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[Misc] Have you ever resorted to vigilantism out of frustration with a lack of police response?



marlowe

Well-known member
Dec 13, 2015
3,898
Just been watching channel 4's Dispatches on "Lawless Britain" which highlights the Police's policy of "screening out" crime which means there is a certain percentage within each category of crime which each police force simply don't investigate due to budget cuts and lack of resources. For instance official figures reveal that Sussex Police routinely "screen out" 50% of all reported burglaries.

Police forces actively encourage victims of crime to do their own detective work, gathering evidence
such as cctv footage etc. The problem is even after a victim has gathered really strong cctv or other evidence on the police's behalf, the police still dont pursue the reported crime which leaves the victim extremely frustrated after all the work they've put in trying to make the police's job easier.

Being on the end of such a lack of police response must drive a lot of people to vigilantism which only perpetuates more crime being committed, possibly by the original victim. Ironically it can be the case that the police will then respond to the crime committed by the original victim, but still ignore the original crime which provoked the victim's reaction, which was also provoked by the police's lack of action to the crime committed against them.

Have you ever resorted to vigilantism or seriously considered vigilantism as a result of being a victim of crime or being close to someone who was?

http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/lawless-britain-where-are-the-police-channel-4-dispatches
 


LlcoolJ

Mama said knock you out.
Oct 14, 2009
12,982
Sheffield
Just been watching channel 4's Dispatches on "Lawless Britain" which highlights the Police's policy of "screening out" crime which means there is a certain percentage within each category of crime which each police force simply don't investigate due to budget cuts and lack of resources. For instance official figures reveal that Sussex Police routinely "screen out" 50% of all reported burglaries.

Police forces actively encourage victims of crime to do their own detective work, gathering evidence
such as cctv footage etc. The problem is even after a victim has gathered really strong cctv or other evidence on the police's behalf, the police still dont pursue the reported crime which leaves the victim extremely frustrated after all the work they've put in trying to make the police's job easier.

Being on the end of such a lack of police response must drive a lot of people to vigilantism which only perpetuates more crime being committed, possibly by the original victim. Ironically it can be the case that the police will then respond to the crime committed by the original victim, but still ignore the original crime which provoked the victim's reaction, which was also provoked by the police's lack of action to the crime committed against them.

Have you ever resorted to vigilantism or seriously considered vigilantism as a result of being a victim of crime or being close to someone who was?

http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/lawless-britain-where-are-the-police-channel-4-dispatches
Considered it on a few occasions and had the options to get it done. Realised that it really wouldn't be worth it. Decent people generally have more to lose than the scumbags unfortunately.
 


Filipino Pat

New member
Aug 24, 2014
19
I live overseas, but own a place in the UK that is rented out. Our new tenant has started operating an illegal AirBnB out of the apt - against leasing terms and in violation of apt building policy. Then, in July he stopped paying rent. Tried to address this all with him and he threatened to sue us for harassment. Now having to start the long slow and expensive legal process to evict... Have genuinely considered sending in the 'heavies'...
 


The Clamp

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jan 11, 2016
24,272
West is BEST
I live overseas, but own a place in the UK that is rented out. Our new tenant has started operating an illegal AirBnB out of the apt - against leasing terms and in violation of apt building policy. Then, in July he stopped paying rent. Tried to address this all with him and he threatened to sue us for harassment. Now having to start the long slow and expensive legal process to evict... Have genuinely considered sending in the 'heavies'...

Don’t. If you do that you may as well hand him the deeds to the property. Get him out legally then go after the money.
 
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Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,985
Goldstone
I live overseas, but own a place in the UK that is rented out. Our new tenant has started operating an illegal AirBnB out of the apt - against leasing terms and in violation of apt building policy. Then, in July he stopped paying rent. Tried to address this all with him and he threatened to sue us for harassment. Now having to start the long slow and expensive legal process to evict...
Er, just book the place via AirBnB, he leaves, you go in, change the locks. You don't need to evict, he's not there.
 




The Clamp

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jan 11, 2016
24,272
West is BEST
Er, just book the place via AirBnB, he leaves, you go in, change the locks. You don't need to evict, he's not there.

If he shrugs and says the game’s up and leaves it at that ,fine. If he’s got a valid tenancy then that counts as an illegal eviction and the owner will get in deep doo doo.
 


Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,985
Goldstone
If he shrugs and says the game’s up and leaves it at that ,fine. If he’s got a valid tenancy then that counts as an illegal eviction and the owner will get in deep doo doo.
Well he doesn't have to leave, as he's already left and taken his stuff, as he's let it out. His 'valid tenancy' may also be null and void as he's broken the terms of the contract. You're not making someone homeless, they're not there.

Also, there's the option that the owner doesn't do it himself, but has a friend go in. If the friend does that and changes the locks, what is the other law breaking tenant to do?
 


The Clamp

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jan 11, 2016
24,272
West is BEST
Well he doesn't have to leave, as he's already left and taken his stuff, as he's let it out. His 'valid tenancy' may also be null and void as he's broken the terms of the contract. You're not making someone homeless, they're not there.

That’s not how tenancy agreements work unfortunately. The owner has got indesputable grounds for a legal eviction, he’s more than two months in arrears and he’s broken the terms of the tenancy. He could be out in a couple of months but there has to be due process. You can’t just change the locks in the hopes he’ll accept it and slink off quietly.
It’s disgusting how people can get away with this but at this point in the proceedings the tenant has the law on his side.
 




