Refused to take a report?

[whyhatchu]

This morning around 4:55 AM I heard 2 loud knocks on my window. Yes a "bump in the night." I immediately woke up and grab my AR (the only firearm I own) and checked around the house to make sure nobody broke in. I hear a car screech away and looked out to window to find nobody. Nothing happened, no break up, no burglar so I didn't call 911 but decided to stay up next to my phone for a bit just incase. I went outside when the sun got up to find my yard littered with egg shells and tomatoes. Yeah I got egged. Pretty badly too.

I moved into Santa Ana half a year ago and well I'll have to admit it's not the best neighborhood ever, it certainly isn't the worst either. We're bordering right on Westminster. So I called Santa Ana Police Department to make a report, I was greeted by not 1 but 2 females that sounded like they dreaded their job. Maybe I called too early at 10:30 AM? Anyways the lady told me that she would not take a police report unless their was damage done. Obviously that infuriated me.

So my question to fellow LEO Calgunners is that why did the lady refuse to take a police report? What if the vandals came back and they were throwing rocks or God forbid lead. No I am not in a gang. We are a family of 4 Asians that moved into a mostly Hispanic neighborhood. I guess that's why we were targeted?

[Cpl. Haas]

Generally, there are two reasons to compile a report:

- To forward to the district attorney's office for them to review and file charges in a criminal case

- To provide information to a private insurance company in an incident where damage has been reported

Calls would still get written up, but were usually a very brief A Page:

On the above date and time, PR at the address listed called to report his house was hit by UNK number of raw egggs at approx. 0455 hours. PR did not witness subjects throwing the eggs, and did not obtain a veh description. PR did not report any damage, and will not be reporting the incident to his insurance company. Incident was noted in patrol log; no further action taken.

Back when I worked in Mayberry, we would occasionally write up more detailed reports as a "feel-good" community policing measure... but that was because we had way too much free time on our hands. When I moved up from local to county, we never wrote those kinds of reports. Most departments that actually have crime don't have the time to write-up feel-good reports.

[whyhatchu]

Yeah I assumed it was that way and I understand the reason for doing so but I guess it was just the way the lady on the phone spoke that upset me. Thanks for the quick response.

[fullrearview]

Larger departments are different that smaller ones. That could all be handled in a dispatch incident log, not a report. Sounds like there are no leads on the suspects at all.

While that still sucks and probably ruined your day, the guy that got stabbed four blocks away while they were on scene had a much worse day (example, although some type of assault likely occurred during that time).

Now, my current department would require no less than a two page narrative with 20 plus photos.

While we are small and don't have an overwhelming number of calls for service, we get so tied up in reports such as this, we don't get to go out and be proactive enough. We have a LOT of turds coming through our county and it gets frustrating not being able to deal with them before they cause problems here, and/or elsewhere.

[Bill Carson]

This morning around 4:55 AM I heard 2 loud knocks on my window. Yes a "bump in the night." I immediately woke up and grab my AR (the only firearm I own) and checked around the house to make sure nobody broke in. I hear a car screech away and looked out to window to find nobody. Nothing happened, no break up, no burglar so I didn't call 911 but decided to stay up next to my phone for a bit just incase. I went outside when the sun got up to find my yard littered with egg shells and tomatoes. Yeah I got egged. Pretty badly too.

I moved into Santa Ana half a year ago and well I'll have to admit it's not the best neighborhood ever, it certainly isn't the worst either. We're bordering right on Westminster. So I called Santa Ana Police Department to make a report, I was greeted by not 1 but 2 females that sounded like they dreaded their job. Maybe I called too early at 10:30 AM? Anyways the lady told me that she would not take a police report unless their was damage done. Obviously that infuriated me.

So my question to fellow LEO Calgunners is that why did the lady refuse to take a police report? What if the vandals came back and they were throwing rocks or God forbid lead. No I am not in a gang. We are a family of 4 Asians that moved into a mostly Hispanic neighborhood. I guess that's why we were targeted?

Not an LEO but do you have kids that brought this to you. It sometimes in a form of affection. When I was young only the cool kids got their houses egged. You could go the other route and call the watch commander and tell him how you think that you are a target of a racist attack and plan to call the media and let them know how his officers declined to take a report. Then it would be on like Donkey Kong. I suggest you talk to your kids first if you have them.

[friedokra]

I don't know what SAPD's policies are, but back when I used to work the front desk (many many years ago...) of an agency that is next to Santa Ana, we'd take brief, non-crime incident reports. We'd pretty much have the reporting party write it out themselves and assign a case number to it and file it away.

These incident reports ranged from debris left in a yard, to child exchanges where one party wanted something on "record" that their ex was telling bad things about them to the kids, etc...

At least it will be on file that you reported something, if anything further happens in the future.

[whyhatchu]

Haha, that's funny. It was probably just a random egging. Well it got cleaned up and done with, just hope this doesn't happen again. Another excuse to run to Turner's and Riflegear to pick up some new toys.

[G-forceJunkie]

Another excuse to run to Turner's and Riflegear to pick up some new toys.

Perhaps installing some motion activated security light and video system would be more helpfull than buying firearms to threaten or shoot neighborhood kids?

[code33]

Online reporting

http://www.ci.santa-ana.ca.us/pd/epolice.asp

Misc. or non-Criminal Information Report

Example - You wish to report your car was "egged" but there is no damage

[TrailerparkTrash]

Yeah unless you specify that a crime occurred and articulate that, no "crime" report will be taken. You yourself said there was "no damage." You made the job of the cops easy to say, "no." If you said, "my car was egged and it damaged the paint," that would be a different story. No offense, but I would say "no" also. I'd offer extra patrols in the neighborhood, but that's it. That's just "reality" even though a citizen doesn't want to hear that fact.

Anybody would be pissed if their house got egged, that's totally understandable. But it's a case with no "workable" suspect information that just leads to more dead trees.

[556fmj]

Yeah unless you specify that a crime occurred and articulate that, no "crime" report will be taken. You yourself said there was "no damage." You made the job of the cops easy to say, "no." If you said, "my car was egged and it damaged the paint," that would be a different story. No offense, but I would say "no" also. I'd offer extra patrols in the neighborhood, but that's it. That's just "reality" even though a citizen doesn't want to hear that fact.

Anybody would be pissed if their house got egged, that's totally understandable. But it's a case with no "workable" suspect information that just leads to more dead trees.

This ^. With nothing else to further investigate or leads, a report wouldn't really do much for you on a house getting egged. Same thing with a house getting toilet papered.

[fourXfour]

Online reporting

http://www.ci.santa-ana.ca.us/pd/epolice.asp

Misc. or non-Criminal Information Report

Example - You wish to report your car was "egged" but there is no damage

+1. Online reporting saves huge amounts of time for everyone. Im not sure how Santa Ana works, but for us the report gets emailed to you after it's approved as opposed to waiting two weeks & paying $10.






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[whyhatchu]

Haha thanks for the jokes and the serious answers. I got the answers I needed. Stopped by Fry's to look at some security cameras

[Thomkat]

Can the public buy less than lethal 12 GA rounds?

[Falconis]

Can the public buy less than lethal 12 GA rounds?

Do you think a jury of 12 will see your side of the story as to why you bean bagged a bunch of kids egging your house?

Turn on a hose or something.

and to the guy who suggested going to the watch commander and all that. I realize you may be joking, but come on. I mean if you are that intent, go for it. But unless you have some proof otherwise, everyone will laugh at you.