On dealing with British Transport Police
When I reported my assault on Friday, and was interviewed by the British Transport Police, I was told that I could make a “victim personal statement” at that time or wait until later. Being the sort who likes to write and re-write her words, rather than dictate them to a police officer, I asked to wait. I was given a sheet of paper out of the officer’s notebook which states:
If you did not make a victim personal statement when you made a witness statement and would now like to, or if you want to make a statement describing the long-term effects of the crime, please contact the person named above. [NOTE: The British Transport Police officer, a lovely Kiwi woman, did not print her rank number and name as indicated on the paper.] They will arrange to take your personal statement. You can update your personal statement at any point before the case gets to court. The police officer who takes your personal statement will make sure it becomes part of the case papers. This means it will be available to everybody who is involved in your case. Finally, thank you for providing police with your co-operation in this case, it is greatly appreciated.
I was told I’d be hearing from the investigating officer soon. I didn’t hear anything on Saturday, but…well, it was a Saturday. Do cops work Saturdays? (In this country, I can’t be so sure.)
When I asked how I could send the picture to the police, I was told that the investigating officer would take my camera or my memory card and return it once they’d retrieved the photograph from it. “Erm…not so cool with that,” I said. “No,” said the (male, friendly, Irish) officer who accompanied the other (female, Kiwi) officer. “Whatever you do, don’t give ‘em your camera!” I was sort of unsurprised that simply allowing me to email the picture to the police was not deemed an efficient option.
Filed under: Life
Jackie, glad you’re ok. As for police in the UK, read these and weep:
http://coppersblog.blogspot.com/
http://pcbloggs.blogspot.com/
Apologies if I’m teaching granny to suck eggs. :wink:
All the cops I’ve met have been great people, frustrated by a system that seems designed to prevent them from doing their jobs.
Hi Jackie, (your blog doesn’t seem to like Macs. Phft! My 2nd attempt at spouting shite) as a fellow Londoner & very angry at reading your post on Dailygut, let me reassure you if I meet that fat f*ck on my travels, he’ll also meet my steel toe-cap Caterpillar boot too. Well, his fat ugly face will. I’ll leave the fate of his vile friend in the hands of MY friends. As a “born n bred” Londerner I’m ashamed to say that this is a shitty crime-ridden shit-hole, people. No Mary Poppins here, just stabbings, rapes & murders.
Is anyone in New York looking for a lodger?
I appreciate the sentiment, but just to clarify, I am asking people to call the police if they know this guy or see him. I would feel awful if someone violently attacked him and his friend the way they did me.
Good to hear you’re doing ok, Jackie.
I’d imagine the police’s preference for taking the picure off your camera themselves has something to do with wanting to be sure that you’re not just emailing a picture of some random guy you found on the internet.
Although, having said that, I bet there are a 101 ways that a picture saved on a digital camera could be forged…
Hi there,
The police in London give me the impression of not being much use to anyone. On more than one occasion I’ve been to the police station in Wimbledon and been made to wait ages and then, when I try to file a report (in this particular case, about a death threat on a website) I’ve just been given a bit of paper and been told to go away, fill it in and post it at my leisure.
I sympathise with your earlier statement about mace and other weaponry. I get fed up to the back teeth of the continual anti-knife propaganda in the popular press. Of course, they should break up the gangs, but then they want to send anyone who is caught (no doubt, stopped for skin colour or clothing related reasons) with a knife, on his or her own and harming nobody, to jail for longer and longer, and yet there seems to be no other way of stopping yourself getting mugged/raped/stabbed.
> I’d imagine the police’s preference for taking the picure off your camera themselves has something to do with wanting to be sure that you’re not just emailing a picture of some random guy you found on the internet.
Not that it’s difficult to put such a picture on your camera. However, I think you’re giving the bureaucracy too much credit here. I reckon they simply haven’t updated their procedures since the days of film.
Fraser, thanks for the links, the PC Bloggs is especially funny and satirical.
Party On!