Ever been the victim of a crime?

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

Five years ago I went through a bad breakup. I moved out quickly, found a nice-ish apartment to live in, and moved. I was there for five days when I came home from work one day to find my front door kicked in.

Someone had come in while I was away during the day. They took my kitchen knives (not even a nice set), a leather jacket, my cologne, my computer. my PS2, my XBox 360, a rolling suitcase and they had moved my TV by the door. They wanted to steal it, I guess, but didn't have time or couldn't carry it. I called the police, they came out and the first question they had was did I have the serial numbers of the things they stole. I didn't, so they said there wasn't much they could do for me. They tried taking fingerprints but couldn't get anything.

I felt raped and violated. It was an awful feeling. I've become security crazy now. I have an alarm, some other security measures, and I have two copies of all my serial numbers off of all my electronics. If you take nothing else from my story, take 10 minutes to write down your serial numbers and stash them someplace safe. It helps for insurance as well as the police.

Good suggestion. I will go around and snap pics of serial numbers with my phone

[GoldenRivet]

Have you ever been the victim of a crime, large or small?

Ironic I see this post on Easter Sunday morning... It was around 4am on Easter Sunday a few years back that an arsonist set both my cars and part of my home on fire.

Was it reported to the police?

Yup

Was it solved?

Within 72 hours

Was somebody brought to justice?

By definition, the judge let the man walk with probation despite torching 9 neighborhood cars and causing considerable damage to 2 homes.

Did you get your stuff/mojo back?

Technically, insurance paid the cars off, something I was only a few months from accomplishing myself. I was left on the hook for replacing the vehicles. Homeowners insurance rebuilt the garage.

Walk us through it, with details.

Knock on the door at 4am, I answer it, it's a fireman wanting to know where my fire is. I tell him I've got no fire. I see several firefighters run toward the alley in the back. He joins them. Thinking my aft neighbors house is on fire I run to the back of the house and open the door to enter the garage. I'm greeted by smoke and flame. They fight the fires for about 30 minutes, as the fire chief is discussing possible causes for the fire his radio comes to life with the voice of a dispatcher reporting 2 more car fires in the neighborhood. He says "that's not a coincidence, you can enter the home, don't touch anything ill have an arson investigator here today" at this point the whole army of firefighters rushed a block away to the next set of fires.

They were battling car fires for the next 4 hours

[Jimbuna]

Stabbed on two separate occasions whilst on duty (so some may not consider it a crime ).

First one was the most serious and required surgery, the assailant got fifteen month.

The second time wasn't anywhere near as serious, the assailant suffered a fractured skull and a broken jaw during the process and was given a three month suspended sentence (the judge obviously took his injuries received whilst resisting arrest into account).

Theft wise, in 1990 whilst residing in Holland I had my bike stolen from outside a restaurant I was at.....I'd been out most of the day drinking with friends and forgot to lock it so I put that one down to life's experiences.

One message I always passed on at every opportunity was 'If you don't want to do the time, don't do the crime'.

Very few if any ever listened.

[mookiemookie]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Stabbed on two separate occasions whilst on duty (so some may not consider it a crime ).

First one was the most serious and required surgery, the assailant got fifteen month.

Wow. I think if that had happened over here, the guy would have been in for longer than 15 months. Assaulting a police officer usually brings stiff penalties here.

[Hottentot]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Stabbed on two separate occasions whilst on duty (so some may not consider it a crime ).

First one was the most serious and required surgery, the assailant got fifteen month.

Pretty mild sentence. At least in here any such attempt against an officer on duty would be automatically by the law considered an attempted murder, and murder is about the only crime I can think of for which you can get sentenced to life in jail.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

Wow. I think if that had happened over here, the guy would have been in for longer than 15 months. Assaulting a police officer usually brings stiff penalties here.

Originally Posted by Hottentot

Pretty mild sentence. At least in here any such attempt against an officer on duty would be automatically by the law considered an attempted murder, and murder is about the only crime I can think of for which you can get sentenced to life in jail.

I must agree with you both but I obviously had no say in the sentencing process.

Here's one and not a victim but could have been:

On mobile patrol (alone) when I receive a radio message of a bank alarm only a minute or so away from my current location.

Activate the vehicles siren and get there rather promptly...run into the bank armed with nothing more than a 24" carbon baton and a pair of handcuffs and ask who and where said suspected villains are.

The response..."They ran out and headed that way, the one with the gun following the other""

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Originally Posted by Hottentot

Pretty mild sentence. At least in here any such attempt against an officer on duty would be automatically by the law considered an attempted murder, and murder is about the only crime I can think of for which you can get sentenced to life in jail.

Only other I know of is high treason (which in my opinion should still permit capital punishment).

[Jimbuna]

A mandatory life sentence must still be given in the UK for murder but the judge then gives the minimum term that must be served:

Type of murder......................................Starting point
Multiple/exceptionally serious murder..........Whole-life order
Murder involving firearm.............................30 years
Murder of a police or prison officer on duty....30 years
Murder done for personal gain.....................30 years
Murder involving knife (post 2010)...............25 years
Other offences.......................................... 15 years

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

armed with nothing more than a 24" carbon baton

the one with the gun

Dude!


They talk about bringing a knife to a gun fight but you only brought a STICK!

You British Coppers have some major 'Rocks'!

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by privateer

Dude!


They talk about bringing a knife to a gun fight but you only brought a STICK!

You British Coppers have some major 'Rocks'!

Not at all Jeff....the radio message only made reference to a bank alarm having been activated and certainly no reference to an incident involving firearms

If there had been prior knowledge the instruction would have been to maintain a watchful stance in the immediate vicinity until an armed response unit arrived.

I have been known to get caught up in traffic jams in the past

[BossMark]

Ever been a victim of crime?

Yes tomorrow when go through the turnstile at Elland Road

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

If there had been prior knowledge

There's a small Bank branch here in my Village.
That Bank's alarms go off for any reason?
You'd think Bin laden was hiding there!


And you all run around with sticks.
Don't sell your courage short Mate!

[Jimbuna]

I lost that the day I hijacked a limo on my arrival at Houston

[Onkel Neal]

lol

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

lol

Aye ya bugga...you sent Jeff to pick me up....thank Christ you and I went to pick Todd up or we might never have met him to this day

Great times...should be organised for another Meet