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I became a statistic in May.
Boomerang
Member Posts: 4,513
I will make it brief. On May 31, 2002, 9:15 am, while at my office, my truck was broken into and my power tools were stolen. I chased the thief and got to within 15 feet of him, but he was driving off. I called the police to report the theft in hopes that could catch him. (FYI, the police sub station is less than 1500 feet from my office.) It took them 20 minutes to respond. I gave them a complete description of thief, and the car along with license number. Get this, there were 6 witnesses to this theft, and no one did anything. Most everyone said that they could not believe it was happening in front of their eyes. The police took the report and have yet to follow up on anything.
This makes me mad, no wonder this country is in such a state. Essentially the police told me this happens all the time and they would file a report. They never had any intent to do anything about it. Now, in order to get the police report I have to pay $18. Talk about getting robbed twice, this is ridiculous.
Boomer
"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as it is by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed."
This makes me mad, no wonder this country is in such a state. Essentially the police told me this happens all the time and they would file a report. They never had any intent to do anything about it. Now, in order to get the police report I have to pay $18. Talk about getting robbed twice, this is ridiculous.
Boomer
"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as it is by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed."
Comments
Lastly, no wonder the thiefs and robbers fear little, the police are so swamped they are not doing their jobs. That is with the exception of setting up speed traps for the honest taxpayers. If you are speeding, broke, driving without a license, your vehicle is smoking up a storm, you get a free pass.
Boomer, a pissed off taxpayer
"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as it is by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed."
Edited by - Boomerang on 06/30/2002 12:32:10
Had eyewitnesses,tag number,all the stuff I needed to"help" the police
make an arrest.There was a report, and nothing else.
My only conclusion is that I was not an important enough person in
society.I hold no political office,was not connected to anyone who
was,and lived in a working class neighborhood.As an ordinary citizen
you and I hold no power to force the police to do their jobs.
I,and several of my loved ones over the years,have been the victim of
burglary,robberies,and other violent crimes.(I have been victimized
severl times myself).All of it ending with "law enforcement"telling
me there is nothing they can do.So I make no bones about the fact that
I have sought my own justice since that last incident that I descibe
above.I haven't had to bury anyone(yet),but I have gotten satisfaction, and my property back!
www.waveformwear.com
fighting censorship...with an attitude
Edited by - thesoundguy1 on 06/30/2002 12:45:54
Edited by - thesoundguy1 on 06/30/2002 12:46:27
Rugster
Ids, I don't understand your reply. First, why should a two page photo copy of a police report cost $18? This should be a free service to the victim, or $0.50 at most. Second, I am a tax payer and have been for 50 years. What have my taxes gone for all these years?
I knew this would get interesting. First, I don't dispute the fact that $18 is a bit exhorbitant when they are probably only going to use a few cents worth of paper and a few minutes of some employee's time who probably only gets paid about $9/hour anyway. However, if it was a free service then they would have to raise taxes to pay for that free service. There is no free lunch. Your taxes all these years have gone to pay for many things. Your taxes all these years have already been spent. It doesn't take an accountant to figure out that they can't take a single penny that you paid in taxes in years gone by to pay for your services right now. They can lower taxes by charging individuals for specific services (i.e. copies of police reports). Actually, charging the individual for the individual's services is an incredibly conservative step. I'm actually rather impressed that they don't raise everyone's taxes so that everyone else can pay for your photocopies. The fact remains that there is no "free" lunch. It has to be paid by someone. Just because you are in the "VICTIM" block on the police report doesn't entitle you to taxpayer money. You've paid your taxes and, apparently, those taxes have gone to fund everything else that your local government needs to function. Simple accounting pretty much explains my previous reply.
Like many other activities (i.e. golfing, going to a baseball game, walking down the street) there is a certain level of risk assumed when you purchase a vehicle. That is why you buy insurance. That is why insurance premiums go down when you install security systems on your vehicle. Why should I pay the same insurance premium on my vehicle if I have a security system and you don't? If I don't drive a vehicle and choose to walk to and from work everyday or ride a bicycle, why should I have to pay more in taxes to pay for your police report when I don't even drive? You may laugh because 50 cents doesn't seem like much to you. However, you may be interested enough to ask your local police department how much they spend in paper and toner cartriges every year for people who need police reports. You may be surprised.
