Police rules?

motherofstudents

Reminds me of the time when we were sitting at home one Sunday afternoon. We heard the police helicopter (happened a lot where we used to live) but it was incredibly loud. So loud that I went to the front window to look, couldn't see anything so went to look out the back, again nothing. The reason was it was literally right over our roof.

The next thing the back garden had several police officers looking around and then a scuffle. They had caught a car thief but as my side gate was really secure they brought him through my house !

I opened the front door to let them out and all the neighbours were watching. To them it must have looked like they had just dragged someone from our house in handcuffs. My sister-in-law who works on the police radio, said she wouldn't have let them come through.

aileth

motherofstudents wrote: »

Reminds me of the time when we were sitting at home one Sunday afternoon. We heard the police helicopter (happened a lot where we used to live) but it was incredibly loud. So loud that I went to the front window to look, couldn't see anything so went to look out the back, again nothing. The reason was it was literally right over our roof.

The next thing the back garden had several police officers looking around and then a scuffle. They had caught a car thief but as my side gate was really secure they brought him through my house !

I opened the front door to let them out and all the neighbours were watching. To them it must have looked like they had just dragged someone from our house in handcuffs. My sister-in-law who works on the police radio, said she wouldn't have let them come through.

Blimey that makes mine look lame teehee! I don't know if it was just mine they hadn't knocked on, I had a nosey after they had gone and they were peering in people's windows. I don't know what would've been scarier, seeing Policemen in the back garden or seeing someone peering in your windows?!

And yes re common courtesy, if they had just knocked and said they wanted to search my garden, by all means, and I probably would've offered them a cuppa. But they just went in anyway, so they were cuppa-less. Joke is on them!

lostinrates

aileth wrote: »

Blimey that makes mine look lame teehee! I don't know if it was just mine they hadn't knocked on, I had a nosey after they had gone and they were peering in people's windows. I don't know what would've been scarier, seeing Policemen in the back garden or seeing someone peering in your windows?!

And yes re common courtesy, if they had just knocked and said they wanted to search my garden, by all means, and I probably would've offered them a cuppa. But they just went in anyway, so they were cuppa-less. Joke is on them!

Presumably scariest of all would be having the criminal who they suspect of being confident to use a weapon in your house, and threatening you, with all the heightened emption for them of feeling cornered while the police are politely knocking on your door?

Gigervamp

motherofstudents wrote: »

Reminds me of the time when we were sitting at home one Sunday afternoon. We heard the police helicopter (happened a lot where we used to live) but it was incredibly loud. So loud that I went to the front window to look, couldn't see anything so went to look out the back, again nothing. The reason was it was literally right over our roof.

The next thing the back garden had several police officers looking around and then a scuffle. They had caught a car thief but as my side gate was really secure they brought him through my house !

I opened the front door to let them out and all the neighbours were watching. To them it must have looked like they had just dragged someone from our house in handcuffs. My sister-in-law who works on the police radio, said she wouldn't have let them come through.

Similar thing happened to me. We'd just moved into our house (had been there less than a week!) when I woke up one Sunday morning to tinny voices in the garden (It was the police radios). Looked out of the window to see several coppers in the garden, hauling a guy out of the shed.
It was a terraced house and apparently they'd all had to clamber over several fences to get to him.

bitemebankers

motherofstudents wrote: »

I opened the front door to let them out and all the neighbours were watching. To them it must have looked like they had just dragged someone from our house in handcuffs. My sister-in-law who works on the police radio, said she wouldn't have let them come through.

I wouldn't have let them through either. They've no legal right to do so and I certainly would not want a criminal being marched through my home.

aileth

lostinrates wrote: »

Presumably scariest of all would be having the criminal who they suspect of being confident to use a weapon in your house, and threatening you, with all the heightened emption for them of feeling cornered while the police are politely knocking on your door?

Oh no the incident didn't happen at our house, maybe 20 feet or so up the road. Seems whoever did it they suspected of chucking the weapon somewhere so they were trawling the whole estate.

lostinrates

aileth wrote: »

Oh no the incident didn't happen at our house, maybe 20 feet or so up the road. Seems whoever did it they suspected of chucking the weapon somewhere so they were trawling the whole estate.

Often, a the time, its not clear the full extent of something, Whether someone is acting alone, or what. Your incident seems from what you have written quite cut and dried, but many will not be, at the time the people who just happen to live there just will not know, the police might not know.


Again, if I were not at home I would hate to see evidence damaged because I had not been there to give permission for a search.

aileth

lostinrates wrote: »

Often, a the time, its not clear the full extent of something, Whether someone is acting alone, or what. Your incident seems from what you have written quite cut and dried, but many will not be, at the time the people who just happen to live there just will not know, the police might not know.


Again, if I were not at home I would hate to see evidence damaged because I had not been there to give permission for a search.

Oh if I hadn't been home I would have no quibble with them helping themself to my property. What I found a bit odd is that they didn't even check, no knock, doorbell etc, which I would've thought, even if they are allowed total access, would have just been polite really, especially if I was in the nuddy.

browneyedbazzi

In the circumstance you described the police shouldn't have entered your property without either your consent or a warrant OP. In Nazi Germany or other fascist places the police may be able to waltz in and out of private property whenever it takes their fancy, but that isn't the case in the UK.

Most people would probably let it go in the circumstances, but if they found something that was vital evidence in the garden of someone who was not cooperative (and decided to kick up a fuss about them entering somewhere they didn't have powers to be) the evidence could be excluded and a case ruined because they didn't bother to understand their powers and act within them. It may seem petty, but I'd pop a letter/email to the police explaining what happened and suggesting that the officers involved receive some refresher training about how they should go about gaining entry to private property in a lawful manner. Better they learn now then when a case is in tatters and someone who is guilty is walking away free!

Bryando

Claree__x wrote: »

Police - in Scotland at least - don't know thier own bloomin' laws! At the football last week someone was told that taking a photo of/recording a police officer was illegal and then had the phone taken from them and the photo/video deleted - now that's illegal.

I realise this is nothing to do with what you're saying, just wanted to rant a little!

Well their is a law, falls under the Terrorist legislation.