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PostPosted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:14 
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Daily Express yesterday.

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A YOUNG woman tracked down her stolen car six times only for police to keep turning up too late to catch the thief. When officers did finally recover Amy Dudfield’s £7,500 car, they impounded it and charged her £222 for storage.

Amy 21, turned detective to find her VW Lupo GTi – one of only 500 in Britain – after it was taken a week ago. She repeatedly spotted it around Gloucester and called police. But each time they arrived at the scene too late.

The red car was finally traced to a location Amy had given police and impounded for forensic tests – with Amy footing the bill. "I’m angry at having to pay for them to do their job" she said last night "it makes me laugh that people who have their cars clamped are charged exactly the same rates as me."

Her stepfather Andrew Paterson said "It’s disgusting She does the leg-work and then has to pay."

A police spokeswoman said it was “standard for people to be charged when cars are seized for scenes of crime examinations; the charging is explained when people report their cars missing”


So they now want to put you off reporting your car stolen by telling you it's going to cost you £222. :(

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PostPosted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:24 
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and Hampshire had mine for 4 days increasing the car hire cost

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PostPosted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 13:42 
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And the PCSO wonder why we object.
I'd sooner pay a qualified mechanic to service my car properly than some "improver " to do a half cocked job, partially supervised.
Like policing - we get what we pay for - with so many half baked ,partially qualified "police " out on the streets - and so many "politically correct "promotions any one guess what's going wrong.


OR PERHAPS - the cop felt a moral obligation to omit to report the finding - keep another "child killing machine " off the road ( well it worked out side the "Israeli Embassy because he objected morally to the bombing of Lebanon")

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PostPosted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 21:14 
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Dixie wrote:
Daily Express yesterday.

Quote:
A YOUNG woman tracked down her stolen car six times only for police to keep turning up too late to catch the thief. When officers did finally recover Amy Dudfield’s £7,500 car, they impounded it and charged her £222 for storage.

Amy 21, turned detective to find her VW Lupo GTi – one of only 500 in Britain – after it was taken a week ago. She repeatedly spotted it around Gloucester and called police. But each time they arrived at the scene too late.

The red car was finally traced to a location Amy had given police and impounded for forensic tests – with Amy footing the bill. "I’m angry at having to pay for them to do their job" she said last night "it makes me laugh that people who have their cars clamped are charged exactly the same rates as me."

Her stepfather Andrew Paterson said "It’s disgusting She does the leg-work and then has to pay."

A police spokeswoman said it was “standard for people to be charged when cars are seized for scenes of crime examinations; the charging is explained when people report their cars missing”


So they now want to put you off reporting your car stolen by telling you it's going to cost you £222. :(



:oops:

But we have to pay rates on the pound.... :bunker:

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PostPosted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 22:35 
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This is absolutely disgraceful.

Shouldn't the Police use their own car parks?


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PostPosted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 23:20 
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cant she sue the Police for not being "Fit for purpose"?

after all we do pay lots for then in our Council Tax!

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 01:16 
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Its not the police who charge for the recovery its the rota garage who tender for the contract that set the recovery charge. Normally if the police have the vehicle recovered for examination then they pay the recovery charges incurred.

However, if your as in this case £7500 car is found then we contact the owner and inform them that it has been found and depending on the condition ie if its driveable, we give them the option of either collecting it themselves, or arranging for it to be collected by a garage or recovery agent, if they cant or dont know anyone then we offer to recover with one of our rota garages at there expense.

If they refuse then we leave it where it was found and this can lead to it being re stolen, vandalised or set on fire. If on the other hand it is a high value vehicle and we cant contact the owner then we have it recovered and the owner normally reclaims the cot of recovery back through insurance.

The problem is we cant sit with vehicles all night or be driving them to locations for safety as most are stolen with keys and if they havent been left with the car on abandonment then they cant be driven, we can never win no matter what we do.

I would like to ask is why did the owner when they found the car not just recover it and telephone the police to tell them that they had done so,by leaving it there to get stolen over and over again is the owners fault not the police.
Stephen


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 08:22 
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Stephen wrote:
The problem is we cant sit with vehicles all night
I thought that's what PCSOs are for? :wink:

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PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 01:19 
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Firstly they dont work nights and secondly they dont/ wont sit with abandoned stolen or otherwise vehicles unless they have been specifically sent to it.
Stephen


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PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 09:22 
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Stephen wrote:
However, if your as in this case £7500 car is found then we contact the owner and inform them that it has been found and depending on the condition ie if its driveable, we give them the option of either collecting it themselves, or arranging for it to be collected by a garage or recovery agent, if they cant or dont know anyone then we offer to recover with one of our rota garages at there expense.



However the quote (admittedly from the Daily Express) in the OP stated that the Police impounded the car for forensic examination - this implies that the owner would not have been allowed to drive it away from the scene.

