Scolded for reporting suspicious activity??

[Shabazz]

Hi, im kind of new to the forum, and noticed a LEO section, so figured id ask about this. There was a string of car break ins around my neighborhood about a year ago. Me and a few neighbors had our suspicions on who did it but decided to let the Police handle it. So, whenever we started seeing suspicious activity, we would call the non emergency police phone number and report it. We didnt want to tie up the 911 lines, so we thought this was the right way to go. In a span of about 2 months, we maybe called in 5 times. The first 2 my neigbor called cuz pimps were speeding around the block looking for some girls that had ran away im guessing. They were being loud and one was hiding crack in the bush in front of his house. The police came 20 minutes later, and the first time they passed our street completely which gave the guys warning and they took off, by the time the police turned back around, the guys were long gone. There was another call where a lady was walking around looking in the windows of cars. The police came 15 minutes later, shown their light on the lady and kept going. She left. The 5th and final time was the wierdest. It was late at night, early in the morning, depending on how you look at it. One patrol car came speeding down the road with Code 3 equipment activated. They stopped down the street. There was 2 gunshots. Right in the vicinity of them. No more police came, and im guessing they left. An old guy down the block called it in. We were standing outside and an officer came down the street, looked at us and asked if we heard gunshots. We said yes. That guy preceded to tell us that he recieved alot of calls from this area that were apparently fraudulent. In a nutshell, he basically proceeded to tell us that our little neighborhood watch was wasting their time and resources and left. We never learned who fired those 2 shots. Can I get a LEOs take on this??

[geedavell]

I'm not LEO but If at all possible, get out of that neighborhood.

[Shabazz]

I'm not LEO but If at all possible, get out of that neighborhood.

Its not a bad neighborhood, its just that short period of time I guess there was a crime wave. There have been no incidents tho since that time... most of the young guys on the street moved away

[Shabazz]

The shooting was officer involved for sure. We all figured that out.

[M&P40FAN]

OP how did you pick your forum name?

[IA300]

The shooting was officer involved for sure. We all figured that out.

If it was officer involved, there would have been a ton more LEO's in the area and a very detailed and time consuming crime scene...
As for the other stuff, some patrol dogs don't like dealing with that stuff, but it is the bread and butter of patrol. The squeeky wheel gets the grease. Better to call it in and let them deal with it than you get involved yourself. Eventually, with the increased patrol presence, the BG's will move on to greener pastures.

[Petro6golf]

Squeeky wheel gets the grease. You pay your taxes so keep calling. I like to know what goes on in my beat weather it gets solved or not. Your doing the right thing

[benjamin101677]

Hi, im kind of new to the forum, and noticed a LEO section, so figured id ask about this. There was a string of car break ins around my neighborhood about a year ago. Me and a few neighbors had our suspicions on who did it but decided to let the Police handle it. So, whenever we started seeing suspicious activity, we would call the non emergency police phone number and report it. We didnt want to tie up the 911 lines, so we thought this was the right way to go. In a span of about 2 months, we maybe called in 5 times. The first 2 my neigbor called cuz pimps were speeding around the block looking for some girls that had ran away im guessing. They were being loud and one was hiding crack in the bush in front of his house. The police came 20 minutes later, and the first time they passed our street completely which gave the guys warning and they took off, by the time the police turned back around, the guys were long gone. There was another call where a lady was walking around looking in the windows of cars. The police came 15 minutes later, shown their light on the lady and kept going. She left. The 5th and final time was the wierdest. It was late at night, early in the morning, depending on how you look at it. One patrol car came speeding down the road with Code 3 equipment activated. They stopped down the street. There was 2 gunshots. Right in the vicinity of them. No more police came, and im guessing they left. An old guy down the block called it in. We were standing outside and an officer came down the street, looked at us and asked if we heard gunshots. We said yes. That guy preceded to tell us that he recieved alot of calls from this area that were apparently fraudulent. In a nutshell, he basically proceeded to tell us that our little neighborhood watch was wasting their time and resources and left. We never learned who fired those 2 shots. Can I get a LEOs take on this??

