Wisbech Police and Stolen Property

I foolishly expected to receive some communication from the police. A copy of the statement taken from me at 1.50 am last Friday for instance?

As an elderly woman in shock, standing by two seated constables I was asked to sign a statement displayed on a laptop. The laptop was on the table located in front of a seated constable. Obediently I did as I was told. I can remember actually apologising for my shaky signature. My whole body was still reacting to the shock of being woken by an intruder standing over my bed.

I couldn't really read or comprehend the words.

Now that a week has passed and the police have made it clear that they are going to do nothing at all about the crime I am feeling that I will have to do something. 

Today I received a pen through the post and a recommendation that I mark my property. Will marking the property achieve more than recording the IMEI numbers? There is a booklet included with the pen and on page 13 of this document is a comment about a register that is maintained by some agency other than the police. The police recommend this agency and so hopefully they check every person involved with it. If you register your IMEI with the agency, immobilise. The victim can notify the agency of a theft and the agency can then notify the police.

Of course the immobilise site is sponsored.

This explains why the police were not wanting to hear about the IMEI codes for my equipment. They have outsourced stolen property to immobilise, and delegated responsibility for maintaining stolen property lists to the victims. A more ludicrous system I have yet to hear about, but probably will. 

As the police did not tell me about immobilise until this booklet arrived a whole week has passed.

Assuming I had previously registered my IMEIs with immobilise just how was I supposed to contact immobilise to advise them all my technology had been stolen? I could not go online, because I had no technology.
Immobilise is a waste of my time. The police have already told me they don't investigate such matters.

But I am bothered that in my confused and shocked state I may not give an accurate and complete account. I am also concerned that the officer may have inaccurately recorded what I said. I know that they were not interested in any detail, but what exactly did they write down?

Concerned, I telephoned the number advertised for Cambridgeshire police at 3.27 pm today, 25th August. After listening to the recorded messages I finally spoke to live person. She tells me that I cannot obtain a copy of my statement unless I make an official Freedom of Information (FOI) request. I'm not enchanted by this, as I believe everyone ought to be supplied automatically with the words that the police allege were said. Apparently I am not allowed to know the names of the officers who attended my home as other thanmy own words what else would my statement contain. Why am I denied access? I resist the desire to complain and stay on the line while the operator says she will transfer me to the person who can take my FOI request (and maybe my payment?)

Bedfordshire police answer. I listen to another menu of useless advice before finally being prompted to speak - What am I expected to say to Bedford police? I have nothing to say to Bedfordshire police. I hang up.

The police are clearly not on my side. 

They are pushing me further into depression. 

Every contact I have had has been unpleasant, offering no reassurance at all. From the 4 minute wait to get a 999 call answered, to this recent transfer to Bedford police everything has been off hand and dismissive.

An intruder entering my bedroom just isn't important enough for Wisbech police. Crimes such as these are ten a penny here. They happen so frequently that the residents are expected to just accept it.

I broke down on Friday the 18th August shocked and alone I waited from 2am. Waited for sunrise, waited for a time when I felt I could phone a friend. Wisbech had nobody who could offer any support.

Cambridgeshire Victim support operates weekdays only from 8am. 

Possibly useful, if you can organise your crime for a convenient time. Even this information wasn't relayed to me until the young lady in Boots the chemist told me. This was when I ventured out, three days after the event. Barclays also told me of other support agencies they could help me access, but this too wasn't until the Monday.

It did seem that people other than the police could easily understand why an elderly widow living alone might struggle to find peace after such an intrusion. Maybe the police are themselves so accustomed to brutal acts that they no longer have any empathy. At no time did the police ask me if I would be able to manage without cash or bank cards, without any means of identifying myself.

The police won't let me read what I'm supposed to have said unless I am willing to spend time battling through their poorly designed interface. They against me, and they win again.

I can't face another schedule of options, so I certainly won't be ringing them again. 

Maybe I'll try sending an email, maybe not. If my statement is false or inaccurate in any way, if it lacks relevant information it really won't matter. Nobody intends to read it.