I'm working Quietsville when a beat bobby calls up, lots of noise going on in the background.
"Bravo Sierra Control, I've got two in custody for shoplifting, Sainsburys, Quietsville town centre - can I have a van on the hurry-up please?"
The van unit is free and immediately heads towards. When he gets there, he calls up again.
"Control, can you confirm that officer's location? We're at Quietsville Sainsburys and there's nothing going on."
The beat officer replies, slightly embarrassed, still with offenders swearing in the background.
"I'm actually in Othertown... I normally work Quietsville but I'm here on attachment. I'll switch to their channel."
Whoops.
Thursday 21 October 2010
Saturday 9 October 2010
Facebook Suicides
I've had more than one of these, now, almost identical in circumstances, so I reckon I can safely say there's a lot of it about. If it's happened on my watch more than once I bet it's happened in other Forces too.
It goes like this: someone in a foreign country (OK, honestly, an American male) has befriended someone from this country (OK, honestly, a female) over the internet. They might have been talking for months, shared their life history and all their problems, and consider themselves friends, but never met.
The English, female party then intimates or threatens suicide. The American 'net friend acts like a concerned and responsible friend, exercises his internet detective skills and does his best to alert the local police force.
Mostly, we can't find any evidence to suggest that the women even exist. That is, it's a false name and address, there's no record of them anywhere, and if the address even exists the people who live there are completely baffled by our turning up on their doorstep with blue lights on.
There was one very satisfying occasion where we found the person responsible and although I won't go into detail here I think that person ended the day very, very embarrassed.
I've mentioned before that I don't find suicide funny. My blood goes cold when these jobs come in, I do my level best to double-check the informant's internet detective work, and then dive into police systems to see what I can find. No-one is going to die of laziness on my watch.
But when we do, inevitably, find out that it was some sick fuck's idea of a joke, I shudder. Pretending to someone who cares for you that you've killed yourself, even if he's never met you? That's inhuman.
It goes like this: someone in a foreign country (OK, honestly, an American male) has befriended someone from this country (OK, honestly, a female) over the internet. They might have been talking for months, shared their life history and all their problems, and consider themselves friends, but never met.
The English, female party then intimates or threatens suicide. The American 'net friend acts like a concerned and responsible friend, exercises his internet detective skills and does his best to alert the local police force.
Mostly, we can't find any evidence to suggest that the women even exist. That is, it's a false name and address, there's no record of them anywhere, and if the address even exists the people who live there are completely baffled by our turning up on their doorstep with blue lights on.
There was one very satisfying occasion where we found the person responsible and although I won't go into detail here I think that person ended the day very, very embarrassed.
I've mentioned before that I don't find suicide funny. My blood goes cold when these jobs come in, I do my level best to double-check the informant's internet detective work, and then dive into police systems to see what I can find. No-one is going to die of laziness on my watch.
But when we do, inevitably, find out that it was some sick fuck's idea of a joke, I shudder. Pretending to someone who cares for you that you've killed yourself, even if he's never met you? That's inhuman.
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