Not to make excuses for the officer but it can be very frustrating too all get dispatched into the same neighbor on vague calls and calls where you never find anything. Been through that several times where residents called over everything and then either they never told dispatch or dispatch never relayed all the details to us.

Sadly, having shots fired in neighbors is not that uncommon. Agencies routinely go to shots fired calls with nothing seen only heard all the time.

The shots fired were almost certain not a officer involved shooting as it would have been investigated for hours and more units would have came.

I would say just continue to call the police as you feel necessary, but be sure and give as much detail about what person is wearing, what there doing, etc so that the officer can figure things.

[Shabazz]

OP how did you pick your forum name?

Its a nickname ive always had

[Shabazz]

If it was officer involved, there would have been a ton more LEO's in the area and a very detailed and time consuming crime scene...
As for the other stuff, some patrol dogs don't like dealing with that stuff, but it is the bread and butter of patrol. The squeeky wheel gets the grease. Better to call it in and let them deal with it than you get involved yourself. Eventually, with the increased patrol presence, the BG's will move on to greener pastures.

It had to have been, or someone killed someone in front of a cop and got away with it. You have to understand the situation. The patrol car was speeding down the street, turned the corner, and drove to the end of my block. "BANG BANG" 2 gunshots, and the patrol car pulls away, this time with its lights off. No more units show up until the neighbor calls it in. It was this time that the watch supervisor showed up and scolded us. Funny how they got mad that someone called it in. You had to be there to see it. Either one of the officers shot at somebody or something, or they sat and watched somebody else shoot at somebody or somethng. Then they got pissed at us for seeing what went down. After that incident we havent called again, we dont really trust em anymore.

[TRICKSTER]

When you call, do you leave contact info and request contact?
It does get annoying if you work a busy beat and people call anonymously and will not actually make a statement as to what they saw or be willing to do anything about it. For the vast majority of calls, (misdemeanors) the officer may see the person that reportedly did something, but unless he actually sees a crime being committed when he arrives, there is not much he can do and he has to let the guy walk. It is up to the person that saw the crime occur to come forward if they want to see an arrest.
That said, they should not discourage people from calling, just educate them as to what needs to be done.

[IA300]

It had to have been, or someone killed someone in front of a cop and got away with it. You have to understand the situation. The patrol car was speeding down the street, turned the corner, and drove to the end of my block. "BANG BANG" 2 gunshots, and the patrol car pulls away, this time with its lights off. No more units show up until the neighbor calls it in. It was this time that the watch supervisor showed up and scolded us. Funny how they got mad that someone called it in. You had to be there to see it. Either one of the officers shot at somebody or something, or they sat and watched somebody else shoot at somebody or somethng. Then they got pissed at us for seeing what went down. After that incident we havent called again, we dont really trust em anymore.

Somethings not lining up here...No way LEO's discharged and that's what happened...

[Shabazz]

Somethings not lining up here...No way LEO's discharged and that's what happened...

Well yea thats the fishy thing about it. Something didnt line up, which is why I think the guy was pissed. If you ask me they were covering something up, but ive seen the movies, I dont want to dabble in police IA. I cudnt believe that shots were fired and the block wasnt taped off and more units didnt come etc, whether the police shot or were shot at.. but nah.. shots were fired and the patrol car quietly slipped away. After that night nobody has called anymore, we dont have trust.

[Bobby Ricigliano]

It is OK to call and report activity that you truly believe is suspicious. I have responded to hundreds of vague 'suspicious person' calls. Sometimes it is something, sometimes it is nothing. But if you live in the area you have the right to call if you are concerned.

[TRICKSTER]

Well yea thats the fishy thing about it. Something didnt line up, which is why I think the guy was pissed. If you ask me they were covering something up, but ive seen the movies, I dont want to dabble in police IA. I cudnt believe that shots were fired and the block wasnt taped off and more units didnt come etc, whether the police shot or were shot at.. but nah.. shots were fired and the patrol car quietly slipped away. After that night nobody has called anymore, we dont have trust.

Was that the same night that some agency hacked your cell phone so they could take pictures of you?

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