Good Job
We may not be available to see everyone within a reasonable amount of time but we do pull out the stops with certain crimes.
Distraction burglaries cover a range of crimes but are basically where someone pretends to be someone they’re not in order to gain the trust of an elderly victim, get into their house & steal their cash.
These used to be almost exclusively water board distractions. The scum would knock on an elderly resident’s door & give some cock & bull story about a water leak in the street or at a neighbour’s house which would require the occupant to turn their taps on, while they were doing this a second offender would enter the house & while the resident was ‘distracted’ sorting out the taps, the scumbags were in her bedroom nicking her life savings.
I’ve been to jobs where the victim has lost anything between twenty quid & twenty thousand quid. Property stolen has included bank cards to war medals.
We do detect these from time to time. The offenders are, in the vast majority of cases, travellers who may cross several police districts to carry out their ‘employment’. Most detections come from behind the scenes police work which leads to an arrest with the hope of further confessions.
Catching a distraction burglar in the act is high on many officers target lists.
We had a job recently where the travellers in question had done away with the distraction element, favouring just barging in, threatening the terrified lady with violence if she got off her chair while they ransacked the place before making off with a fist full of cash.
Unusually, a neighbour had seen the pond life jumping into a car & disappearing out of the cul-de-sac.
Units were despatched, one to go straight to the address & others to look for the car.
I like to think it was skill, experience & good judgement that one of the police cars I tasked to a specific area picked up the offenders, but whether it was that or simply luck, the getaway vehicle was spotted. Fortunately it was just a standard hatchback & not a nicked Imprezza or Audi.
A short pursuit followed which wasn’t called off for health & safety reasons & two scumbag distraction burglars were snared. I believe several more offences were detected as a direct result & the offenders are awaiting sentencing.
Doubtless, the penalty won’t fit the crime despite the previous similar convictions & the devastating impact on the victims.
But, for a nice change, several people went home pleased after that shift.
Tony F says:
I’m all in favour of the RAF using Harriers to practise targeting all traveller sites. I suspect that being blown to shit will put them in their place, and the Harrier crews get good practice. If LGBs are to be used, I will cheerfully spike for them.
December 6th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
MTG says:
“We do detect these from time to time. The offenders are, in the vast majority of cases, travellers who may cross several police districts to carry out their ‘employment’.”
There have been odd years when travellers descended like locusts on my Village. More recently, roof lead stripping has found favour over distraction thefts by ‘Water Board Officials’.
Unfortunately, we rarely get to hear of police successes with these ‘folk’.
December 6th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Fee says:
Years ago now, a couple of low-lifes tried this on the old lady round the corner from me. One went into the kitchen with her, and the other slipped into the lounge – to be confronted by her grandson, a six foot odd prop forward, who wasted no time at all in pinning the bugger to the floor.
The one in the kitchen legged it, never to be seen again, but at least half the team got nicked, and old Mrs Mac didn’t lose anything. There aren’t words to describe how low these scum are.
December 6th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
Jabadaw says:
Hearty congratulations 200 and to your colleagues on the shift. It’s always most pleasing when such people are nicked true and proper. Sadly, the courts pften don’t do the right thing and lock the scum away for a long time.
As an aside, I notice that MTG mentioned his village. That explains a lot, don’t you think? Would his village be missing him?
December 7th, 2009 at 12:44 am
MTG says:
Jabadaw is likely to be conscious of his more depressed state of mind when he allows his angriest character to emerge for the day.
December 7th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Ex-RUC says:
I’ve always considered distraction burglars the lowest of the low, so well done your people bagging a brace. If only the sentence would fit the crime(s)!
December 7th, 2009 at 1:49 pm