some adice please regarding the police.

Azari

WTFH wrote: »

Is it possible that you were “never contacted by the firm” because the address they had for you was the old address and then when they went to your bank, the bank account was at the old address and they had no way of getting in contact with you?

Like so many things in this story, it's just about possible.

It seems more and more likely that this is a very clever trolling attempt.

Clever because the OP has worded the initial post so carefully that it's difficult to get a clear focus on any of the important details of what happened and, despite the fact that the whole thing sounds almost surreal, there is no single element that you can say with absolute certainty is impossible.

Bank accounts with extortionate charges (even for banks), companies chasing a fairly small overpayment long after it happened, company suddenly finding someone that had moved without leaving a forwarding address, and (very strange) police involvement in civil matters.

Azari

virgo149 wrote: »

I can guarantee that police officers do not put the frighteners on people by threatening them with arrest for a civil matter - their jobs are worth far too much for that.

Is that true, though?

I remember a news report of someone who got fed up with the neighbours children kicking their ball into his garden and damaging his plants so told them they could not have it back until the next day.

The boy's father (a policeman) promptly called his mates who turned up and told the man to return the ball there and then and when he wouldn't, arrested him.

Of course, we never got to hear the outcome but it sounded like an extremely dodgy move on the part of all the officers involved. (There was no suggestion that the person intended to permanently deprive the owner of the ball.)

virgo149

Azari wrote: »

Is that true, though?

I remember a news report of someone who got fed up with the neighbours children kicking their ball into his garden and damaging his plants so told them they could not have it back until the next day.

The boy's father (a policeman) promptly called his mates who turned up and told the man to return the ball there and then and when he wouldn't, arrested him.

Of course, we never got to hear the outcome but it sounded like an extremely dodgy move on the part of all the officers involved. (There was no suggestion that the person intended to permanently deprive the owner of the ball.)

I would suggest that there is a good chance that the news report may not quite have been entirely accurate??? At a stretch, you could sort of go down the route of criminal damage but any custody sergeant worth their salt, would laugh at you and tell you to go away if you took someone in for that - you have to account for the arrest before someone is booked in.

I'm not saying all officers are squeaky clean - gawd knows we see every day of their wrong doing (I do love that phrase ), but on the whole, they are a decent bunch, trying to do a very difficult job. Yes, it has changed hugely in recent years - I joined in the late 80's and it was very different then - no targets and we were left to get on the with job. Whereas now, those on high are often very quick to rid themselves one way or another of anyone under performing or not conforming so it would be worth more than their jobs, yes.

Still waiting with anticipation at the OP's response on Friday (or Saturday if it all goes horriby wrong).

Azari

virgo149 wrote: »

I would suggest that there is a good chance that the news report may not quite have been entirely accurate??? At a stretch, you could sort of go down the route of criminal damage but any custody sergeant worth their salt, would laugh at you and tell you to go away if you took someone in for that - you have to account for the arrest before someone is booked in.

I agree that the report may well have left out something vital.

I don't see how they could have charged someone with criminal damage just for withholding a ball that someone had kicked onto their property.

virgo149

Sorry, misread your post - I should stop trying to multitask.

So at a push theft or even breach of the peace if there was a risk things might boil over between neighbours.

What most people don't realise is that it is actually very easy to arrest someone if you know your laws & how to apply them to a set of circumstances.

All a police officer has to do is suspect an arrestable offence has been committed & suspect that person of committing it.

Those are huge powers & must not be used lightly.

Azari

virgo149 wrote: »

Sorry, misread your post. So at a push theft or even breach of the peace if there was a risk things might boil over.

How can it possibly be theft?

He'd said they could have it back the next day. How could anyone reasonably suspect that he intended to permanently deprive the owner of the ball?

Or does a policeman not need 'reasonable grounds' for suspicion?

And can someone really be arrested in their own home for a breach of the peace simply because they will not acquiesce to the wishes of someone who turns up at their door?

Or would the only apply if the person who they would not give in to was a police officer (on or off duty)?



One final point.

How would the superior officers of someone who arrested a member of the public in their own home, just because he would not return the ball of a fellow officer's son instantly, view the actions of the arresting officer?

virgo149

You forget, I am just guesstimating on the basis of a news article that may or may not be correct and what they may or may not have used for reasons for arrest. We have no idea under what reason the man was arrested, hence my guessing game.

You would be surprised how quickly neighbourly disputes erupt into all sorts of nastiness - although if the kids father was a copper himself, he needs to grow a pair rather than getting his mates involved in knocking on his neighbours door (hence my reason for doubting the validity of the story).

I have seen people arrested for breach of the peace outside their homes to get them away before either violence erupted or continued.

Again, it comes down to knowing the laws, and how to apply them correctly.

Your final point says it all really. It would never get that far so unless something else occurred to make the arrest unavoidable, I think it shows again the lack of validy of the story.

theblagger

hollydays

..can't wait for Friday to see allegations of police brutality..

tippy1toppy

well went in early and well what a day...

as there where so many people who rude, annoying and just not helpfull at all I am not going to give you an answer.

Dont like it call :money: