Can anyone explain why the police didn't help?

[RodWatts]

I don't understand it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07 ... -facebook/

I suppose she was lucky the police didn't arrest her for stealing a bike....!

Rod

[reohn2]

It could be that generally the police are useless,and cyclists are considered second or even third class citizens and bike theft isn't worth the effort investigating

[landsurfer]

Have recently had a bike stolen from a break in at my shed.
A family member located the bike, the thief, the fence, and the address the bike was being held at, and we passed the information to South Yorkshire Police .....
"Sorry not enough reason to visit the property."

I Have My Bike Back !!!!!

[Fruity]

Can anyone explain why the police didn't help?

Perhaps something along the lines of:

She rings up and says "I'm meeting the thief in 15 minutes, can you come along?"

The police say "We can't guarantee that we can attend, no. The officers in that area are currently dealing with other incidents. Can you wait?"

She says "no" and ends up in the papers.

[Tangled Metal]

More likely the police would help but they could only book her case in for a week next Tuesday. She couldn't wait because her bike would likely be sold by then due to its cheap selling price.

She went ahead with her bike recovery and in anger/frustration/lack of understanding of the police situation she ran to the press.

Truth is the police are stretched resulting in them being useless at times and to them not pursuing certain crimes/offences. Still they're the only means we've got to catch/investigate criminal activity.

I think most ppl know of a useless police story. Does it really warrant space in a paper, even an online padding piece? It's not exactly.news and does harm. It undermines the public image of the police even further which TBH is a problem.

[meic]

I imagine that most people dont have direct experience of hospitals and police matters from year to year and are reliant on the press to keep them informed of the issues.
The fact that the press deliberately mis-inform them is a different problem.

[pete75]

More likely the police would help but they could only book her case in for a week next Tuesday. She couldn't wait because her bike would likely be sold by then due to its cheap selling price.

She went ahead with her bike recovery and in anger/frustration/lack of understanding of the police situation she ran to the press.

Truth is the police are stretched resulting in them being useless at times and to them not pursuing certain crimes/offences. Still they're the only means we've got to catch/investigate criminal activity.

I think most ppl know of a useless police story. Does it really warrant space in a paper, even an online padding piece? It's not exactly.news and does harm. It undermines the public image of the police even further which TBH is a problem.

It gives a true picture of the police - is that a problem? The more people who know the more pressure will be brought to bear in order to get them to do the job they're paid to do. The very fact they don't pursue certain crimes is the reason those crimes are so prevalent.

As you said urgent action was required to recover the bike or it would have been sold on most likely beyond any chance of being traced. A competent and efficient officer might realise this was the case and take prompt action. An incompetent/lazy officer would also realise but, as you say, book it in sometime in the future knowing very well the bike would be gone and he wouldn't have to do anything.

[rmurphy195]

It could be that generally the police are useless,and cyclists are considered second or even third class citizens and bike theft isn't worth the effort investigating

I have a relative in the police - he cycles to work, his wife cycles, they have a trailer to take their baby son out in. He's overstretched, comes home from time to time with injuries inflicted by his customers, works all sorts of odd hours etc. etc. etc.

The earliest sign of police being under resourced that I can think of was a long long time ago, when the need arose to prioritise calls.

You need to complain about the processes, procedures, etc. to your local Police and Crime Commissioner and see if he/she can get more resources - maybe he/she can resign his post and have the money used to fund a few PC's on the ground.

[rmurphy195]

Have recently had a bike stolen from a break in at my shed.
A family member located the bike, the thief, the fence, and the address the bike was being held at, and we passed the information to South Yorkshire Police .....
"Sorry not enough reason to visit the property."

I Have My Bike Back !!!!!

Did they say what would be enough reason to do so? Did you ask?

[landsurfer]

Have recently had a bike stolen from a break in at my shed.
A family member located the bike, the thief, the fence, and the address the bike was being held at, and we passed the information to South Yorkshire Police .....
"Sorry not enough reason to visit the property."

I Have My Bike Back !!!!!

Did they say what would be enough reason to do so? Did you ask?

I did question them closely as to why they could not, an officer dressed like a tactical weapons officer came to the house and spent 15 minutes explaining why taking things into our own hands could be counter productive.
I went to the address, entered it, and removed my property !
Unopposed.
The 2 women and 1 man just sat and watched was i entered in full "Ian Paisley" mode, very noisy....

I was shaking like a leaf for 2 hours afterward.....

[blackbike]

She should have told the police she regarded it as a hate crime.

They'd have been round like a shot.

They love getting those ticked off to reach their KPIs.