I will agree with you, however, that there is some serious price gouging going on at your police department.
Edited by - idsman75 on 06/30/2002 14:04:00
Edited by - idsman75 on 06/30/2002 14:05:24
Edited by - idsman75 on 06/30/2002 14:07:14
Good luck, they won't do anything.
Merc
NO! You may not have my guns! Now go crawl back into your hole!
****************************************
"Tolerating things you may not necessarily like is part of being free" - Larry Flynt
book from paladin press and get even at the guy ....
Or just have your own Area "security team" deal with the stuff ,repo guys work sometimes for "free" just to get this scumm to the hands of the "law","check you local militia groups."
In My area we had one guy captured last week ...Car theft...In ten minutes ,police only picked him up ,if they dont they get fired.
JD
Good...? , Bad...? Who cares ? as long I am the one with the the gun.....
least a fair price of maybe $1.00 like we have here for any copy of
a Police report. Being a crime perpertrator one gets a free lawyer
if he wants. Just who do you think pays for this option? And this just aint like toner and paper costs. As far as insurance costs and
alarms on vehicles, that does not enter into a crime factor. Seems
like you, and many others, laugh at vicims of crime until it happens
to you.
I was making an analogy with regards to my bit about insurance. Apparently you didn't grasp that.
Okay, let's say the the price is $1. Why should I have to pay it? The perp has a right to the defense but the copy that Boomerang is requesting does not pertain to the prosecution. My guess is that he is getting that copy of the report for insurance purposes.
If someone is following me too closely on the road and rear-ends me, should I be entitled to a free copy of the report for my insurance purposes because I was the VICTIM of someone else's criminal negligence? They were breaking the law and I became a victim of that crime. No, I am not entitled to a free copy. Why should you have to pay for my copy even if it is just $1.00?
I don't laugh at victims. I just don't follow the mentality that it is the tax-payer's responsibility to take care of everyone that has a problem. That is what insurance is for. If you can't afford a simple paperwork fee (I already agreed that the $18 is exhorbitant) then how are you going to afford the deductible that you will have to pay in order to recoup your losses from the insurance company?
It is the job of the police to prevent crime, take reports, investigate crimes, gather evidence etc.... They already have the paperwork that they need in order to do this (yes, I know they are doing a crummy job of it). Then you walk in and request copies of that paperwork for purposes that are completely unrelated to their function as law enforcement officers. Why SHOULDN'T they charge a fee? I pay taxes so that the cops can do their jobs. I don't pay taxes in order to fund activity that is completely unrelated to the function of government. If you want copies and the cops are willing to lend you the original report so you can make your own, it IS STILL GOING TO COST YOU at Kinkos. Please explain to me why other taxpayers should be spending their money on functions completely unrelated to the basic activities of the police department?
Edited by - idsman75 on 06/30/2002 16:30:54
- Life NRA Member
"If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
quote:
Step #1 Introducing the Analogy: Like many other activities (i.e. golfing, going to a baseball game, walking down the street) there is a certain level of risk assumed when you purchase a vehicle. That is why you buy insurance. That is why insurance premiums go down when you install security systems on your vehicle. Why should I pay the same insurance premium on my vehicle if I have a security system and you don't?
Step #2 Bridging the Gap Between the Analogy and the Subject At Hand: If I don't drive a vehicle and choose to walk to and from work everyday or ride a bicycle, why should I have to pay more in taxes to pay for your police report when I don't even drive? I will agree with you, however, that there is some serious price gouging going on at your police department.
Here's the point. If I choose not to drive why should I pay more in taxes for your paperwork just because your VICTIM status "entitles" you to free paper and ink? I choose not to undertake the risks that you undertake when you decide to be a vehicle owner. Owning and operating a vehicle is not a right, it is a priviledge. When you embark upon the exercise of a priviledge and assume risks along the way, why should I have to pay for it?
I drive. However, there are plenty of taxpayers that don't. That is why I was trying to make the point. It wouldn't take much of a tax increase to pay for the cost of this type of paperwork when you spread the costs over the entire taxpayer base but it is the principle of the matter that I am trying to hit home.