LlcoolJ

Mama said knock you out.
Oct 14, 2009
12,982
Sheffield
I live overseas, but own a place in the UK that is rented out. Our new tenant has started operating an illegal AirBnB out of the apt - against leasing terms and in violation of apt building policy. Then, in July he stopped paying rent. Tried to address this all with him and he threatened to sue us for harassment. Now having to start the long slow and expensive legal process to evict... Have genuinely considered sending in the 'heavies'...
Had a situation with a tenant in our rented house years ago where they (her and the on off boyfriend) were causing tons of grief for local residents and were basically a nightmare. Police called loads of times, blacklisted by taxi firms, never paid any bills, fighting in the street etc.

When we declined to extend their contract (fortunately only six months) we got a big rock chucked at our living room window one evening. My son was about six months old at the time and had the rock smashed the window (broke both panes of the double glazing but didn't get through) the glass/rock would have hit him.

Plod were useless, obviously, and in the heat of the moment I seriously considered making a few calls. Sense prevailed. It would have been easy but who knows what would have happened subsequently.

It's so frustrating that scum who know how to play the system can be allowed to **** things up for normal decent folk. But it's not worth risking everything to do the right thing.

Best of luck.
 


Filipino Pat

New member
Aug 24, 2014
19
It's a 2-bed place. He is still there - just lets out the spare room. Think it'll have to be the legal process, but would love to catch up with him later and ask about the 6-9 months rent or whatever it'll end up being...
 


marlowe

Well-known member
Dec 13, 2015
3,898
The problem actually goes far deeper than it simply being the police who don't enforce the law.

There are a few regulatory bodies or authorities apart from the police who have the powers to enforce regulations or penalise certain offences but each of them to some capacity either don't have the will or the inclination or even the competency of staff. These can range from the Insolvency Service, the Council, HMRC or the Attorney General's Office, all of whom you can make reports to if someone has or is committing a criminal offence against you. Invariably they either do not want to know, they pass the buck or they haven't got the required knowledge and skillset to administer the job they are charged to do.

The level of blatant criminal conduct being committed against innocent people which is permitted to continue and go unpunished by all of those public bodies is astounding, even when all the investigative work and evidence gathering is done for them and handed to them on a plate.

The lack of response simply perpetuates more crime, first on the part of the criminals because they know they can get away with it because no action will be taken against them and then on the part of the victims who have simply had enough and are fed up banging their heads against brick walls, and that's when things can get potentially nasty.
 




The Clamp

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jan 11, 2016
24,272
West is BEST
It's a 2-bed place. He is still there - just lets out the spare room. Think it'll have to be the legal process, but would love to catch up with him later and ask about the 6-9 months rent or whatever it'll end up being...

Unfortunately that’s your only legal option. Feel for you and best of luck.
 


GT49er

Well-known member
Feb 1, 2009
46,469
Gloucester
It's the traveller syndrome as far as the police and the authorities are concerned, isn't it. If you or I bought a caravan and went on holiday and parked up somewhere that wasn't a caravan site, they'd be on us quicker than Murray flicking his foot out to direct the ball in the back of the net; easy targets are us law abiding citizens.

Harder cases, who might cause more trouble/red tape/difficulties/violence/accusations of racism? - no, too much effort - they've been set targets to reach; that's the modern way of management, far from the front line and gung-ho for 'efficiency'........... so naturally the people in the front line who want to get good annual reports will go for easy targets.
 


LlcoolJ

Mama said knock you out.
Oct 14, 2009
12,982
Sheffield
It's the traveller syndrome as far as the police and the authorities are concerned, isn't it. If you or I bought a caravan and went on holiday and parked up somewhere that wasn't a caravan site, they'd be on us quicker than Murray flicking his foot out to direct the ball in the back of the net; easy targets are us law abiding citizens.

Harder cases, who might cause more trouble/red tape/difficulties/violence/accusations of racism? - no, too much effort - they've been set targets to reach; that's the modern way of management, far from the front line and gung-ho for 'efficiency'........... so naturally the people in the front line who want to get good annual reports will go for easy targets.
Spot on.
 




wellquickwoody

Many More Voting Years
NSC Patreon
Aug 10, 2007
13,584
Melbourne
It's a 2-bed place. He is still there - just lets out the spare room. Think it'll have to be the legal process, but would love to catch up with him later and ask about the 6-9 months rent or whatever it'll end up being...

Just ‘ave ‘im rubbed aht, avoids any legal complications later on.
 




Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 11, 2003
59,198
The Fatherland
No. But when I was.a kid a guy at my school stole my bike from outside my house to ride home and then slung it in the river Ouse. I found this out from whispers at school. Not a lot I could do about it and to make matters worse to my 14/15 year old self he bragged about it a few times.

I did chuckle when, a few years later, I read on the front of the Argus he had his hand severed iin an industrial accident.
 






Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patreon
Oct 8, 2003
49,331
Faversham
No. But when I was.a kid a guy at my school stole my bike from outside my house to ride home and then slung it in the river Ouse. I found this out from whispers at school. Not a lot I could do about it and to make matters worse to my 14/15 year old self he bragged about it a few times.

I did chuckle when, a few years later, I read on the front of the Argus he had his hand severed iin an industrial accident.

Quite. I have posted on here before how everyone who has crossed me egregiously has come to a sticky end without any action by me. One protagonist (I won't give details that may identify, but it was when I was at school) was actually dead within a year. This (self-generating retribution) had happend so many times I tend to feel wryly sorry for people who annoy me now, owing to the invitable. :laugh:
 


mikeyjh

Well-known member
Dec 17, 2008
4,473
Llanymawddwy
Unfortunately that’s your only legal option. Feel for you and best of luck.

This - It doesn't feel right but tenants (quite rightly) have a reasonable protection, getting in the heavies, changing locks, all that sort of thing, you're opening a big can of worms and likely to get yourself in hot water.
 



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