Friday 10 September 2010

Walk On By

My force serves quite a nice area, generally, and robberies are rare (although they do happen).  For those without the in-depth law knowledge that I have, as a highly trained civilian police despatcher, a robbery is a theft from the person with an added element of violence or the threat of violence.  Something like that, anyway.

Anyway, something that I have never, ever, ever seen or heard of is the MO of someone crashing their car and hiding in it, or pretending to be drunk/ill, falling over, and then leaping into action when someone stops to help.

I could probably dig into our control room software and find several hundred jobs that read like this:

"There's a car in the ditch on the B1234 Rural Road, I was just driving past and I didn't get the registration, and I didn't stop to offer assistance FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.  I just thought I should call it in in case there's been an accident."

"There's a man asleep or passed out on the pavement on Urban Avenue, just outside Shitsville Town Centre.  I was just driving past so I've got no description and I didn't stop to offer assistance FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.  I just thought I should call it in in case he's dead."

For heavens' sake, people!  I'm paid to protect the public so the last thing I want to do is put you at risk, but why can't you make the tiniest attempt to look out for each other?

If you're in a car, drive as close as you can, have your mobile phone in your hand so you can call 999 straight away if necessary, open the window and shout out.  Maybe, even, phone your local Force's non-urgent number and ask the call-taker to keep you on the line while you talk to the bloke. 

Just, please, show a little compassion.  If you'd crashed your car, or had a stroke and fallen down in the street, you'd want someone to stop and help.  Right?