CSI isn't real life? No way!?
This was the oddest day yet. Call came from the appraiser today saying that there were a lot of personal belonging in the car and that in the seats actually were there. Called the towing company who has Emma and he said the same thing and that the engine and battery were still there. Battery is usually the first thing they take if they're screwing around under the hood so he thought it was a good sign that that hadn't happened.
Dad and I drove down in the afternoon after an intense paddling session (I feel like a beginner again - we were learning how to 'really' paddle) and lunch on the run. I was so stoked about the stuff possibly being there that I really was on a high.
Got there and yup - my stuff and Rashy's stuff was strewn throughout the car - but no seats, wheels or stereo. They left all the speakers (attempted the door speakers then gave up), rummaged through out belongings and from what I can figure - they ended up taking the camera, the pickle from Rashy's lunch, the Guinness (drank the wine and left the bottle and all the empties), Rashy's backpack with rainjacket and Nalgene bottle, my work keys, sunglasses and prescription glasses. I'm really not impressed at all.
I was a little ticked that the RCMP didn't even attempt to finger print and that they had reported that none of my belonging were in the car. Since that was such an obvious mistake I wanted to ask them again if they could try to finger print.
Mistake #1: thinking that they would be helpful.
Mistake #2: asking a question about procedures
Mistake #3: thinking that I had a right to know
We drove to the RCMP Detachment and I asked if there had been any pictures taken.
(not exact quotes but pretty darn close)
"No."
"umm.... why?"
"Do you have any training as an RCMP officer?"
"No."
"We don't take pictures of recovered vehicles."
"I was wondering b/c there were obviously some mistakes made in this report and I thought if there were some pictures I could see something about how it was found." (giving me some indication of the condition of the undercarriage)
"I'll check you're file" (which means, I'll read exactly what the file says and not help you)
I'm crying by this point - that 'I'm not going to blubber in front of you but you're making me really upset and frustrated here - tear down the cheek cry)
File is read to me.
I ask about the apparently wet car b/c there was a lot of dry stuff and that was the reason i was told they couldn't ID b/c it was wet.
"We don't fingerprint stolen cars b/c it is too hard to get prints of high traffic areas like gear shifts."
Asked again about pictures thinking that my theory of the closed driver side door which was the reason for the unwet stuff could then be proven.
"We don't take picture."
I pause - try and breathe. "I'm not trying to be confrontational, I was just asking a question."
"But you are being confrontational. The officer that wrote this file is very competent and you are trying to say that they are not."
I leave - get in car and cry.
Driving home the cell rings. Its the officer I spoke to 30 minutes before... she says that the info she'd given me about the officer who wrote my report was incorrect - they would not be back tomorrow as they are on holiday. I told her that what she had said to me before really upset me. She asked if I understood that what real police officers do is different that what I'd see on TV shows like CSI. I said of course I knew that and that I was only asking b/c I'm unfamiliar with how these things are done not having ever experienced it before. (it took some time to get that out since I was bawling again... she couldn't say anything and neither could I. She asked if there was anyone with me and if she could speak with them. Dad took the phone and spoke to her. I got it back and she apologized to me. I said that she'd made me feel like the criminal for asking questions and she said she takes full responsibility for that and that she shouldn't have done that since I have gone through a lot. Blah blah blah.
Question: If a victim is asking questions in a polite manner yet obviously upset (crying) but not yelling, cursing etc... are police officers trained to still treat the person as if they were an idiot and make them feel worse? I'm hoping that the answer is no. And to think I thought seriously for a while about becoming a member of the RCMP.
Dad and I drove down in the afternoon after an intense paddling session (I feel like a beginner again - we were learning how to 'really' paddle) and lunch on the run. I was so stoked about the stuff possibly being there that I really was on a high.
