Friend was followed home (aka - Asshole Police)

[SBS 0]

So I was on my way to a friend's house last night when she called me...

She was at the store in the vegetable aisle, and a guy kept bumping into her. She started to get creeped out, so gave up on the rest of her shopping, bought what she already had, and left. He was behind her in line, and followed her to the parking lot. She got in her car and drove away, looking behind her to see a block later that he was closely on her tail.

She didn't know where the police station was, and she happens to not have a drivers license right now, so she drove around thinking about what to do. She went home, which is a large apartment complex that's gated, and continued to drive around the block a couple of times thinking about what to do. On one of the laps, she saw a gate open and starting to close, so she darted in and he couldn't follow.

The place is shaped like a horseshoe, so she drove around to the other gate and saw that he was driving slowly by. She turned back, parked right there, and crossed the complex on foot to get to her apartment (trying not to indicate to him where her apartment was). That's when she called me, and I was there 15 minutes later. I drove around the complex a couple of times and down the street twice looking for the car or anything suspicious. I didn't want to confront this guy directly, but wanted to direct the police to him if he was still there. Didn't see anybody.

So...we called 311, which we believed was the non-emergency number, but it was not. We followed up to 911 to report it and they were super friendly, took the information, and connected us to the correct line. That person took the information, and then connected us to the 911 dispatcher for the local area...why, I don't know. He answered the call and this is about how it went:

911: Are you ok now? Are you threatened?
Me: We're ok.
911: Do you want us to dispatch a police officer?
Me: I don't think that's necessary, we just want to tell you what he and his car look like in case someone suspicious is seen tonight that might match his description.
911: Do you want me to cancel this call?
Me: No, I want to give you the information, but don't think we need an officer for that.
911: So you want me to cancel this call?
Me: I want to do whatever is necessary to get this on record.
911: We are not going to take it on the phone. Let me talk to your friend

Then they talked.

Officer called 15 minutes later and took the description over the phone and said he would keep his eye out... He then explained to her that he was probably harmless, and just messed up on drugs or alcohol, etc. Thing like this happen.

I can see "things like this happening" up to about the point that he was outside her front gate...I have to consider that pretty threatening.

If someone in her complex had been raped or killed last night, the PoPo went around asking neighbors for information, and she told them about this incident, they would ask her why she didn't report it. But when we try to report it, then we have trouble doing so and feel like we're not being taken seriously.

We hope obviously that the information exists somewhere...there's not really that much more we can do. We didn't expect them to drop everything and hunt him down, but it was almost as if they were saying to us "what do you want us to do about it". I would think that being their job to protect the public they would know what they should do about it, and even if they did nothing, at least not make us feel like it was a mistake to call and report it.

Anyway, it sucked.



-S

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I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

[shermanator 4]

she should have drove right back to the store, gone inside, and called the police. now he knows where she lives. thats some scary stuff!

CLICK HERE! new blog posted 9/21/08
CSA #720

[ifall 0]

Quote

she should have drove right back to the store, gone inside, and called the police. now he knows where she lives. thats some scary stuff!

Totally agree.

Or...

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911: Do you want us to dispatch a police officer?
Me: I don't think that's necessary, we just want to tell you what he and his car look like in case someone suspicious is seen tonight that might match his description.

Say yes, and a police officer shows up and if this person is anywhere near still and sees them show up, knows he should stay clear. Or at least that she is aware that someone was following her. Still, pretty creepy.

[skydiver30960 0]

... or gone back inside the store, and if he followed her in, totally called him out on all of it in front of everyone in the store.

...and then kicked 'im in the jimmy.

Elvisio "nuff said" Rodriguez

[cloudseeker2001 0]

So I take it she did not get his license plate number, description of car and driver?

"Some call it heavenly in it's brilliance,
others mean and rueful of the western dream"

[SBS 0]

No license plate (it was night, he was behind her, and she was flustered), but did get description of car and driver that we gave to the police.

_____________
I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...

[JohnRich 4]

And that story just goes to show that, once again, if you live in the fairy tale world where you expect the police to protect you, then you're in for a rude awakening.

You have to be prepared to protect yourself.

[Broke 0]

You see I would have to disagree with that.

If she had called from inside the store then that would have been the better course of action. Or even if she had called while driving.

Also saying that you want it on record, but to not dispatch an officer is the wrong thing to do. Also for future referance if she has a camera phone she could sneak a pic and show that to the officer, so they can ID the perp if he happens to be habitual with this habbit

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

And that story just goes to show that, once again, if you live in the fairy tale world where you expect the police to protect you, then you're in for a rude awakening.

You have to be prepared to protect yourself.

People want the police to help them, but don't like it when there are a lot of cops around. They want the police to help, but vote down taxes that would pay for more officers. When you need a cop, you really need one and then that stuff doesn't matter.

As for the OP, next time make a report. Have an officer respond and do the report. If the officer is a slug and trying to dodge writing a report then you can ask simply for an incident report and a case number. Stalking and harassment cases take more then one incident, typically, to build a case that the DA or CA will take. So start the report and keep a log of incidents, times, etc. Then you can present the information and get warrants written.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."