Make the police work... - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

xepherys · 06-24-2007, 10:12 AM

I wonder what the implications of such a thing are...

seretogis · 06-24-2007, 10:17 AM

On one hand I have to laugh because it is a hilarious reply by him, but on the other hand it's really sad that they rushed over only when a citizen acted on his own to protect his property. Sadly we've lost most of our property rights, and even suggesting that we are protecting them results in a veritable SWAT-response.

krwlz · 06-24-2007, 12:21 PM

That's just disgusting. If the police don't have the time to deal with crimes being reported, then justice should by all means be taken by the property owner. Authorities just keep making more and more rules, and acting on them less and less. Just disgusting.

World's King · 06-24-2007, 12:35 PM

It's nice that the person just forgot to mention that he was arrested for falsely reporting a crime.

Willravel · 06-24-2007, 01:02 PM

Theft < gun crime, obviously.

Lasereth · 06-24-2007, 01:10 PM

I'm not sure if non-police citizens understand how the actual real police works, but it's not "first come first serve." Sorry, but those are the cold hard facts. A gunshot scenario will be responded to in quicker precedence than a non-violent domestic dispute or a stolen gas call.

Let's say that the police were called. Let's see...there's someone stealing tools out of a shed. Ok, that is definitely worthy of calling the police over. Let's say that there are 10 squads on that section of the town that night, and all 10 are tied up with assaults, other infractions, or are simply already on a call.

So the police are supposed to leave their current call and simply drive to you? Is it so unexpected that the police may in fact be busy every now and then? There are 500 officers at the police station I work at and they're busy to the point of being paid overtime every single shift.

Now you've mentioned that you've shot the people in the shed. The order of precedence thing goes into effect here. Now the police officers WILL leave a petty crime like stolen gas to come to a life-threatening situation, much to the displeasure of the stolen-gas employee.

This is nothing more than a probably-made-up story about citizens view on the police. Police officers are dispatched from communications based on the severity of the crime, their location of the crime, and thirdly the order in which the call was received. Sorry, but in the real world of police stations, not every citizen has their own personal police officer waiting for them when there's a crime being committed.

seretogis · 06-24-2007, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lasereth

Sorry, but in the real world of police stations, not every citizen has their own personal police officer waiting for them when there's a crime being committed.

True. This is why people should be allowed to -- and expected to -- defend themselves and their own property. Right?

stevie667 · 06-24-2007, 02:03 PM

Just to clear things up:

The guy did not shoot the burglars, he wanted to know what would happen if he said that he did. It also (supposedly) occured in the UK.

Lasereth · 06-24-2007, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seretogis

True. This is why people should be allowed to -- and expected to -- defend themselves and their own property. Right?

I definitely don't disagree with that, I just don't like the flak that the police get for shit like this. Do the police make the laws? No. Are police busy? Yes.

BTW I assumed everyone knew this but just in case: if this newspaper clip is real, the police responded to the call due to the gun discharge, not due to the fact that he guarded his property or took matters into his own hands, etc. The gun being fired is what brought the police. Discharged guns = auto red flag.

Willravel · 06-24-2007, 02:19 PM

If this happened in the UK, that makes perfect sense. Their philosophy on guns isn't the same as the second amendment loving people of the US.

Lasereth · 06-24-2007, 02:37 PM

Turns out the news clip is fake, but a similar event really did happen in Texas. Yes, he was arrested on false report charges.

http://www.snopes.com/crime/safety/response.htm

From Snopes:

Quote:

The concept of telling a lie to get the police to a crime scene more quickly keys on a basic yet false assumption that if officers of the law are tardy in responding to a summons for aid, their seeming non-response is prompted by sloth. Police have to prioritize calls for assistance based on the comparative severity of presenting events and/or the potential for further harm to those involved. Under such a formula, investigating a stolen car report will never be on par with breaking up a domestic disturbance because the vehicle will remain just as stolen even if the investigation does not begin for a further two hours whereas the screaming and shoving match may turn into an assault with a deadly weapon if not broken up immediately. Likewise, putting officers on the still-hot trail of a rapist or drunk driver makes more sense than does sending those same officers to look into a "strange noises in my shed" situation — the one may get a danger to society off the streets before he harms anyone else, while the other would only a net a miscreant making off with a garden hoe.

Basically what I said earlier except further explained.

krwlz · 06-24-2007, 03:45 PM

Somehow I imagine at least one of those officers was getting coffee, and another sitting in a useless speed trap. Obviously the former takes precedence over the later, and they both take precedence over a real crime.

