Failing to respond to a violent intruder

[mada_3083]

i was at a friends place when the police started
searching the yard of this persons house, because someone had assaulted the neighbour, and escaped by jumping the fence into my friends yard
when the police showed up. their search was unfruitful, and they arrested the neighbor for assaulting the attending police officers. the person
who the original assault call was placed against was still at large. thepolice informed us that they were going to make regular patrols of the area to ensure our safety from the fugitive.

However, approximately 20 minutes after the police officers left, we heard someone vaulting the fence again, and went out to investigate. this highly agetated and intoxicated male, fitting the description of the fugitive was on the property. he fled to the next yard, where he was trapped by high sided fences, apart from the fence between that property and my friends. on seeing the fugitive, we called 000, who put us through to the Adelaide police station. we informed them that this violent fugitive was on our property, and now
cornered on the property next door, with only our property as an exit. we were assured that a car would be around shortly. this was about 12am.

Despite this assurance, no car was sent, and about 7 calls to the police, both through 000 and directly to Adelaide police station were made, including one instance where a physical description of the
tresspasser,was asked for, and given. on that call, we were instructed that they had already arrested the neighbor. we then informed them that it wasn't the neighbour we were calling about, but the original
fugitive.

We never got an attending car, despite watching the offender for hours to ensure he didn't escape onto our property, and cause physical harm/ property damage to anyone within our care.


Eventually, we gave up the watch, being forced to lock ourselves in the house like prisoners. HOWEVER, at 4:45am that morning, an ambulance, with 3 attending police officers attended the house where the original assault call had been made from because the man who had been arrested for assaulting the officer previously, and released from custody around
3 am complained of pains from his altercation from the officers involved in his initial arrest.

obviously this is bad enough, but i contacted SAPOL complaints department, and was told that my complaint could go no further until i gave information about the officer involved... my problem was that NO OFFICERS WERE INVOLVED.

my correspondance asking what steps to take considering there were no officers involved went unanswered for over a month.

[Thing]

Sounds like it was some type of domestic dispute between your friends neighbours.

Apart from the alleged 'violent fugitive' passing across your friends property what did he do to you?
From your story he went back into your friends neighbours yard so he wasn't exhibiting any violence towards you - perhaps the police had other higher priority jobs to attend to.

I think you will find in SA law (although I may be wrong I'm not that up with SA law) a person commits trespass if the occupier of the premises asks them to leave and they dont. So he probably hasn't committed any offence when you rang 000 as you stated he passed through your friends property and no one requested him to leave.

The other thing is why did you make the complaint if this occurred at your friends house? Its your friends property so why didn't they make the complaint. The police may have thought it was not a major issue seeing as the resident of the premises didn't make the complaint.

I can't see how you have any interest in this issue apart from the police not attending which I already stated they probably viewed it as low priority as he wasn't doing anything to you or your friend.

[mada_3083]

It wasn't a "domestic" at the neighbours house. it was a drug deal gone bad (neighbour is known to CIB as a drug dealer, as told to us by the police who came to interview us trying to get witnesses to say that the neighbour assaulted the officers).

why do i have an interest?

because i was there and involved in the situation. i was threatened by the intruder, so i believe i have a right to expect police protection. i do after all contribute to their wage.

because the offender damaged property. my property to be exact, as i was storing a car at the property which had it's tires slashed when the offender left (proving he was also armed).

he is also known to police for being violent, and he was intoxicated. whether or not he attacked one of our friends there was a real danger that he would become violent. should a woman only be concerned about a home invader when he starts raping her? it's called pre-emptive protection. unfortunately the police force seem to prefer to clean up the mess than actually protect people

because we did request that he leave, he did not. in fact that was the first thing done when he was spotted.

the house he was "trapped" in belonged to an 80 year old woman who lived alone. it was our duty of care as citizens to try to make her safe.

because he had to pass through the property again to leave, it's not like he went across the property and was never returning.

was there a more important call? that would excuse them for not responding immediately. but after several hours, and still no response? why blatantly lie to us and say he's in custody?

and besides, they had time to respond to the "domestic" next door earlier in the night, and time later in the night to turn out with 5 police officers to accompany the ambulance that came to tend to the neighbours minor injuries after he was released from the holding cell.

[mada_3083]

Additional - it also hilights the uselessness of the SAPOL complaints proceedure. they state that all complaints are dealt with in a serious manner...

[fate]

Intriguing. What a mish, mash. Anymore embellishment to this tale ??
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Do you like having a Drug dealing (allegedly) neighbour ?
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Is this tale related to your defect story ??
Someone's got.....Issues.

[Thing]

Hmmmm Fate - not often we agree but on this occasion

[shillard]

Want the police to show up faster than Dominos?

Tell them you've just shot the intruder in your backyard. Then put the phone down and count backwards from 30.

[mada_3083]

No it has nothing to do with the defect.

what "emballishments" are you speaking of? was there a fight? yes. did the police search the yard for the suspect? yes. did they return? yes. did he make threats to people? yes. did the police blatantly lie and not respond? yes...

wouldn't be able to comment on living with the drug dealing neighbours full time, as it is not my property, although i do know that there is quite often fighting in the yard next door at stupid hours of the morning.

funny how most complaints are seen as the companies fault, until it is a complaint against the police force, then it must be the person who is complaining's fault.

[fate]

Into a bit of Public Mischief shillard ??
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mada, was your alleged vehicle defect before or after this alleged incident ??

[Grommit]

Stop making me laugh shillard- it goes against the grain! G.

[mada_3083]

The Fairlane was defected in august last year, this incident was febuary this year.

the vehicle damaged by the intruder was not the same vehicle that was defected.

[shillard]

Public mischief?

Wouldn't dare waste police time with that sort of call - why waste taxpayer's time and money when a shovel and a bag of lime will do the trick?

[fate]

This is the first mention of a vehicle being damaged.
It's alway's a good idea to firstly get the story straight. Present it in a cronological order, and stick to the facts. This story just seems to get added to, is incoherent and lacks credibility.

[buffyblue]

Maybe you should read the posts better if you want to actually contribute, fate.

mada_3083
PostPosted: 11 Apr 08 10:52
Post subject: Failing to respond to a violent intruder
Organisation name:
Issue type: Comment

"because the offender damaged property. my property to be exact, as i was storing a car at the property which had it's tires slashed when the offender left (proving he was also armed)."

[fate]

Okay then... Why no mention at the first available opportunity on 10 April ??
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Sorry, I've been too busy reading between the lines.
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If there was really 'a violent intruder' as described, I've no doubt that POlice would respond. I think that there is a lot of colourful story telling going on. As is always the case though, we will never hear the other side of the story.
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I, as always, am here to offer alternatives.
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I've seen and heard similar 'stories' before. Quite often peoples perceptions of response times are incorrect. Also quite often, those with axes to grind or their own 'difficulties' with Police, spin colourful and distorted tales.
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Not saying that is the case here. Just offering an alternative....