Increasing anger at police refusal to investigate crimes

GMP

There is increasing anger that local police are refusing to investigate crimes, with several businesses and residents reporting evidence being ignored and cases being dropped.

Hanief Mohammed, Director of MHL Solicitors on Drake Street, says the police are not investigating after a youth intimidated a young solicitor at his office on Wednesday 10 January.

He explained: “One of my solicitors, a young lady, was in the office on her own, when a young man aged around 16-18 began to knock on the office door window shouting abuse.

“The office door is kept locked and we have CCTV cameras. The footage shows the young man returning to the office a few minutes later kicking the office door trying to get it open.”

The staff member contacted the police the following day and obtained a crime reference number, but little else has been done.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “We were called at 3.55pm on to reports of a hate incident, which occurred at 3.40pm on 10 January.

“Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with any information is urged to call 101, quoting log number 1109 of 11 January 2018.”

Mr Mohammed continued: “I spoke to Carpet Bargains across the road, and they had to escort the same young man on that day after he ran into their office premises.”

He added: “I visited the shop next door, A2Z African Store, which is run by Mrs John, a 59-year-old African lady who says that she has been subject to verbal abuse by young men for five months.

“Often these young men kick her items, may spit at her or in the shop and subject her to verbal insults. She has had her products stolen but has no confidence in the police dealing with such affairs. Her 16-year-old son leaves school and heads to the shop to keep an eye on his mum’s well-being.”

Mr Mohammed is in the process of providing his neighbour with security CCTV.

Drake Street shopkeeper Khalid Mahmood has had two incidents of theft dropped by the police in recent months – despite clear CCTV footage for both incidents – one involving a man stealing a £600 mobile phone, and the other where two men stole a litre-bottle of vodka.

Mr Mahmood said: “I reported an incident a few months ago. We had clear footage of him stealing the phone with a very good face shot. I went down to the police station and they said they will send someone to take a look in three days. Three days is far too long, what is the point?

“When I mentioned this to the woman at the police station, I was told to write a letter to Theresa May.”

When asked for details, a GMP spokesperson responded that they could not look into it for Rochdale Online as “unfortunately, we are dealing with a lot of serious crimes at the moment.”

Just after Christmas, a local business man warned shopkeepers to be aware after con artists used his debit card details without needing a PIN.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/1/business-news/115015/-local-shopkeepers-warned-after-con-artists-scam-purchases

After reporting the issue to police, the case was dropped without further investigation.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/115579/police-refuse-to-investigate-crime-despite-clear-cctv-footage

He said: “I am extremely disappointed. I spoke with an Inspector at Rochdale Police regarding my case and, whilst she was very sympathetic towards me, she was unable to reopen the case. She told me that the reality was that they have a handful of officers dealing with multi-million-pound fraud investigations and simply did not have capacity to even look at cases that are not in the ‘tens of thousands of pounds level’.

“She told me that if a ‘small’ case comes in, it gets triaged and instantly closed by the team without any investigation. They are not going to even both looking at the footage.

“The CCTV footage is top class – you can see the offenders’ faces in full HD quality, along with the registration number of the vehicle they used. The vehicle is not even stolen – it is registered and taxed. They are not even going to knock on the owner’s door!

“I will say that the Inspector herself was very frustrated about this – she said she did not sign up to be a police officer to simply close cases and let bad people get off the hook, but her hands were tied. She said she ‘hates these kinds of phone calls’ because she is absolutely aware of how ‘we are letting you down’.

“She said it is a funding and resourcing issue.

“When I challenged her on the fact that, for all she knows, they could be using the money to fund any other kind of crime (i.e. small crimes usually lead to bigger crimes), she totally agreed. I also said, ‘how do you know these people are not doing it 10 times a day every day?’ The answer remained the same – we can not investigate it.

“I said to her ‘so what you are saying is effectively you are giving anyone in Rochdale licence to carry out any small-scale fraud without any fear of prosecution or even a knock on the door’.

“She said, “well obviously I am not giving you official licence, but I agree that what I am saying is tantamount to the same thing”.

“So from my conversation with the Inspector it appears that anybody in Rochdale can commit any fraud under £9,999 without any consequences whatsoever!

“My concern with this is that it is the thin end of the wedge. If you can get away with stealing £200 a day unpunished, then the next thing is £500 a day, then £1,000 a day, etc. Small crimes escalate in to big crimes.

“So, how do I feel? Disappointed, incredulous, angry.”

Speaking about this, a spokesperson for GMP said: “There was not a victim in this case so as there was not a threat harm or risk, it was not proportionate to pursue the crime when those resources could be deployed elsewhere.”

The issue of police inaction is also affecting local residents. Ken Hall told of how an elderly neighbour was left alone after youths attempted to break into their house on Thursday 18 January.

He said: “I had a phone call from an elderly neighbour near where I used to live in Milnrow. I was asked if could come round right away as some youths had tried to break into the house.

“By the time I got there, the youths had run off.

"Police were called but the refused to come out and the reason was that they were 'too busy'.

"The youths have been trying the house a few times this week and the person is very elderly and vulnerable and can hardly walk.

"If the police refuse to come out to help and protect an elderly, vulnerable person, what chance is there for the rest of us?

“These youths have been seen wandering the area.

“I was disgusted that the police could not turn up.

"I told the elderly person if it does happen again to dial the emergency number, tell them what is happening and explain they are vulnerable.

“What a society we are becoming. I will check on the elderly person when I can, but I cannot be around all the time.”

Similar incidents were also raised at the recent Littleborough PACT meeting on Tuesday (23 January) where several people reported the police closing their cases with no further investigation, and a road rage victim was told to ‘forget’ the attack.

jhttps://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/115554/police-tell-road-rage-victim-to-forget-it

Following the incidents, Rochdale Online contacted the local political party leaders for their views on the issue.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Councillor Andy Kelly, commented: “I do sympathise with the police and the lack of resources, but it has gone too far. People do not feel safe and I am concerned they will take matters into their own hands.

“The big frustration is the police are giving this advice to ring 101 or 999, and people are doing this, but nothing is happening. They are coming to the PACT meetings to find out what is being done after reporting a crime, and it has not gone through. Certainly, in the Pennines, it looks like a communication issue.

“It is not just about inaction on the front line, but the follow ups too. I imagine it is due to cut after cut, and we can not go on like this.”

Leader of the council, Councillor Allen Brett, responded: “I am not going to comment on police decisions. I have my own private views which I am raising behind the scenes.”

Leader of the Conservative Party, Councillor Ashley Dearnley, could not be contacted for comment.

Speaking at the Littleborough and Wardle community meeting, Councillor Janet Emsley, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Community & Culture, said she would raise residents’ concerns at the next GM Police and Crime Steering meeting.

Councillor Janet Emsley, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Community & Culture said: “I think the police are doing the best they can under the circumstances.

“According to the Home Office the number of police officers in English and Welsh forces has fallen by 13%. Even if crime rates stand still, this reduction means that they do not have the capacity to cope. You cannot expect anyone, even with the most imaginative use of resources, to provide a service which matches what they did five years ago with this level of cuts in staffing.

“They are having to make unpalatable decisions about priorities.

“We need to stress that crimes should still be reported on 101 if they are not an emergency but that 999 should be used if there is an immediate threat to life or property, or a crime in progress.

“Labour's Manifesto says that Labour in Government will invest in community safety by recruiting 10,000 extra neighbourhood officers and ensure forces have the resources they need.”