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Police don't show up.

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GrimsbyPacer

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Hi.
Lastnight I was bitten in the finger by a stranger. The police operator was on the phone before the event, but after 3 hours of waiting I gave up and went to bed. I got a description and possible fingerprint containing evidence. The operator also mentioned an ambulance which also didn't show. I'm okay, my finger isn't infected or broken.
But I'd expect someone to show up.
I hear of police not showing up in the media, is this common?
And who should I complain to?
The stranger was violent.
Thanks
 
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Antman

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Hi.
Lastnight I was bitten in the finger by a stranger. The police operator was on the phone before the event, but after 3 hours of waiting I gave up and went to bed. I got a description and possible fingerprint containing evidence. The operator also mentioned an ambulance which also didn't show. I'm okay, my finger isn't infected or broken.
But I'd expect someone to show up.
I hear of police not showing up in the media, is this common?
And who should I complain to?
The stranger was violent.
Thanks

The police obviously don't have unlimited resources and may have had more serious issues elsewhere, not that I'm trivialising what happened to you of course. The person who bit your finger will have left their DNA which will presumably have been lost now. Go to your nearest police station to report the incident.
 

dgl

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When my step-mums car was vandalised it was pretty much known who did it and if the police had come when the incident first happened then they probably could have got the evidence to arrest them instead, however, it wasn't until the tow truck came a couple of days later to pick up the car and due to the driver refusing to take the car until the police had been that the police actually turned up.

Whilst to some people the OP's incident may seem of lower importance, as with ticketless travel, investigate the small crimes and you may find the perpetrators of much bigger crimes.
 

transportphoto

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I'd consider it quite concerning that the police didn't show to a report of Grevious Bodily Harm. Was this BTP or your a Home Office force?
 

GrimsbyPacer

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It wasn't transport related so it must of been Humberside Police.
The operator did initially say Police weren't coming and then she said the opposite after the bite, it was just after then that ambulance was mentioned. She repeated the location correctly.
 
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furnessvale

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The police obviously don't have unlimited resources and may have had more serious issues elsewhere, not that I'm trivialising what happened to you of course. The person who bit your finger will have left their DNA which will presumably have been lost now. Go to your nearest police station to report the incident.

Ditto with the ambulance. If I needed hospital attention and could walk, I would get myself to hospital leaving the ambulance for cardiac arrests etc.
 

Bertie the bus

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Ditto with the ambulance. If I needed hospital attention and could walk, I would get myself to hospital leaving the ambulance for cardiac arrests etc.

The last time I visited A&E I had dislocated my ankle and so couldn't walk but still got a taxi. Expecting an ambulance because somebody bit your finger is simply ridiculous.
 

GrimsbyPacer

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It occured outside my home, and walking to A&E is a 50min walk at night which would leave the criminal to do whatever to my house. I only expected ambulance because the operator said ambulance, and I'm not an expert on human bites I was expecting the wound to be dressed and dis-infected or something. It was only later I checked and didn't seem to have the symptoms, but how was I to know if rabies or so was present?
I've wrote the full story down before I forget. I think I could point this out to the P&CC.
 
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Bertie the bus

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I only expected ambulance because the operator said ambulance, and I'm not an expert on human bites I was expecting the wound to be dressed and dis-infected or something.

That’s what A&E is for, not ambulances. A&E departments will still treat you if you make your own way there.
 

me123

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Wow... ambulance for a bite? That is NOT what an ambulance is for. It would not have been unreasonable to go to A&E with a human bite, but make your own way. I'm not entirely sure why this was mentioned by the 999 operator. You could have got a taxi to the hospital, for example. The fact that you were concerned about your property rather than your health is a pretty good sign that you probably were not in need of an ambulance!

FWIW, keep an eye on the bite wound. If it's getting infected (red, swollen, painful, tracking up your arm), you'll probably need antibiotics. Risk of transmitting Rabies is vanishingly low.

If you haven't already, go to the police station. The reality is that, yes I agree the Police should have attended, but the police do have to prioritise their calls and ultimately it's very likely that other calls were more urgent than yours in this instance. Yours was relatively minor - I know it won't feel like that to you, but compared to murders/rapes/more serious assaults this was a low priority case. It is worth pursuing this further, but bear the above in mind.

I hope you are OK, and I hope that you get some results from the Police.
 
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richa2002

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Wow... ambulance for a bite? That is NOT what an ambulance is for. It would not have been unreasonable to go to A&E with a human bite, but make your own way. I'm not entirely sure why this was mentioned by the 999 operator. You could have got a taxi to the hospital, for example. The fact that you were concerned about your property rather than your health is a pretty good sign that you probably were not in need of an ambulance!

FWIW, keep an eye on the bite wound. If it's getting infected (red, swollen, painful, tracking up your arm), you'll probably need antibiotics. Risk of transmitting Rabies is vanishingly low.

If you haven't already, go to the police station. The reality is that, yes I agree the Police should have attended, but the police do have to prioritise their calls and ultimately it's very likely that other calls were more urgent than yours in this instance. Yours was relatively minor - I know it won't feel like that to you, but compared to murders/rapes/more serious assaults this was a low priority case. It is worth pursuing this further, but bear the above in mind.

