Do you think reporting crime in London is worth it ?

[rennie]

of course. if u don't report a crime how are the police to know it's happening? It's always frustrating when nothing gets done but one MUST report a crime after it happens.

 

[lighterthief]

Problem is it is very time-consuming reporting a minor crime/incident to the police. We've witnessed a lot of bike thefts from our block of flats and each time it has taken upwards of an hour just to get through on the phone to report it. Also, as they weren't our bikes being nicked, the police seemed very disinterested.

 

[E. Coli]

There was a shooting outside my house a few months back. So I called the OB to report it. They sent a couple of uniforms around to to take a statement. While one of them was asking questions his mate was wondering around the room checking my stuff out, looking behind the telly and stuff which I thought a bit odd and rude. One of the funny things though was that when they asked how I knew it was a gunshot i'd heard I said 'well you hear them all the time in New York'- not that unusual you might think except that i've never been there.
Anyway turns out a guy was shot in his car and turned up at homerton hospital later that evening with a bullet in his back. He didn't want to report it to the police and wouldn't give a statement- ah the life of a drug dealer eh?

same thing two nights ago. Some bloke was gettign a right kicking on the road in front of me. His girlfriend's called the police screaming and crying. they turn up all blue lights and sirens so obviously the OG's leg it. And again bloke doesn;t want to give a statement. Even though these guys stole his g/f handbag. I went and told the police what I saw. Haven't heard back from them tho'

 

[liberty]

I reported my bike being nicked as it was nicked outside Stokie Police station ... Sad but true

 

[editor]

Living in London do you think reporting minor crime to the police is really worth it ? Have you had your car broken into or your bike stolen ? Have you been assaulted in a road rage attack or punched in a pub ? Did you bother to report it ? If not why not ? Living in London today do you accept that crime is just a part of everyday life in the capital .

Any kind of violence, personal theft or mindless smashing up of community assets (i.e. phone boxes/stations), I'll give the cops a call.

If you don't report it, nothing's going to get fixed.

Not that they turn up, mind.

 

[rennie]

Any kind of violence, personal theft or mindless smashing up of community assets (i.e. phone boxes/stations), I'll give the cops a call.

If you don't report it, nothing's going to get fixed.

Not that they turn up, mind.

word. U still have to report it... cos if u don't, then they'll never turn out!

 

[Donna Ferentes]

When I got burgled in Brixton, I called the cops. They did very well, too - found the guy, got some of my stuff back and everything.

Mind you, I never got my stuff back off them.....

 

[oicur0t]

I reported a crime a few weeks ago. Nob end was emtpying a hand bag into a bin at 7 in the morning carefully spreading the evidence among three bins whilst hiding behind them. We saw this all through out kitchen window then watched him go into his flat. The police have paid him a visit twice since. In fact they were there this morning, but this could be totally unrelated.

I am much more likely to call the police when it involves someone else. If it's for myself, you have to think where's this gonna end up and how much hassle is it gonna be? Although, having said that I called the police when my bike was nicked from (inside!!) work.

 

[HackneyE9]

I reported an attack on someone else a few months ago which sums up a lot of attitudes on this thread.

The cyclist in front of me on the Islington-Hackney LCC backroads route had two bricks thrown at her at point blank range by a gang of pre-teens. She came skidding off and her bike was mangled mess, but the brick hit her on the arm, which swelled up and she was deeply in shock.

Me and another cyclist stopped to help her, at which point the gang returned and tried to intimidate us, saying we were 'disrespecting' them. Anyway, I phoned the cops and an ambulance while I was fixing her bike, and she was all "No, don't bother, it's nothing" until I pointed out that at least in my book it was attempted murder, and secondly she paid her taxes so why shouldn't she ring the cops.

Anyway, after the police admin woman on the phone was useless about finding the street (I was reading it to her off the bloody street sign but she still couldn't spell it/find it on her computer) the pigs turned up after about five minutes and were very sympathetic, but utterly uniniterested in the fact I had five eye-witness descriptions of the kids, who had even returned and presumably live on/around the estate we were in, took no details or notes, and just concluded it was a "rough estate." Which it is, but a simple bit of detective work could probably have netted them an easy conviction.

 

[girasol]

Not really, no, not petty stuff...

I had my windscreen smashed not so long ago, didn't see any point in reporting it...

I would most definetely report violent crimes, I have in the past. As well as reporting a little 10 year old idiot who decided to 'show' me he was carrying a knife...

 

[beeboo]

As someone involved in research which includes crime statistics etc, I'd say (echoing what Detective Boy have already said), please report it.

So many otherwise useful studies on crime are undermined because the statistics are inadequate, or perceived to be inadequate.

You can often fill in a crime report form online, for simple things, saving police resources and making it quicker and easier for yourself as well.

Admittedly the police could do a better job of keeping their own paperwork up to date, mind you!