The burglar alarm was going off at our local library when I walked past it today.It was closed.As we are in a village it is only open a few days a week.
Not being sure if it was one of these alarms that go direct to the police,I rang the main station to say alarm going off.Woman asked any sign of a break in.Told her I looked in the window could not see anything.Was not prepared to wonder round the back.Police do not attend Burgalar alarms if no sign of a break in I was told.Not even Public buildings apparantly.I was quite shocked.I would expect the police to attend.I would be interested to know what other people think..Also rang the main library to let them know.
Recorded message.No one available to take your call.At that point I lost the will to live and went to the lottie.
sometimes you wonder ???
but you did your best :)
what kind of society do we live in?
Good citizens are not listened to and bad one get too much attention and money.
i do wonder sometimes...
i used to be a key holder for woolworths if the alarm went off the police would wait for me to arrive so that i could go in first incase anyone was in there cheers mr policeman :o
The police will only attend an alarm if the business has requested to be put on police response. This has to be done by the supplier of the alarms. So if the alarm is installed by, let's say a company called Alarms & Bloggs Ltd, they will apply for unique reference numbers from the local police on behalf of the company having the alarms installed. The police send back reference numbers - 1 for personal attack (PA) and 1 for intruder alarm (IA) these are then sent to a local monitoring station (in our area they are called Yeoman) and Alarms & Bloggs Limited will contact the monitoring station and request something along the lines of, 'please activate and place on police response the PA (personal attack) and IA (intruder alarm) for <insert company name>' If they're not placed on police response by request, it's usually down to the owner (private premises or business premises) to deal with it. Obviously if there is an intruder and the police are called and told as much, they will respond, otherwise they don't have to. I hope this makes sense!
that is unreal - coincidently i got this email from a friend today
George Phillips of Gold Coast, Australia was going up to bed when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window. (Boy does this sound familiar!)
George opened the back door to go turn off the light but saw that there were people in the shed stealing things.
He phoned the police, who asked 'Is someone in your house?' and he said 'no.'
Then they said that all patrols were busy, and that he should simply lock his door and an officer would be along when available.
George said, 'Okay,' hung up, counted to 30, and phoned the police again.
'Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people stealing things from my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now because I've just shot them.' Then he hung up.
Within five minutes three police cars, an Armed Response Unit, and an ambulance showed up at the Phillips' residence and caught the burglars red-handed.
One of the Policemen said to George: 'I thought you said that you'd shot them!' George said, 'I thought you said there was nobody available!'
(True Story) I LOVE IT -- Don't mess with old people!
Actually if you think about it, its not surprising the police wont attend. They are still sat in the station doing the reams of paperwork demanded by the do gooders, and civil liberties people, instead of nicking villains
If you really need help, try ringing the fire brigade: they will turn up. I have witnessed a village chemist being burgled across the road, so close I could clearly make out the burglars' faces, but the police (central number) were simply not fussed enough. A call to the local fire brigade from a worried neighbour got them out within 10 minutes, and at least they scared off the burglars and reassured us with their helpful attitude.
^^ How did you go about this? I'm amazed they took a call to a burglary alone with no mention of entrapment or fire? I can't say I think that's a good suggestion or piece of advice at all. It's not the job of the fire brigade to prevent crime and I'm sure it goes without saying that it could detain them getting to a fire which might cost someone their life!
Yeah but what if there's a real fire to go to?
I have been broken into several times over the years, I even knew who had done one of them but go no action/response from the police...
???
Well, the neighbour who thought of calling the firebrigade had also drawn a blank from the police and explained quite honestly what was going on to the person answering the phone at the fire station. We are talking rural area, and possibly some community spirit - anyway the fire engine came from the neighbouring village, and the guys (all local volunteers) were absolutely cool about the call-out.
I think they were all aware of the fact that the police just can't be asked - sorry to all community constables out there wanting to help and protect the public...
Police. What are they??? The only time we see any round here is if they have taken a wrong turn, and got lost!!!!
There was an item in the press recently suggesting that police forces in rural areas should be reduced in order to enforce/assist city areas
How can you take away a non-existent force????
valmarg
I used to do late night security patrols on our site. Only once did I find someone on a plot. I's always assumed I'd be able to sneak up on them and take matters into my own hands but on this ocasion the thief had jumped a hedge so I couldn't sneak in the gate and surprise him so unhappily I phoned the police ( the station is around 300 yards away). Two more calls finally got a car there some 40 minutes later. I explained where the thief was and suggested I went up the top avenue and made loud noises, whereby the thief would run towards the police in the middle avenue. The two coppers looked nervously at each other and suggested they'd wait for reinforcements. Another 20 minutes went by and another car arrived. So we split up and guarded the two entrances until a police dog arrived. At which point the dog followed the trail to where the thief had left the site some time earlier.
What a waste of time.
If someone had broken into the library and wrecked it don't worry - they are council run so it would just come out of your council tax and the vandals would get put on a nice free college course/rehab/detox/housing list/drama classes/short holiday/IT course (to use the PC stolen from the library) and all to help their self-esteem, stop them turning the neighbourhood into crap/beating people up and laying in bed all day stoned out of their thick tiny minds - and the tax payer would pay. Then a bit more council tax would pay for the council employed social workers/occupational therapists to pop round to the burglars new flat and clear up for them and help them sort out their benefits. A bit more council tax would pay to improve the flat and decorate it and a bit more tax payers money would give them a social fund grant to furnish their pit. Then they would have their college/uni grants. Then after a few years he or she meets their soul mate, has a couple of kids, meets another soul mate, has a couple more kids, and so the circle of life is never ending. Eventually the reformed burglar takes and NVQ or two and becomes a social worker.
What on earth is going on in this country?
23 years ago last October. I had a break in. I phoned the police station in Bargoed (3miles away) and I am still waiting.
I hope you havent dusted, as it may remove any finger prints ;D ;D ;D
cj :)
Our school has had well over £10000 worth of stuff lifted over the last few months. It's the same guy and he's on the video cameras. Apparently the police know who he is. He climbs over the fence to the central walkway, breaks a window or door to access where he wants to go thus setting off the alarm which - guess what - is linked to the police station - 3 minutes' drive away. He then has a look around, selects what he wants to take and makes off with that.
Official response time from the police station? Up to an hour. :o :o :o. Gives him plenty of time to select what he wants and get out.
On one occasion he and mates removed a huge plasma screen, carried it up to the woods above the school and hid it there to pick it up with a van the next day. The police searched the area thoroughly - or so we are told - and found nothing.
He has been coming back every week at the same time for about 3 months. A laptop here, a data projector, there .... Funding his habit? Who knows?
Says it all really.
My twopenneth' - remember it's the policy makers who set the responses and attitudes and the accountants who tell them what they can afford to respond to, not the actual police themselves that mean you get this response.