

Plus, at one point they had 60 officers on the case, who could have surely been better deployed preventing other violent crime?

No doubt the police had their reasons, but without more of the facts it seems to me to be a bit of a waste of resources to let the gang carry on offending so long.

toad_oftoadhall

Original Poster:

936 posts

272 months

Tuesday 9th December 2003
quotequote all
john_p said:
It was a good result in the end, but I found the fact the Flying Squad allowed armed robberies to continue just so they could get evidence a bit concerning ..



Point was they had no choice! Only motorists can be convicted without evidence!

Danhay - Due to my conviction I've got as much reason to resent plod as the next man *but* 60 people trackng down armed crime is *exactly* what I think plod should be doing! If they weren't set to work on that they'd be processing SP50's which really is a waste of police time!

>> Edited by toad_oftoadhall on Tuesday 9th December 14:24

trefor

14,709 posts

304 months

Tuesday 9th December 2003
quotequote all
Didn't see this - was this the West London gang who nicked cars from posh towns in Bucks/Berks?

What was the prog called (might see a repeat on BBC Three ...)

Apache

39,731 posts

305 months

Tuesday 9th December 2003
quotequote all
I too was dismayed by the amount of 'crime' that they allowed to be committed for a good solid case. As I remember 3 seperate households now have their lives scared forever because of it As the father of a highjack victim it was refreshing to see the bastards get convicted, certainly didn't happen in our case,(how long will they actually serve)The system needs an overhaul.

toad_oftoadhall

Original Poster:

936 posts

272 months

Tuesday 9th December 2003
quotequote all
Apache said:
I too was dismayed by the amount of 'crime' that they allowed to be committed for a good solid case. As I remember 3 seperate households now have their lives scared forever because of it As the father of a highjack victim it was refreshing to see the bastards get convicted, certainly didn't happen in our case,(how long will they actually serve)The system needs an overhaul.


Sorry Apache but there has to be evidence! You can't say they didn't try!

I like the rozzers reaction when the Mail unfairly claimed plod were doing nothing!

Now you know how an SP50 feels, mate!

Apache

39,731 posts

305 months

Tuesday 9th December 2003
quotequote all
toad_oftoadhall said:

Apache said:
I too was dismayed by the amount of 'crime' that they allowed to be committed for a good solid case. As I remember 3 seperate households now have their lives scared forever because of it As the father of a highjack victim it was refreshing to see the bastards get convicted, certainly didn't happen in our case,(how long will they actually serve)The system needs an overhaul.





Sorry Apache but there has to be evidence! You can't say they didn't try!

I like the rozzers reaction when the Mail unfairly claimed plod were doing nothing!

Now you know how an SP50 feels, mate!




Yeah I know, I'd have thought the video surveilance would've been enough

toad_oftoadhall

Original Poster:

936 posts

272 months

Tuesday 9th December 2003
quotequote all
Apache said:

Yeah I know, I'd have thought the video surveilance would've been enough


I have a feeling they never got them red handed. Just chipped away with tiny bits of evidence and proper hard policework! Anyone find out how plod got onto them in the first place?

I'm picturing a world where a scam van parks on the motorway. You whizz past at 85mph. The van pulls you over. Plod gets out and says:

"Evening Sir, just thought I'd pull you over to let you know we're sending 4 scrotes down for ten years every time we see someone over 70mph. You're our 10,000th today. Drive safe now."

Zod

35,295 posts

279 months

Tuesday 9th December 2003
quotequote all
I was another who was utterly appalled that they allowed half a dozen or more families to be held up at gunpoint in their homes. If anyone had been killed, then those policemen would have much to answer for.

tonyrec

3,984 posts

276 months

Tuesday 9th December 2003
quotequote all
toad_oftoadhall said:


Point was they had no choice! Only motorists can be convicted without evidence!


Funniest thing that ive heard all day!

toad_oftoadhall

Original Poster:

936 posts

272 months

Tuesday 9th December 2003
quotequote all
tonyrec said:

Funniest thing that ive heard all day!


Ok, I have no idea why everyone's laughing but I'm gonna keep my head down and hope it goes away!