Venting about interaction with police
 

I did it again today and don't know why I don't just learn my lesson.

Background: I live across from a school. Kids were drinking and breaking bottles against the shool and I wasn't sure what other vandalism they were doing so I called the police. They came to my house about a half hour later. They sat in my living room, asked for my drivers license, asked for my social security number and interviewed me like I was the criminal for about 20 minutes. Never found the kids or responded to that.

Number two: Guy in a wheel chair, no coat, just a T shirt. He comes down the road in a wheel chair in the snow, this is Wis in the winter. He is shivering and is disoriented. I take him in my garage, couldn't get the big guy up the stairs, give him a hot cup of coffee, call the cops. Again it is all about me. Driver's license, soc number, etc, etc. I asked the guy if he needed my finger prints for caring about the old guy and not letting him die of exposure.

Today, I am in a strip mall infront of a drug store picking up a perscription. Guy pulls into a handicap stall. My Mom has a handicap sticker. I tell him if he leaves it there I will call the cops. He walks up to the door and sees me on the phone then turns around and moves his car, I hang up. This all happened very quickly. I get a call back from the dispatcher asking me if I am OK. I tell her why I called. She says that they have to physically see me to make sure that I am OK. I said that I was within two blocks of the police department and there would be no reason to dispatch an officer for this that I would stop by. She says no problem. I go check in like I told the dispactcher that I would. 10 minutes later she says the cops are still too busy to see me. I say no problem, but I don't have time for this I am leaving.

Now I am waiting for an officer to show up at my door and grill me for 1/2 hr. Why do I care about other people. Why don't I just mind my own business. I told the last cop about the school that I didn't care if the damn thing burned down, I wouldn't call them again if I am treated this way and I went ahead and did it again today. What's wrong with me?

The last one was a 911 hangup I presume. They have no choice but to check up on you, there have been cases where police broke down doors to check a residence after a 911 hang up. (they have no choice). The reason they ask you so many questions is for their report, you're the complainant.

you have to understand. they are training the police that every citizen is a threat to them. and they are investigating a crime. if they are talking to you. THEY ARE INVESTIGATING A CRIME. even if you're the caller.
youve learned this the hard way as have I.
tell them you don't want to talk to them if they ask you questions.
there is NO LAW that you have talk to the police.

Yes they are just trying to do their job so they want it to be easy be gathering as much info as possible.
just be polite next time and say " I dont wish to speak with you, am i free to go?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8z7NC5sgik
this video may save you 10's of thousands of dollars

Suck all the way around,......but I sure as hell would not have given them my SSN

My SSN is 567-68-0515

:whistling:

Complete nonsense. I've never had to go through half as much even reporting crimes that have happened to me. I've never been questioned other than my name when reporting other crimes.

This is just their way of telling you to stop calling.

The reason for the information in the school situation is so that the officers know who you are and where they can find you in the event the officers do locate the offenders (there very well have been more officers at the school while you were giving information) you can be subpoenaed to testify in court. 2nd trip around, not so sure. Many agencies have standardized information that they ask for from each complainant, victim, and offender. m2hmghb nailed it on the third call. There are many cases where a 911 call is dropped, open line, hang up, or similar where there is a true domestic assault, burglary, or other serious crime in progress and the caller cannot tell the dispatcher anything. We actually tell people to call 911 and leave the line open in the event of domestic incidents or home invasions so that the dispatch center can receive the address and phone information to dispatch officers. as for MMAGuy and poodleshooter, don't waste our time and yours by calling if you won't provide information when officers arrive. If you wonder why the officer wants a specific piece of information, ask him.

You lyin' pinko turdmuncher. You think TD still ain't got friends?

:quiet:

2 more years :rofl:

did you really call 911 for the guy in a wheel chair? not an emergency, call a shelter or take him to one, maybe social services.

I get that its annoying when someone parks in a handicap spot, but 911? really? once again not an emergency. take it up with the guy if it's worth it to you, but calling the police over a minor parking violation is bit over the top. calling an emergency number over it is way over the top. If you feel the need to mix yourself up in minor incidents then get a non-emergency number to call. for someone claiming to care about people you might want to think about resources your local PD had to waste over really minor stuff that you bare a cross for not to mention you could be tying up the line while someone in actual danger is trying to get through. I applaud you for trying to better you community but don't expect the boys in blue to come bail you out on every little thing.

Edit: Just repeated bel970

I agree. Due to the parking issues I have in front of my home, I have the non emergency number on speed dial in my cell phone. But as a matter of fact, when you call the non emergency number, you are actually speaking to a REAL COP most of the time. Everytime Ive had to call 911 Ive gotten the run around. Next time I pop a bad guy in my store Im going to call the non emergency number while the guy bleeds out in my lobby. :steamed:

OP - Whether or not you get a cop with the non-emergency line varies depending on your location. Around here the non-emergency number takes you to the same place as 911 (Central Dispatch), but it just shows up as a non-priority line. It means they'll take care of 911 calls and the radio first, and then your call. Which is good because that's the best way to take care of non-emergencies. I like to keep our dispatchers happy. :wavey:

+1
 

I agree 100%! Too many people call 9-1-1 for the smallest little things which ties the system up and waste resources.

For example, if the OP had called 9-1-1 in my area for the old demented guy wheeling his way though the snow they'd have dispatched the police, the rescue squad and an ambulance, they dispatch rescue & an ambulance every time someone calls 9-1-1 for a nose bleed! By policy, the 9-1-1 operators in my county HAVE to dispatch every call for service they receive, regardless of how ridiculous they are.

OP like bel970 advised, get the non-emergency number for your PD and use it for things like you described.

Really, I missed that class in the academy. I wasn't taught that all citizens are a threat to me, nor does any Alabama Police Academy. Just where do you get your disinformation from? Who is the mysterious "they" you're talking about? "They" must be the guys in the black helicopters who keep circling your house.

I've been policing for over 20 years and have ever investigated a complainant unless it became evident that the crime they reported was false, AFTER they reported it, not just for calling something in.

Most computer based report software now requires the officer enters this data. Also,most agencies use the opportunity to enter data in case they ever have to back. It seems wrong but it really does help in the end.

I have only called 911 a few times ( dead deer in the middle of the road, two people putting a ladder up to a neighbors second story window at 0200, road ragers, etc.) and the cops never treated me like that although if they had asked I would have given them any information they wanted. The officers I interact with on a frequent basis are respectful of the public even some of the jerks I would have a hard time being tolerant of.

I'll give them all the info they need but they aren't getting my SSN. Period.

Everyone has their way of handling interactions with an LEO. If I have initiated the contact and I'm asked to provide name, SSN, etc. then I will comply. That saves me from the hassle of being mistaken as a wanted person of the same name. It's a very small chance, I'll admit, but I'd rather play it safe.

Fortunately for me, all of the interactions I have had with an LEO have been of a positive nature.


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