Lasereth · 06-24-2007, 04:23 PM

The police officers at the PD I work at drop a 20 and run out the door during a meal if they're called to an emergency call. You get fired if you don't be responsible during your shift.

And yes, there are divisions at police departments, specifically a division devoted to traffic violations. A small portion of PDs are devoted to traffic -- the rest are patrol (call-taking and routine patrol). If you're sitting in a speed trap, that's your job. If an officer left the speed trap to go to another call without contacting his superior first, disciplinary action <I>would</I> be taken.

warrrreagl · 06-25-2007, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lasereth

The police officers at the PD I work at drop a 20 and run out the door during a meal if they're called to an emergency call. You get fired if you don't be responsible during your shift.

Quoted for truth. On one of my ride-alongs with the local PD (about 1AM), we were back at the station and I was chilling while he was writing up an arrest report. I had just put my 90 cents into the coke machine in the breakroom when the dispatch announced a local gas station employee had just called to report three guys with shotguns outside his gas station. The two cops in the break room fucking FLEW out the door and big fat me was huffing and puffing and waddling trying to catch my guy before he peeled out of the parking lot. I made it just as he was whipping the car around, and I never got my coke.

They didn't find anybody there, by the way, but five units responded as they all left whatever sector they were in to back up the guy who caught it.

Bill O'Rights · 06-25-2007, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krwlz

Somehow I imagine at least one of those officers was getting coffee, and another sitting in a useless speed trap. Obviously the former takes precedence over the later, and they both take precedence over a real crime.

Of course.

'Cause as we all know...real life is just like The Simpsons. And real life police officers are just like Chief Wiggum.

krwlz · 06-25-2007, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill O'Rights

Of course.

'Cause as we all know...real life is just like The Simpsons. And real life police officers are just like Chief Wiggum.

I'm just going on my expirience that every single time I drive past a particlar gas-station/ Dunkin Donuts, there is at least one police car there. Maybe they really don't have anything better to do, I don't know....

tenniels · 06-25-2007, 05:07 PM

Since that was false, it's a cute little joke, I think anyways. Made me smile

elaphe · 06-25-2007, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by krwlz
I'm just going on my expirience that every single time I drive past a particlar gas-station/ Dunkin Donuts, there is at least one police car there. Maybe they really don't have anything better to do, I don't know....

With all due respect, what profession doesn't have a coffee break? When I'm on duty, I do enjoy my Tim Horton's coffee break. But I gotta tell you, I've gone many a shift when I don't get a break and I'm eating in my car because calls are coming in one after another. No complaints here. It's just part of the job. And when I do get a chance to eat lunch/dinner or grab a coffee, I take advantage of it.
Is this wrong?
Are we now going to level criticisms at emergency room doctors for prioritizing who gets treated first? Isn't all human pain equal? What about EMS? Should ambulances tear ass across town to respond to a skinned knee?
The truth of the matter is that by misusing emergency services, resources are being taken away from people who may need it the most - like warrrreagl's gas bar being held up by armed gunmen. Can you imagine the outcome that could have taken place if that b 'n e garden shed call came in minutes before the gas bar call? How much longer would it have taken for units to respond? For the sirens to be heard? (and scaring the gunmen away!)
Police, as with all emergency responders, are a limited resource. And like all limited resources, it must be managed so that a great many can benefit from the services rendered.

warrrreagl · 06-26-2007, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elaphe

Police, as with all emergency responders, are a limited resource. And like all limited resources, it must be managed so that a great many can benefit from the services rendered.

Hear, hear! (or is it here here?)

Or where I live its Yeeeee Haaaaaa!

Menoman · 06-26-2007, 10:08 AM

ya, truth is Laz is correct.

yet.... so is everyone else, my co-worker had his car stolen at about 2 in the morning, night-shift, from the parking lot at work... he called police b/c when he went outside, he saw the car ripping out of the parking lot, police were called within 2-3 minutes of seeing this.

He told them which way they went and they said they only had 2 officers on duty and they were not in the area, and were busy at the moment. Less than 15 minutes later I went to the gas station, (and a little joy ride during break coz hell maybe I'd see the car parked off the road someplace?)

One cop was sitting in a parking lot, he could be radaring the state route about 200 yards away, but his lights were off, and he was just sitting in his car.

The other police officer was inside the gas station I always stop at, reading a paper (not eatting a donut too bad tho) and talking with the cashier. I stayed there for about 10 minutes, 5 walking around, 5 just sitting in my car eatting the sandwich I bought.