I hope you are OK, and I hope that you get some results from the Police.
Are these sort of things really happening so often that someone biting someone else's finger was not worthy of attending. I doubt it. Just sounds like woeful service.
 

me123

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I have no idea what happened that night in Humberside/Grimsby/wherever. But it could be the case that more serious things were happening - that's why it's worth pursuing a complaint. And, FWIW, I'm not just talking about murders and rapes - anything where there was an active risk to life would be a higher priority. It sounds like GrimsbyPacer was in a place of safety whilst he was still on the phone to the police.

I know I'm trying to find legitimate reasons as to why the police did not attend, but I completely agree that a complaint is warranted. They should have attended. But the reality of the emergency services is that it's not always that simple.

Why did you not latterly call 101 to ask where the Police are? :idea:
 

jon0844

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It does bug me at times when people say the police should be out concentrating on murders and rape. There are many thousands of police officers and I'm fairly certain there aren't thousands of murders and rapes every day.
 

Qwerty133

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I'd consider it quite concerning that the police didn't show to a report of Grevious Bodily Harm. Was this BTP or your a Home Office force?

Not (by a mile) Grievous Bodily Harm, GBH relates to the amount of harm caused not how it was caused, and bruising to a single finger is unlikely to amount to ABH let alone GBH.
 

Antman

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Not (by a mile) Grievous Bodily Harm, GBH relates to the amount of harm caused not how it was caused, and bruising to a single finger is unlikely to amount to ABH let alone GBH.

Well obviously I've not seen the OP's finger but I would think it would be at least ABH.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Ditto with the ambulance. If I needed hospital attention and could walk, I would get myself to hospital leaving the ambulance for cardiac arrests etc.

When I had a kidney stone a few years ago, painful beyond belief and so no way could I drive myself there and the wife was at work, they sent me a taxi to take me to hospital free of charge.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
It does bug me at times when people say the police should be out concentrating on murders and rape. There are many thousands of police officers and I'm fairly certain there aren't thousands of murders and rapes every day.

Exactly, murders and rapes are comparatively rare and most police work is about more mundane allegations.
 

transportphoto

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I referred to GBH/Wounding (s20 Offences Against Person Act 1861) due to the OP's reference to, and concern for, the possibility of infection. This would imply that the continuity of the skin has been broken at least in some way, thus be sufficient for the s20 Wounding offence… at least until charging standards come along.
 

DarloRich

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Hi.
Lastnight I was bitten in the finger by a stranger. The police operator was on the phone before the event, but after 3 hours of waiting I gave up and went to bed. I got a description and possible fingerprint containing evidence. The operator also mentioned an ambulance which also didn't show. I'm okay, my finger isn't infected or broken.
But I'd expect someone to show up.
I hear of police not showing up in the media, is this common?
And who should I complain to?
The stranger was violent.
Thanks

bitten? by a person? How the hell did that happen? This seems bizarre.

It occured outside my home, and walking to A&E is a 50min walk at night which would leave the criminal to do whatever to my house. I only expected ambulance because the operator said ambulance, and I'm not an expert on human bites I was expecting the wound to be dressed and dis-infected or something. It was only later I checked and didn't seem to have the symptoms, but how was I to know if rabies or so was present?
I've wrote the full story down before I forget. I think I could point this out to the P&CC.

Rabies? in a person? unlikely. This may be the oddest thing i have ever read on these boards. What did you do to make someone bite you? I have been in some dodgy situations but have never been bitten. Punched, kicked, hit with bottle ( it was lobbed into a crowd in a pub) but never bitten!
 
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me123

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bitten? by a person? How the hell did that happen? This seems bizarre.

Sadly, it's more common than you'd think. Although I'll admit that it's not common to be bitten by a total stranger. The OP doesn't mention anything but id be surprised if there weren't other injuries too.
 

GrimsbyPacer

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He was trying to break into my house when he bit me.
In sort the story was this guy knocked at the door wanting help which varied between water/directions/finding his phone etc but he said he'd been attacked and had blood from his ear in his hand, I asked him if he wanted police so I rang, after which he became more mumbled in what he was saying and ten minutes later he tried to force the door open and was going to breake the door (I have no money for repairs, and other family members were trying to sleep) then the struggle happened and he bit my finger hard, it felt like he was trying to bite it off.
Then I hit him repeatedly until he let go and he ran away.
He might of been drunk.
I said to the operator "He bit me", she earlier said no police were coming, but after then it changed to they are sent.
 

yorkie

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Very bizarre. As for family members trying to sleep, I would have called for their assistance!

Were you on the phone the whole time?
 

Bevan Price

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It does bug me at times when people say the police should be out concentrating on murders and rape. There are many thousands of police officers and I'm fairly certain there aren't thousands of murders and rapes every day.


Trouble is that numbers of police have been reduced in recent years, as Cammy Osborne won't provide enough money to employ them all.
 

