When is theft ok?

[Dingdell]

Last night I was burgled, luckily I heard them trying to remove stuff - not very good burglars imo - and I called the police. I didn't alert the burglars but despite a very quick response from the boys in blue the burglars disappeared before the police got there.

What followed was a comedy half hour of detection where the dog handler got pulled over by the dog who got a scent and launched himself down the road at such speed that the handler tripped, the dog got loose and kept on going. As he is a bit of a 'biter' the police then had to concentrate on getting the dog back (he's a newbie) as once he's in pursuit he tends to go for anyone not wearing a yellow jacket. Upshot was I was bundled into the police car for safety (!) as there wasn't a spare jacket to go round and I'm sure most of my neighbours now think I've been arrested!

Anyway - back to the point of the thread. Over a warming cup of coffee after the carry on cops episode these two young fit policemen two officers of the law were telling me about the last job they were on. They had last night been called to the hospital over the theft of some plasters. Two butterfly plasters were taken from the emergency room by a man who had a cut and needed plasters.

He wasn't drunk, causing a breach of the peace, nothing. He had been waiting an age after being seen for these plasters to arrive and in the end saw some on a trolly, took two, put them on his wound and went to leave. He was reported by the staff for theft, held by security and the police were called. They were obliged to attend,take details etc as it had been called in as a 999 but in their opinion it had been a waste of police time.   

Is all theft stealing or are there degrees of theft. By applying degrees do we open the door to more crime? 

[tikay]

Wowzer. Shocked to hear about the burglary - you OK?

[kinboshi]

Hope you're OK Tracey - sounds like the nice police officers helped to make a bad situation better.

Never pleasant being burgled, having someone in your house uninvited isn't pleasant and then the next emotion is anger about them taking stuff you've worked bloody hard to get.  Hope you're fully insured and please consider getting an alarm.  It might not help when you're out, but it does give peace of mind when you're in the house at night and can act as a deterrent.

As for the plasters - I'm sure the 'villain' has been paying his tax and national insurance, and it's hardly a crime worth bothering with. It's not as though it was costing the hospital anything (in fact it might have been saving them money as he was sparing the time of a nurse so they could deal with someone else instead).  I guess they have 'procedures' in place and they cover everything from theft of plasters through to theft of dangerous drugs.  No room for common sense.

[Dingdell]

Wowzer. Shocked to hear about the burglary - you OK?

Over a warming cup of coffee with these two young fit policemen two officers of the law.....

Not understanding the question....

[TightEnd]

Most importantly, glad you seem to be ok. If not please talk it through with those you wish to asap. Don't bottle anything up.

[Acidmouse]

it's fine to steal some stuff you need in extreme circumstances, that being one of them.

[Dingdell]

Most importantly, glad you seem to be ok. If not please talk it through with those you wish to asap. Don't bottle anything up.

TY - all good here.

So was it waste of time sending two officers to deal with the theft of two butterfly plasters?

[TightEnd]

So was it waste of time sending two officers to deal with the theft of two butterfly plasters?

Yes, but presumably the hospital has to report and the police have to deal with the report

bureaucracy and form filling mentality in the public sector innit?

[byronkincaid]

shd go to tescos to get plasters

[Christo!]

The theft of the plasters will not go anywhere.

I myself have had my flat burgled when I was in it but I managed to stop the two guys getting away with my flatmates PS3 and ipod and its not pleasent having strangers come into home with the intention of nicking your stuff

[lazaroonie]

So was it waste of time sending two officers to deal with the theft of two butterfly plasters?

Yes, but presumably the hospital has to report and the police have to deal with the report

bureaucracy and form filling mentality in the public sector innit?

if they had been charged would it have been a stitch up ?

[Robert HM]

Sad to hear about the burglary, glad to hear you were looked after.

[technolog]

No luck with the firemen so try the police 








Glad you're unscathed.

[AndrewT]

No luck with the firemen so try the police 

Next week's post from Tracey.

'I was on a dinghy out in the sea but I got lost so I called 999 and these two cute coastguards came and rescued me...'

Must have been scary being in the house on your own waiting for the coppers to turn up - glad to hear you're OK.

[Dingdell]

No luck with the firemen so try the police 

Next week's post from Tracey.

'I was on a dinghy out in the sea but I got lost so I called 999 and these two cute coastguards came and rescued me...'

Must have been scary being in the house on your own waiting for the coppers to turn up - glad to hear you're OK.

I was thinking more along the lines of "I was waiting for the handyman to turn up to repair the damage from the buglars....." lol.