If this is the case, then it is simply wrong for the owner to be charged in this way


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PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 10:06 
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Could such vehicles be (usefully) clamped to avoid them being moved further and arrange a mutually acceptable release time? Surely this would at least avert further nefarious movement/theft if the vehicle is generally secure - and such clamps could contain radiotransmitters to alert nearby plod of any unwarranted disturbance?


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PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 10:16 
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Roger wrote:
Could such vehicles be (usefully) clamped to avoid them being moved further and arrange a mutually acceptable release time? Surely this would at least avert further nefarious movement/theft if the vehicle is generally secure - and such clamps could contain radiotransmitters to alert nearby plod of any unwarranted disturbance?


Ahh. You have found a use for a wheelclamp that doesn't involve extortion. Good.

(To be entirely fair and honest, I'm aware of some owners using wheelclamps on cars and caravans as a security device - and that's not extortion either.)

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PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 13:25 
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In Gear wrote:
Dixie wrote:
Daily Express yesterday.

Quote:
A YOUNG woman tracked down her stolen car six times only for police to keep turning up too late to catch the thief. When officers did finally recover Amy Dudfield’s £7,500 car, they impounded it and charged her £222 for storage.

Amy 21, turned detective to find her VW Lupo GTi – one of only 500 in Britain – after it was taken a week ago. She repeatedly spotted it around Gloucester and called police. But each time they arrived at the scene too late.

The red car was finally traced to a location Amy had given police and impounded for forensic tests – with Amy footing the bill. "I’m angry at having to pay for them to do their job" she said last night "it makes me laugh that people who have their cars clamped are charged exactly the same rates as me."

Her stepfather Andrew Paterson said "It’s disgusting She does the leg-work and then has to pay."

A police spokeswoman said it was “standard for people to be charged when cars are seized for scenes of crime examinations; the charging is explained when people report their cars missing”


So they now want to put you off reporting your car stolen by telling you it's going to cost you £222. :(



:oops:

But we have to pay rates on the pound.... :bunker:

If I were you I'd ask for a rate rebate on the grounds they were not delivering the services they promise! :lol:

Quote:
But each time they arrived at the scene too late.

This reminds me of the chap who calls the police to say his house is being broken into, while they are upstairs.
The dispatcher says they are busy, but will send a car... as soon as one becomes available.
The man puts the phone down, rings back and says "Take your time, I've shot and killed him."
Next minute three police cars pull up including an armed respose unit - and capture the would be burgalar.
"I thought you said you'd shot him" exclaims the officer.
"I thought you said youu were too busy to send a car immediately" replies the householder!

I forsee a problem with the clamp - frustrated scroats will probably scratch the car or trash it for spite. :oops:

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PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 13:51 
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I forsee a problem with the clamp - frustrated scroats will probably scratch the car or trash it for spite.

Even if they know it is wired for sound and that they're likely to get caught in the act and have to pay for it?

You might be right, I'm so out of touch...


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PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 20:24 
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SafeSpeed wrote:
Ahh. You have found a use for a wheelclamp that doesn't involve extortion. Good.


For once the wheelclamp would be preventing extortion.

Last time I had a car stolen the rates were £105 + £12 a day and they kept finding excuses not to release the car, first they were happy to take a cheque from my garage, then they were only happy to take it if they also had the garages letterhead (delivered, not faxed) then the letterhead had to actually have something written on it, then they would only take a cash.

They managed to con another £120 out of me through their expert faffing. Seriously not impressed.


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PostPosted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 01:29 
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Roger wrote:
Quote:
I forsee a problem with the clamp - frustrated scroats will probably scratch the car or trash it for spite.

Even if they know it is wired for sound and that they're likely to get caught in the act and have to pay for it?

You might be right, I'm so out of touch...

Yeah - that would be seen as a challenge!!

If the police cannot babysit the car, they are hardly likely to get back to it intime to catch the culprits. :oops:

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PostPosted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 14:41 
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Roger wrote:
Quote:
I forsee a problem with the clamp - frustrated scroats will probably scratch the car or trash it for spite.

Even if they know it is wired for sound and that they're likely to get caught in the act and have to pay for it?

You might be right, I'm so out of touch...


Or as happened a few years ago with council properties round here - the houses were secured and an alarm fitted - got a bit of a game to see who could nick the alarm in the shortest time, or before the security people arrived.

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PostPosted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 15:15 
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Stephen wrote:
However, if your as in this case £7500 car is found then we contact the owner and inform them that it has been found and depending on the condition ie if its driveable, we give them the option of either collecting it themselves, or arranging for it to be collected by a garage or recovery agent, if they cant or dont know anyone then we offer to recover with one of our rota garages at there expense.

If they refuse then we leave it where it was found and this can lead to it being re stolen, vandalised or set on fire. If on the other hand it is a high value vehicle and we cant contact the owner then we have it recovered and the owner normally reclaims the cot of recovery back through insurance.


Interesting - do I understand the police have now been trained in valuing cars? If not, how is the distinction between a low and "high value" vehicle made?

I suspect this means that "posh" cars are recovered and the rest left? This smacks of the wealthy getting preferential treament?


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