Police stole my bong!

[spitfire123]

I'm a student, and returned home from work today to see my door bashed in, and a note from the police. Turns out my downstairs neighbour called them out because of a leaking pipe. Great.

The thing that annoys me is that my bong is now missing. I know I shouldn't have a bong, but can the police really enter my house on an unrelated manner and take my bong? It isn't a cheap one, and I'm pretty pissed off just now.

There's a contact number on the card and letter the police left, and nothing else has been disturbed apart from my bong being stolen and my water supply being turned off. I've called my landlord who is coming round this evening to investigate. I'm not ducking responsibility for the leaking pipe, although I've only been in this flat for a few weeks and it appears to be a pipe under the floorboards - but I'm leaving that side of things in my landlords hands.

I'm pretty seething about my bong though. Can the police just take it, having required access to my house on a totally unrelated matter? It was in the middle of the living room and not hidden, and nothing illegal was in the house. I've half a mind to demand it back when I call them (after having spoken to my landlord), but if they're that bold to just take it without even leaving a note, there's no guessing what other games they might want to play.

Any advice is gratefully received!

[spitfire123]

My landlord has come round, spoken to the downstairs neighbour, and is going to call the police tomorrow. I haven't mentioned the bong.

I know using a bong, even in the privacy of your own home, is still illegal. It still pisses me off that they just took it without leaving any note, after forcefully entering my house on an unrelated manner. If I were using the bong outside, or neighbours complained of the smell, I could understand, but this takes the biscuit. It's rarely used anyway, and is more of an ornament on the coffee table. It cost over 80 quid and other than trace amounts perhaps in the water or gauze, has nothing illegal in it. Will they really send it off to the forensics lab?

I know to many this will seem like going to the police to complain a drug dealer ripped me off or something, but isn't there an argument for discretion in this case? Entering a member of the publics house while he isn't home. If they found a load of plants growing or something, I can understand, but c'mon. I'm seriously considering going into the police station to lodge a complaint and ask for my bong back.

edit: 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.

Edited by spitfire123 on Wednesday 24th August 21:18

[spitfire123]

John145 said:

So you are a good criminal? One rule for some another for others?

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.

[spitfire123]

simoid said:

Explain to them that you only commit some crimes and you'll be fine then.

I may have, in the past, committed a trivial crime using my bong, but there's no way the police could have known that when they just took it.

I want my bong back, and if I have to pay a 50 quid fine for that, so be it. So what if there's trace amounts of something illegal on the gauze. Fine me, dispose of the gauze, and give me my freaking bong back. A 50 quid fine won't even come close to paying for the admin, paperwork and forensic testing.

I feel like I'm getting the piss taken out of me and that this is just a joke to the cops. I'm seriously going to go into the station tomorrow to ask to speak to someone about it.

[spitfire123]

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

[spitfire123]

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.

[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.

[spitfire123]

jms700 said:

...he just wants his property back and is unhappy with the underhand way that it was taken from the flat.

That's exactly it. There was ZERO evidence that my bong has in the past been used to smoke illegal substances, other than what a forensic lab could find. There was no ash in the pipe, and no water in the bowl. I know it has (over 3 weeks ago), and whilst it's not crime of the century, I know the police had a right to be in my flat and a right to deal with criminality in front of them. However, from just looking at my bong, the policeman assumed and just took it. That's what makes me mad.

I've calmed down a little today (I was angry last night, and apologise if I came aross like a whiner), and I'm having serious second thoughts about going down the station to ask to speak to someone.

What if I don't ask for it back? Will it just sit in the police station? Will they test it if I don't mention it? There was no mention of it on the entry form that was taped to my door, which makes me annoyed that it's just some sort of joke to them. I bet it's not even been logged anywhere and the policeman took it for his own use.

I'd take a caution if I thought it'd get me my bong back, but from what's been said here, that doesn't look likely. My landlord is supposed to be phoning the police today and will call me later on, so I'll see if they mention it to him. I've said before... I have the utmost respect for the police and the job they do, and have never been in trouble before... but the cop who lifted a bong from a students flat (after having had to force entry on an unrelated matter) is an ass-hat. Maybe if there were rizla laying about, or signs that my bong had been recently used... even at that, it's still a dick move. I'm getting angry again. I bet they're having a laugh down the station wondering if I'm sweating or going to mention it to them.

