2007-02-20 01:21:20 · 17 answers · asked by A True Gentleman 5 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
Depends if they're on their dinner break.Oops thats the ambulance crews!
2007-02-20 01:23:55 · answer #1 · answered by heebygeeby 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No, not cherry pick, they prioritise, ie an assault in progress will take priority over a less serious crime. It may feel like the police only attend more "JUICY" incidents because every person rightly wants the police to attend their own personal incident.
However the police in the UK is bogged down by paperwork and rubbish that is a result of the government keep changing the goal posts on police priorities
2007-02-23 09:04:59 · answer #2 · answered by rick_wenham 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Calls to the Police Control Room are graded by the severity of the incident. Immediate calls are responded to first followed by Urgent Attendance, Priority and then By Arrangement. If someone broke into your house whilst you were there the call would be graded Immediate but if someone broke into your shed the call would probably be graded as Priority meaning an Officer would not attend right away if there were other jobs to be dealt with. It also has a lot to do with Health and Safety. A Police Officer cannot attend a job on his own where an Offender may be armed unless he has support with him because of the potential risk to himself and the public.
What people fail to realise is just how few Police Officers are on duty at any one time. It isn't like "The Bill" where there is always a canteen full of Coppers just sitting around drinking tea. All Police Areas have a minimum number of Officers that have to be on duty at any one time but frequently this number is bang on the minimum amount. I have often been over to the Briefing Room to talk with an Officer about an issue and found that it is empty with only the Duty Sergeant present who is tasked to manage all the incidents that have been allocated to his shift by the Control Room on his own. On many occassions the Briefing Room would remain empty for the entire shift, usually between eight to ten hours straight. Police Officers are extremely dedicated to their jobs and try to deal with as many situations as they possibly can.
2007-02-20 12:01:18 · answer #3 · answered by Golf Alpha Nine-seven 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well look at the response times from the following:-
Made a 999 call as there was a gang of scrotes throwing stones outside my house - response time 29 hours
Made a 999 call as I had been assaulted by a guy who was threatening me with a shovel - 85 minutes later still not attended too, lost my rag and ended up going to the police station
Made a 999 call after some guy drove his car into my motorcycle after an argument - 45 minutes later still not attended too, lost my rag and ended up going to the police station
Made a 999 call after being assaulted at work. Still waiting for the police to get in touch with me. This was now over a year ago.
Made a 999 call after my house had been burgled - 3 hour response time.
Made a 999 call on a heavily CCTV-covered street after being attacked by a gang of thugs. Police turned up miraculously after said thugs had ran off.
Made a call to the standard switchboard number after catching an old lady shoplifting. 3 vans and a car with a total of 7 officers arrived after only 2 minutes
When the police broke into my house with a warrant for a previous tenant and found my (legal) firearms despite the fact I wasnt in the house when they entered, when I returned from work there were 3 vans, 4 cars and about 17 police in and around my house
When a young girl was protesting in Parliament square by reading out the names of all the soldiers who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 two vans with a combined total of 14 officers turned up and arrested her, as she was obviously such a threat to national security
So, I think that yes, the police do pick which incidents to turn up to. And this is what you pay council tax for.
2007-02-20 11:32:49 · answer #4 · answered by vdv_desantnik 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The Police in Sutton Birmingham or should I say the Inspector in charge of the station didn't like me because I made a complaint against one of their officers, I had 3 armed robberies and it took them 35 mins to attend although the sub station was only 500 yards from my P.O. but I suppose I'm luckier than the Scottish lady who made a complaint they arrested her daughter who died in their custody.
Yes some police do cherry pick, I believe the drugs raids are very popular in Birmingham.
2007-02-20 10:53:57 · answer #5 · answered by st.abbs 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Do nurses cherry pick which sick people they treat? Do fire fighters cherry pick which fires they attend? Do they ****!!! I am a serving cop who is run ragged being sent by the control room to **** job after **** job, none of which involves anybody who actually pays any taxes or contributes to the society which they live in, but want everything for free. Clean living people who genuinely need the police don't get to see them for days on end cos we are too busy attending to drunks/junkies/scrotes and basically all the parasites in society who need us to sort out their pathetic uneventful lives inbetween them watching episodes for Jeremy Kyle. Sad, but very very true. Read a book called 'Wasting Police Time' by david Copperfield. Every single word is the gospel truth!!!!!
2007-02-21 08:06:05 · answer #6 · answered by barry c 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Unofficially or otherwise the police cant pick which incidents they turn up to,they are directed by their operations room who prioritise all calls
2007-02-20 09:53:26 · answer #7 · answered by frankturk50 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No, The control room which these days is manned by civilians send the calls through to response teams on a priority basis. The crews then go to which ever call their assigned to.
2007-02-20 11:03:58 · answer #8 · answered by clanz 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
They do not turn up to incidents where their health and safety is at risk, i.e. violent incidents. They wait until the criminals leave so it is safe for them to arrive.
On the other hand they do enjoy chasing people who litter, setting up hidden speed cameras and supplementing their income from the bribes and eating donuts (or is that only the American police ?)
2007-02-20 09:26:25 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
If its a street fight between two drunks they will do their utmost to be there within the week. If it's an attack on a property and that property is owned by someone who happens to be in the masons then they will be their within the minute. Hope this answers your question.
2007-02-20 09:27:56 · answer #10 · answered by fatherf.lotski 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
My mate who's an ambulance driver knows the hiding places where the cops go when there is a fight on in town, when its over they race in and get the people who are left, so yes the police do pick and choose.......
2007-02-20 09:25:47 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