Clip

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Very bizzare this - Im guessing if other family members were asleep then it was very late and as such why on earth are you answering your door at that time of night?
 

jon0844

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Recent years? Try going back a bit further than that. Like when we decided to supplement reduced police officers with PCSOs. And where for some time (perhaps even now) people believed they had more police on the streets...

I have to wait until tomorrow to report a fraudulent credit card application made from my address (different name). It was rejected but I tried to call the bank on Saturday to be told it is closed until Tuesday. So I got the number for the police action fraud line and that's close too until tomorrow.

I suspect the police will say it's up to the bank to deal with anyway. Thus nothing to add to any crime figures.
 

ChiefPlanner

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Trouble is that numbers of police have been reduced in recent years, as Cammy Osborne won't provide enough money to employ them all.


Yes , but you can argue that certain areas are "over policed" - bits of Central London around WC1 for example - and others where "Darwinism" applies.(and there seems to be no obvious policing)

I don't think in 20 years living in post code AL1 I have ever seen a foot patrol and on the 2 times I needed to use the Police (once for handling in a well dodgy passport and visas . flight tickets found in the street - they asked me to deliver it to the nearest open Police Station at Hatfield. Another time it was left to MOP's to do a citizens arrest and detain a person.

We are not all , in it together. Poor show.

Better not mention "efficiency" ....
 

DelayRepay

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I have to wait until tomorrow to report a fraudulent credit card application made from my address (different name). It was rejected but I tried to call the bank on Saturday to be told it is closed until Tuesday. So I got the number for the police action fraud line and that's close too until tomorrow.

I suspect the police will say it's up to the bank to deal with anyway. Thus nothing to add to any crime figures.

Been a while since I worked in Fraud in the bank, but I recall we used to submit figures on the level of fraud so they could be added to the crime stats. Unless it was an organised gang, the police weren't really interested in fraudulent applications, stolen cheques and that kind of thing.

I don't think in 20 years living in post code AL1 I have ever seen a foot patrol and on the 2 times I needed to use the Police (once for handling in a well dodgy passport and visas . flight tickets found in the street - they asked me to deliver it to the nearest open Police Station at Hatfield. Another time it was left to MOP's to do a citizens arrest and detain a person.

You do see police patrolling the town centre on a Saturday - sometimes an officer and a PCSO, sometimes just the PCSOs.

A friend of mine works as a civilian dispatcher in a northern police force. She covers a division which has a population of half a million people and often finds herself with only a handful of response officers on duty overnight during the week. If they arrest someone the officers can be tied up for hours so it's no wonder they are not keen to make arrests.

She told me about one night when she had 3 response cars available, all of which were committed to dealing with incidents. She had to send the force firearms unit to deal with a vulnerable person missing from home as there was nobody else available. When the firearms officers asked for extra manpower to search the local area, she had to resort to begging the fire brigade to turn out because there were literally no police resources available.

In addition she complains that the police, as the last line of defence, find themselves filling gaps in the NHS and Social Services which don't have sufficient out of hours cover.

She fears the day she makes the wrong decision about who to respond to and finds herself having to explain herself to an inquest. She also fears the day an officer presses their panic button and there are no other officers who can assist.

The story above is from several years ago so before the latest round of cuts.

I don't think that we really appreciate how thin the thin blue line really is.
 

me123

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In addition she complains that the police, as the last line of defence, find themselves filling gaps in the NHS and Social Services which don't have sufficient out of hours cover.

This is true. It's not always a case of a failure in NHS/Social services. If the Police become involved with people who are mentally unwell (actively suicidal, posing a risk to themselves or others) - and they frequently are the first agency to be involved in these instances - they will stay with that person until they are assessed and safe - this can mean that they are sitting in hospital for hours doing little more than keeping an eye on someone who has had far too much alcohol. And before anyone has a go at the NHS, we aren't the ones keeping the police there - the Police appear to be duty bound to stay.

The Police are also duty bound to seek medical attention for people in their custody (and rightly so). However, it is reasonable to say that quite a few of these trips (not all, of course) to hospital are not for genuine medical problems, but because people would prefer to spend a night in a hospital bed than in the Police cells. That's two police officers tied up right there.

OOH social services is also a royal PITA for the Police, and indeed for the NHS. The Police often do get involved, but actually where social services fail the default "place of safety" is often an acute hospital admission. I'm loathed to use the word safety because these people do come to harm. The NHS and the Police would undoubtedly save a small fortune if more investment was directed towards social services.

(I am, of course, experienced only with Scottish services, but I have no reason to believe that the situation in England and Wales is much different).
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I don't think that we really appreciate how thin the thin blue line really is.

I'm often surprised at just how many police officers are on duty. Although, considering they're usually all in an A&E department, it's probably a sign that none of them are on the street.
 

talltim

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It annoys me how many police can suddenly be found to do the work of private security for football matches yet they are apparently really stretched doing the job they are supposed to do.
 

Clip

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It annoys me how many police can suddenly be found to do the work of private security for football matches yet they are apparently really stretched doing the job they are supposed to do.

You could say the same about protest marches and the like which also need a police presence but you only single out football.. hmmm.

And youll find out that the stewards are in control of crowds at football matches and police only take over if a disturbance that the stewards cant deal with occurs.
 
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