~Secret Select Society Of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~
Dandy
for you. It is a wonder why insurance goes up and up with people like
you? We pay the police plenty, for protection which we never seem to
get when we need it. Is your idea to have insurance insead of protection from the police? Then why pay for both??? Just allow
them to rob, rape and kill and then sue them. Defination of NEW
conservative is: "old liberal whose mother has just been assaulted".
You totally missed the boat man. Whiny "conservatives" that expect the police to be everywhere at all times and stop all crimes as soon as they have a window broken and a tool or two stolen just crack me up because then they start whining when there are cops all over the place and they start calling it a "police state". Suddenly we don't have any freedoms and we are always getting pulled over and boo hoo hoo. I know exactly what a cop's job is. The fact of the matter is that these types of crimes are INCREDIBLY difficult to solve. It ALL comes back to insurance!!! Why do you think he wanted copies of the report? To keep in the bathroom in case the toilet paper ran out? It's INCREDIBLY liberal to expect the taxpayer to foot the bill just because I'm a "VICTIM". I'm not making excuses for the cops but his beef shouldn't be about the fact that he was charged for the paperwork. His beef should be with the AMOUNT he was charged but not the FACT that he was charged. That is the ONLY point I was trying to make! I was talking about stinking photocopies!
Anyone who expects the police to be everywhere at all times and does not carry insurance because they expect the police to protect them is a moron! Police do not have a responsibility to "protect" individuals. They have a responsibility to the GENERAL PUBLIC. What are you going to do? Sue the police department because they didn't stop someone from smashing your window and stealing your stereo? Get real! The courts have determined that the responsibility of the police is to the general public and not to individuals. Hence, individuals can't sue the police department for not preventing a crime because it is impossible to prevent ALL crimes.
Also, I never implied that the police should be replaced by insurance or that they shouldn't have to do their jobs because we have insurance. My point was that the taxpayer shouldn't have to pay for report copies that are being sent to the insurance company when something like this happens because the insurance claim has NOTHING to do with law enforcement activity--THAT'S what I'm paying taxes for!
BTW. Stop griping about how much police get paid. The average welder gets paid more than the average cop does around here.
Edited by - idsman75 on 06/30/2002 19:38:25
In most jurisdictions, breaking into a truck and carrying off some tools is still a misdemeanor, unless those were some REAL EXPENSIVE tools. I know it is a big deal to you, and it should be a big deal to the cops, but there are LOTS of unsolved misdemeanor crimes out there, and yours is just one of the lot.
I feel for you, just as I feel for crime victims I deal with every day. There just is no solution to the problem. There ain't enough of us to go around, and if there were, you wouldn't want to pay the taxes to make it so.
Interestingly, in Texas, the law allows the use of deadly force to stop someone from getting away with your property at night. I don't recommend it, but it is allowed.
SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net
My Truck is the only Transportation I have to get to the Job Site.
Without These I can't survive.
In my Eyes that gives me the Right to use Deadly Force.
I can do that in FL. in PA. you can't.
********************************************************************
"At our house, a crime report copy will cost you $.20 per page".
NUNN,
You must live and work in a very small town if the Police Station is in your house. Is your Jail in the Basement? Do you hold Court in the Kitchen?
just kidding
Remember...Terrorist are attacking Civilians; Not the Government. Protect Yourself!
Keep your Powder dry and your Musket well oiled.
NRA Lifetime Benefactor Member.
Saxon, if their job is not "To protect and serve", then take it off the cruisers. In Memphis, they don't even keep the peace. Hell, they didn't even want to take finger prints.
Boomer, still pissed
"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as it is by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed."
As far as police reports go it cost's 2 bucks for us to get one in these here parts..
Boomerang, the loser probably stole your stuff to get a FIX. Man its just sick, a scumbo steals a person's livelehood, sells it cheap just to get HIGH! And nobody cares. I'm sorry for your loss!
"Just my opinion."
Good luck on getting your stuff back.
"If you ain't got pictures, I wasn't there."
Margaret Thatcher
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
Mark Twain
"It was like that when I got here".