[spitfire123]

TJA said:

Give them a ring - you paid £80 for it and it's not illegal to own drug paraphernalia. Nor is it illegal to own cannabis seeds. If you propagate them then you're in trouble, or if the cops had found you midway through pulling a huge tube of weed smoke you'd be in trouble.

You sure you didn't leave half a hit in it?! Not that any semi-pro weed smoker would..

It was a present from my girlfriend before I left for uni, and that's what stings.

I can say there is/was no smokable substances left in the bong. It's been over 2 weeks since it was used for that, and been cleaned in the meantime. Of course there's going to be some nano-grams of weed that a laboratory will find.

[spitfire123]

Dibble said:

OP, you don't live anywhere near Botley Cemetery do you?

I don't, no.

[spitfire123]

Soovy said:

Dibble - am I alone in thinking that someone who

(a) admits using illegal drugs
(b) posts his name on this website; and
(c) then posts where he lives as well

might (just potentially) be an easy bust?!

Good luck with that.

"All units, be on the lookout for a guy known as Spitfire123, who doesn't live near some cemetary, and has admitted to having a bong that may have micro deposits of a banned substance on it".

Oh, and I'm behind 7 proxies.

[spitfire123]

Mr_annie_vxr said:

Of course you are making an assumption they took it. If there is no mention on the form then they didn't take it. How was your door secured?

I returned home to see a "Notice to Occupier" taped to my door, along with a padlock and chain. My landlord had to go down the police station to pick up the keys before I could get in.

There was no mention of the bong on the letter, and the guy whos name was on the card was off duty by the time I got home. My landlord is going to call him today to sort things out and I'm going to see if anything's mentioned about my bong, before deciding on my next move.

[spitfire123]

Dibble said:

Have a Google about RIPA and subscriber checks...

I'm trying, but the onion routed VPN I'm behind is really slow, which makes it difficult.

Anyway, when my bong may or may not have been used 3 weeks ago, I didn't inhale.

[spitfire123]

Soovy said:

DUDE, YOU'VE GOT YOUR NAME, SURNAME, AND LOCALITY ON YOUR PROFILE.





MCFLY!!!


Jesus T1ttyf cking Christ, what a criminal mastermind.

That has to be the most cringeworthy self-congratulatory post I've seen in this thread so far.

Is your name Bergerac? My name really is Hayden, and I really do live in Germany/Netherlands/Sweden or wherever the exit node of my VPN is located.

Seriously, I've come here for advice, been honest about what I've done. I'm don't want to indulge anyones games of veiled threats or being hunted by the NSA for owning a bong.

Edit: I'm outta here. Threats of RIPA, posting my info in this thread is a step too far. Thanks for the advice and the laughs. This isn't a wind up, and although I expected a bit of piss taking, I never thought things would take a turn like this. I'll speak to my landlord tonight and re-evaluate things.

Over and out.

Edited by spitfire123 on Thursday 25th August 16:04

[spitfire123]

oldsoak said:

Would the National Student Association even be bothered about such a thing?

Have a

[spitfire123]

Dibble said:

OP, instead of continuing to get your panties in a bunch, you might like to have a look at s19 of PACE 1984.

Section 19 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 said:

TL;DR

My bold, above.

I haven't included part (4), as that relates to electronic data being put into a format that can be "taken away". Haymarket may end up doing that later, I guess.

Did you take my bong?

[spitfire123]

Elroy Blue said:

spitfire123 said:

I bet it's not even been logged anywhere and the policeman took it for his own use.

You really are a tard!

So how are you finding my bong? I had to patch the seal with a bit of rubber cement a few months ago, but it still works fine. Are you going to give me it back?

[spitfire123]

Dibble said:

There are plenty of PHers much more tech savvy than I am that would be able to dig up the usual dirt on a poster and "out" him (or her), should they so desire (which for clarity I'm not at all suggesting they do).

Me? If I could be arsed, I'd go the traditional route of a quick entry in one of the national internal Police bulletins, asking whether, oooh, I don't know, had anyone recently bashed in a flat door to stop a water leak, and taken a bong while they were there, suspecting it was evidence of drug use? Because if you have, have a look at this link [insert link to this thread here], then if he ever does apply, file in the round one under the desk.

Or consider arresting him for a minty fresh fraud by false representation...

Yep, you could, and I don't want to get into trouble over this.

Thanks for the advice everyone.