I posted the other day about the spate of distraction burglaries we've been having. Well, I got to meet one of the victims to show him some photos of possible suspects.
At first, it wasn't clear that he was going to make the appointment at the station. Not because he couldn't be bothered, but because, at 86, he's also the sole carer for his wife who has dementia. She has good days (like when one of my team went to visit them and she thought he was the gardener. Kept trying to give him a spade!) and bad days, when she doesn't even recognise her own husband.
Luckily, she was having a good day and so "Robert" came in to view the slides I'd set up on the computer.
While we were waiting for the hamster on it's wheel to turn enough for the computer to warm up we were chatting about each other's lives. "Robert" (not his real name) was in the RAF during the Second World War, barely out of his teens. He'd met his wife "Gladys" towards the end of the War and they'd married shortly after as it wasn't certain he'd still be alive if they waited. The closest he's ever got to hurting anyone else was in the defence of this country.
They then spent the next 60 years working hard and paying taxes up until retirement, at which point they just wanted to see out their twilight years in quiet comfort. They have two sons, one who lives in Manchester and one who lives in Australia, and so they are pretty much on their own. But that's fine with them, as long as they have each other.
Neither of them had ever been in any trouble with the Law and, though I've still not met "Gladys", "Robert" was a thoroughly decent and funny chap. He loves his wife dearly and dotes on her.
The burgling scum who carried out this crime were able to because, when they came calling, Robert had popped to the shop to get him and his wife something nice for lunch. Gladys didn't stand a chance but, because it was one of her good days, she was able to tell Robert that some strange men from the water board had been round to check for leaks.
He was immediately concerned and, when he checked, over £500 was missing from the house.
Robert had only just missed them, and actually may have passed them at a neighbours house as he walked back from the shops. Hence his appointment to view photos.
From the description he'd given, I'd put together just over a hundred photos for him to look at. We have to show them in groups of twelve, and to be honest it's really rare that anybody gets picked out. This can make me feel a little blase about showing them, but this was one time I really wanted a result.
We went through the photos twice but none of them rang any bells with Robert. I'd already heard that CSI had found no evidence at their bungalow and, although we may have found a witness from house to house, to be honest it's not looking like we're going to catch them this time.
As I turned to him to give him this news the words just stuck in my throat. The reason I joined the Police was to help the Roberts and Gladys' of this world. And this time, as with all too many others, I've not been able to.
I've got quite adept at lying to the public, trying to give them hope that something will come good when I know full well that it'd take a miracle. But I looked at Robert and he had this look of quiet shame about him, like he'd let me down. I was lucky that he beat me to it and I was able to hide my cowardice in telling him the truth. He said, "well, that's that. Sorry I couldn't pick him out. Thanks very much for trying to help us. It means a lot that you and your officers care enough to try."
Bloody typical, I'm supposed to be helping him and he's the one giving my self esteem a boost!
We've put some things in place with his neighbours that'll make it a lot less likely that this will happen in the future, but that's scant consolation to be honest.
Still, we will catch these bastards. And the best bit will be going round to see Robert and Gladys for a cup of tea and giving them the news.
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11 comments:
aah,I get like that with some people-you cant help but take a liking to some can you?How anyone could steal off old people and still sleep at night I dont know!
I hope you do catch them. For all the Robert's and Gladys'.
Then I hope the courts deal with them with their full sentancing powers (but that probably is hoping for a bit much). What they actually deserve is way out of a courts options anyway.
The only small comfort that Robert can take from this is that there are people out there who care.
Like you said in a previous post, theres scum, then theres people like this.
It's good that by doing everything you could in your power, Robert saw the police in a positive light, so if anything like this happens again (which hopefully it won't) he'll have confidence that something will be done. If you had been blase, he might think twice next time.
I hate people who steal.
I hope you catch them too. Good luck with that. They don't deserve to get away with that.
Ahh but sometimes somethinghappens that surprises even us, even in this leafy part of the west country. Went to take a crime yesterday- simple criminal damage, rear quarterlight of car. No entry, nothing taken. Took details, CSI would'nt attend (don't blame them really but tried to get them booked anyway) and door to door conducted. No result. I was honest with the owner and said that really this was, with all the best intentions, a paperwork exercise to give her insurance company a crime number. She was very gracious and accepted this, even seemed pleased to have been treated honestly in spite of the negative news. I resumed to file the crime and go to the next job.
Fast forward to late afternoon and I'm sat at home when my phone rings. It's sunny seaside town DPU, twenty miles away "Someone from your nick arrested Billy No-Morals last night for criminal damage" "Yes, how can I help?" "Oh, just phoning to ask if we can get hold of your crime, he's admitted to doing ten car quarterlights last night on a damage spree and we want to put it to him"
Result! The dice were rolled and came up sixes for once. It won't make much REAL difference to the victim, but I'm sure she'll be delighted that the little bastard was caught.
Sometimes it's the little victories that make a day's work worth it!
Agree with TRTMH. Absolute Scum to steal from people like that, born without a concience, morals, etc etc etc.
Don't be too hard on yourself, Robert was obviously pleased with your efforts & although that is small consolation he obviously didn't think the same. They'll come round again I'm sure.
My eldest brother actually did the same to my nan, he was hooked on drugs & she used to have him round for meals & he knew where she kept her money hidden. She'd saved up £500 to share between us children & to treat herself, she went to get it when we were visitng once because she was so proud & couldn't wait to do what she'd planned with it & found it was gone. I was only 5/6 at the time & to this day I remember seeing the absolute hurt & confusion on her face, even now it makes me sad, she just looked so upset & hurt, hard to explain but it's stuck in my mind & is something I find impossible to forgive my brother for, even though he paid it back & has turned himself around it is one of the very, very, very few things that have happened in my life that I find completely unforgivable. He knew what he was doing & even when confronted denied it, he even sat & comforted her!!!! Makes me so angry, I best stop now before I get too carried away! Lol
If I get into the police that's one of the few things I'm not looking forward to, seeing people like that & not being able to get the scum responsible for it....
You can't help them all Wee Man but the ones you do, rest assured they appreciate it & it will mean a hell of alot to them, even the ones you can't help but try your hardest to, like Robert.
South Coast Copper, you're totally right. It's the little victories that help us get through all the bad results.
As for punishment, how much more effective if the little sod had a load of his stuff broken?
G.N.D. - thanks for the comment. I've seen how drugs, 'esp heroin and crack, can make people do some really awful things.
If it's any consolation (and it probably won't be) he's in the minority when it comes to people who can turn their lives around.
We are getting a spate of distractions in my neck of the woods too.
They alway pose as waterboard workers don't they!! lowlife scum who prey on the elderly and vulnerable. I just whish we could get the message accros to the victims who are always so trusting of people.
Yes they'll get caught - they always come in the end. Trouble is instead of 10 years cracking rocks on the chain-gang they'll do about 3 at HMP Hilton Hotel playing pool , watching telly and eating well whilst using legal aid to claim thousands of pounds of us for some obscure breach of their human rights. Then they'll be back out screwing decent folks' cars and houses again. We desperately need somebody in power with some bollocks who will properly protect the decent , law-abiding , contributing majority from these twats. However I do not see any contenders amongst the self-serving , spineless wankers on the political scene at the moment I'm afraid. Apologies for this depressing post.
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