Got there and yup - my stuff and Rashy's stuff was strewn throughout the car - but no seats, wheels or stereo. They left all the speakers (attempted the door speakers then gave up), rummaged through out belongings and from what I can figure - they ended up taking the camera, the pickle from Rashy's lunch, the Guinness (drank the wine and left the bottle and all the empties), Rashy's backpack with rainjacket and Nalgene bottle, my work keys, sunglasses and prescription glasses. I'm really not impressed at all.
I was a little ticked that the RCMP didn't even attempt to finger print and that they had reported that none of my belonging were in the car. Since that was such an obvious mistake I wanted to ask them again if they could try to finger print.
Mistake #1: thinking that they would be helpful.
Mistake #2: asking a question about procedures
Mistake #3: thinking that I had a right to know
We drove to the RCMP Detachment and I asked if there had been any pictures taken.
(not exact quotes but pretty darn close)
"No."
"umm.... why?"
"Do you have any training as an RCMP officer?"
"No."
"We don't take pictures of recovered vehicles."
"I was wondering b/c there were obviously some mistakes made in this report and I thought if there were some pictures I could see something about how it was found." (giving me some indication of the condition of the undercarriage)
"I'll check you're file" (which means, I'll read exactly what the file says and not help you)
I'm crying by this point - that 'I'm not going to blubber in front of you but you're making me really upset and frustrated here - tear down the cheek cry)
File is read to me.
I ask about the apparently wet car b/c there was a lot of dry stuff and that was the reason i was told they couldn't ID b/c it was wet.
"We don't fingerprint stolen cars b/c it is too hard to get prints of high traffic areas like gear shifts."
Asked again about pictures thinking that my theory of the closed driver side door which was the reason for the unwet stuff could then be proven.
"We don't take picture."
I pause - try and breathe. "I'm not trying to be confrontational, I was just asking a question."
"But you are being confrontational. The officer that wrote this file is very competent and you are trying to say that they are not."
I leave - get in car and cry.
Driving home the cell rings. Its the officer I spoke to 30 minutes before... she says that the info she'd given me about the officer who wrote my report was incorrect - they would not be back tomorrow as they are on holiday. I told her that what she had said to me before really upset me. She asked if I understood that what real police officers do is different that what I'd see on TV shows like CSI. I said of course I knew that and that I was only asking b/c I'm unfamiliar with how these things are done not having ever experienced it before. (it took some time to get that out since I was bawling again... she couldn't say anything and neither could I. She asked if there was anyone with me and if she could speak with them. Dad took the phone and spoke to her. I got it back and she apologized to me. I said that she'd made me feel like the criminal for asking questions and she said she takes full responsibility for that and that she shouldn't have done that since I have gone through a lot. Blah blah blah.
Question: If a victim is asking questions in a polite manner yet obviously upset (crying) but not yelling, cursing etc... are police officers trained to still treat the person as if they were an idiot and make them feel worse? I'm hoping that the answer is no. And to think I thought seriously for a while about becoming a member of the RCMP.
posted by Maggie at
26.3.06
2 Comments:
Maybe you should have, because then there would at least be someone there who gets that the victim doesn't know what is going on, since the RCMP don't give them all the info, and who is just upset about whatever has happened to them.
Though I am sure there are RCMP officers who do understand that, but unfortunately forget and get caught up in the bureaucracy of it all. :)
PS - did you get your lifejacket back?
By
Likalia, at 27/3/06 8:44 a.m.
I was talking to a friend of my Dad's who is an RCMP officer in New Brunswick, and was a training officer in Regina and he said to me that Police officers are just like employee's in any other industry. You get some who care and take pride in their jobs and do them right an dsome who don't. I'm sorry you obviously got one who didn't seem to care very much, although at least an apology, of sorts, was given to you. I think you deserved more all things considered. :(
As well, I agree with Likalia in regards to you being an RCMP officer. I know what you mean though, I considered it for a while myself, and to be treated in such a manner really makes you think.
By
spankosaur, at 28/3/06 5:32 p.m.
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