When I left the one in the gas station was still bullshitting, the other was gone. It was actually the cop in the parking lot who showed up about 2 hours later.

I also know when the police shifts switch in my town, and it sure as hell isn't 2 o'clock, they run swing shifts, but they still change at the same times everyday.

Anyway, it happens, and it happens more often than they'd want you to believe. But I hardly think it's "rampant" across everyplace.

06-24-2007, 10:12 AM	#1 (permalink)
xepherys <3 TFP Location: 17TLH2445607250	Make the police work... I wonder what the implications of such a thing are... __________________ The prospect of achieving a peace agreement with the extremist group of MILF is almost impossible... -- Emmanuel Pinol, Governor of Cotobato My Homepage

06-24-2007, 10:17 AM	#2 (permalink)
seretogis Huggles, sir? Location: Seattle	On one hand I have to laugh because it is a hilarious reply by him, but on the other hand it's really sad that they rushed over only when a citizen acted on his own to protect his property. Sadly we've lost most of our property rights, and even suggesting that we are protecting them results in a veritable SWAT-response. __________________ seretogis - sieg heil perfect little dream the kind that hurts the most, forgot how it feels well almost no one to blame always the same, open my eyes wake up in flames

06-24-2007, 12:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
World's King Here Location: Denver City Denver	It's nice that the person just forgot to mention that he was arrested for falsely reporting a crime. __________________ heavy is the head that wears the crown

06-24-2007, 01:10 PM	#6 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	I'm not sure if non-police citizens understand how the actual real police works, but it's not "first come first serve." Sorry, but those are the cold hard facts. A gunshot scenario will be responded to in quicker precedence than a non-violent domestic dispute or a stolen gas call. Let's say that the police were called. Let's see...there's someone stealing tools out of a shed. Ok, that is definitely worthy of calling the police over. Let's say that there are 10 squads on that section of the town that night, and all 10 are tied up with assaults, other infractions, or are simply already on a call. So the police are supposed to leave their current call and simply drive to you? Is it so unexpected that the police may in fact be busy every now and then? There are 500 officers at the police station I work at and they're busy to the point of being paid overtime every single shift. Now you've mentioned that you've shot the people in the shed. The order of precedence thing goes into effect here. Now the police officers WILL leave a petty crime like stolen gas to come to a life-threatening situation, much to the displeasure of the stolen-gas employee. This is nothing more than a probably-made-up story about citizens view on the police. Police officers are dispatched from communications based on the severity of the crime, their location of the crime, and thirdly the order in which the call was received. Sorry, but in the real world of police stations, not every citizen has their own personal police officer waiting for them when there's a crime being committed. __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

06-24-2007, 02:03 PM	#8 (permalink)
stevie667 Too Awesome for Aardvarks Location: Angloland	Just to clear things up: The guy did not shoot the burglars, he wanted to know what would happen if he said that he did. It also (supposedly) occured in the UK. __________________ Office hours have changed. Please call during office hours for more information.

06-24-2007, 12:21 PM	#3 (permalink)
krwlz Fledgling Dead Head Location: Clarkson U.	That's just disgusting. If the police don't have the time to deal with crimes being reported, then justice should by all means be taken by the property owner. Authorities just keep making more and more rules, and acting on them less and less. Just disgusting.

06-24-2007, 01:02 PM	#5 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	Theft < gun crime, obviously.

06-24-2007, 02:19 PM	#10 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	If this happened in the UK, that makes perfect sense. Their philosophy on guns isn't the same as the second amendment loving people of the US.

06-24-2007, 03:45 PM	#12 (permalink)
krwlz Fledgling Dead Head Location: Clarkson U.	Somehow I imagine at least one of those officers was getting coffee, and another sitting in a useless speed trap. Obviously the former takes precedence over the later, and they both take precedence over a real crime.

06-24-2007, 04:23 PM	#13 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	The police officers at the PD I work at drop a 20 and run out the door during a meal if they're called to an emergency call. You get fired if you don't be responsible during your shift. And yes, there are divisions at police departments, specifically a division devoted to traffic violations. A small portion of PDs are devoted to traffic -- the rest are patrol (call-taking and routine patrol). If you're sitting in a speed trap, that's your job. If an officer left the speed trap to go to another call without contacting his superior first, disciplinary action <I>would</I> be taken. __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

06-25-2007, 05:07 PM	#17 (permalink)
tenniels Insane Location: Oh Canada!!	Since that was false, it's a cute little joke, I think anyways. Made me smile __________________ I like things. And stuff. But I prefer to have things over stuff.