4 ms·

Unfortunately this is a recurrent pattern in our times: unless is something really serious (like a murder) no one cares. A friend of mine waited 3 months to ge

Unfortunately this is a recurrent pattern in our times: unless is something really serious (like a murder) no one cares. A friend of mine waited 3 months to get police to read his report about an e-robbery despite presenting concrete info about the robber. No one cares.

zelon88 8y ago
Someone I know wanted to take apart an old car I had for a project to take parts he needed. When I declined he came back when nobody was home and tried to cut the parts out in a hurry, damaging a lot of the engine and smashing both headlights for fun. I filed a police report and even gave them a name, address, and phone number. There was no doubt in anyones mind who had committed the crime, but because Police work in a small town must be so difficult nothing ever happened. No phone calls, no follow-ups, no consequences. Makes me wonder if the police only take action in personal loss cases when the person losing is a business. They'll send three cruisers and half a dozen cops to a shoplifting incident at a grocery store with an impoverished perp, but if there's going to be any kind of he-said-she-said and nobody's dead or injured you're on your own. I believe that policing in the United States is becoming more and more a method for controlling the masses rather than means to an end.
- busterarm 8y ago
  Policing, since the very beginning of its history, has only ever been about controlling the masses.
  - gowld 8y ago
    Not "only". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_principles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_principles
    - Someone1234 8y ago
      And it actually works. Police in the UK are far from perfect, but they definitely feel a lot closer to part of the community than elsewhere. When you see those videos of a police officer dancing or getting involved in the activity they're protecting, it isn't uncommon for it to be British police officers doing it. Unfortunately they're under-funded and given too much paperwork, but regardless other police around the world could pick up Peelian as a way forward. It is definitely quite different from an "Us Vs. Them" attitude though.
- gowld 8y ago
  In the USA, government policing was created to oppress Blacks. http://plsonline.eku.edu/insidelook/brief-history-slavery-and-origins-american-policing http://plsonline.eku.edu/insidelook/brief-history-slavery-an...
- mrguyorama 8y ago
  It's laziness. The fact that police forces get to manage their own tasking precludes anything difficult from ever getting done unless it looks really good
linker3000 8y ago
I live opposite the local drug dealers - there's a daily stream of walk-ins (including kids from the local secondary school), cars parking up for a couple of minutes, and bicycle/motorcycle 'couriers'. After 4 years of reporting this to the police, attending local police/council meetings (they also run a car trading/repair business from the residence - ask me about my experience of weekend metalworking noise levels) most locals have given up reporting incidents. Last we heard, the local planning office is now going to send the occupants a questionnaire about how they use the property. That'll sort it then. /End of rant
- cat199 8y ago
  I'm guessing that's probably not apathy but quite the opposite - outright collusion - they care, but about keeping it running rather than shutting it down..
  - linker3000 8y ago
    Well, we have resorted to some sarcasm with the police - I said during one meeting that there was a perception among the residents that they had a '3I' policy for the issue - they were either: * Indifferent * Incompetent or * Involved That left them a bit speechless.
cde-v 8y ago
No one cares... unless you have the money to make them care.
csomar 8y ago
> A friend of mine waited 3 months to get police to read his report about an e-robbery despite presenting concrete info about the robber. Isn't that outside of the police reach? I mean, unless you are in danger, or want to report the crime just for report sake, why would you call the police? Shouldn't your friend already hire a lawyer and go through court?

zelon88 8y ago

Someone I know wanted to take apart an old car I had for a project to take parts he needed. When I declined he came back when nobody was home and tried to cut the parts out in a hurry, damaging a lot of the engine and smashing both headlights for fun. I filed a police report and even gave them a name, address, and phone number. There was no doubt in anyones mind who had committed the crime, but because Police work in a small town must be so difficult nothing ever happened. No phone calls, no follow-ups, no consequences. Makes me wonder if the police only take action in personal loss cases when the person losing is a business. They'll send three cruisers and half a dozen cops to a shoplifting incident at a grocery store with an impoverished perp, but if there's going to be any kind of he-said-she-said and nobody's dead or injured you're on your own. I believe that policing in the United States is becoming more and more a method for controlling the masses rather than means to an end.

busterarm 8y ago
Policing, since the very beginning of its history, has only ever been about controlling the masses.
- gowld 8y ago
  Not "only". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_principles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_principles
  - Someone1234 8y ago
    And it actually works. Police in the UK are far from perfect, but they definitely feel a lot closer to part of the community than elsewhere. When you see those videos of a police officer dancing or getting involved in the activity they're protecting, it isn't uncommon for it to be British police officers doing it. Unfortunately they're under-funded and given too much paperwork, but regardless other police around the world could pick up Peelian as a way forward. It is definitely quite different from an "Us Vs. Them" attitude though.
gowld 8y ago
In the USA, government policing was created to oppress Blacks. http://plsonline.eku.edu/insidelook/brief-history-slavery-and-origins-american-policing http://plsonline.eku.edu/insidelook/brief-history-slavery-an...
mrguyorama 8y ago
It's laziness. The fact that police forces get to manage their own tasking precludes anything difficult from ever getting done unless it looks really good

linker3000 8y ago

I live opposite the local drug dealers - there's a daily stream of walk-ins (including kids from the local secondary school), cars parking up for a couple of minutes, and bicycle/motorcycle 'couriers'. After 4 years of reporting this to the police, attending local police/council meetings (they also run a car trading/repair business from the residence - ask me about my experience of weekend metalworking noise levels) most locals have given up reporting incidents. Last we heard, the local planning office is now going to send the occupants a questionnaire about how they use the property. That'll sort it then. /End of rant

cat199 8y ago
I'm guessing that's probably not apathy but quite the opposite - outright collusion - they care, but about keeping it running rather than shutting it down..
- linker3000 8y ago
  Well, we have resorted to some sarcasm with the police - I said during one meeting that there was a perception among the residents that they had a '3I' policy for the issue - they were either: * Indifferent * Incompetent or * Involved That left them a bit speechless.

cde-v 8y ago

No one cares... unless you have the money to make them care.

csomar 8y ago

> A friend of mine waited 3 months to get police to read his report about an e-robbery despite presenting concrete info about the robber. Isn't that outside of the police reach? I mean, unless you are in danger, or want to report the crime just for report sake, why would you call the police? Shouldn't your friend already hire a lawyer and go through court?