Police damaged property and refuse to pay for repairs

[Rockets]

I wonder if anyone, maybe James Barber, can offer some advice.

At the end of January the police chased a burglar through a number of gardens along our street and damaged some fences. My neighbour helpfully allowed the police access to the gardens via their house and one of the officers apologised to them as he said he had broken the fence between our gardens (it looks like a racehorse hit it!) and that we should get in touch with the local station to get them to pay for the damage he had caused.

As the fence is our property we got in touch with the local police who put us in touch with the director of legal services at Scotland Yard. After much back and forth, with the police denying they caused any of the damage, they finally offered to pay 50% of the costs of the repairs. I am not happy as I have written testimony from my neighbour on exactly what they were told by the plice officer at the time of the incident and he quite clearly stated to them that he had caused the damage. The police are suggesting the person they were chasing caused the damage and are now saying that they will not be offering more than 50%.

My neighbours and I have been more than happy to help the police in their duties in the past but now will think twice before doing so in future - why should we foot the bill for damage they caused? The police officer concerned was very apologetic to my neighbour but the pen-pushers at Scotland Yard seem to want to try and save some pennies.

Anyone had similar issues? I am going to write to the divisional commander in the area to see if they can get this matter resolved.

Thanks

R

[ratty]

Same thing happened to us some 5 years ago. Suffice it to say that we paid for the fence ourselves. Good luck though!

[Huguenot]

What was the damage? How much did it cost to fix, was it a fair price?

I do think it's a bit weird when we try and sue the police for protecting us. Let's cancel 'em eh, and then we can charge the burglars?

[Rockets]

Two whole fence panels have been destroyed - they are beyond repair and a local gardener has quoted ?160 to replace them.

So Huguenot, are you suggesting that if a public servant damages our property it is somehow our responsbility to pay for the repairs? You miss the point entirely.

I can assure you that plenty of our tax-payers money had been spent trying to catch the criminal - lots of police, dogs and even the helicopter hovering overheard for 30 minutes so I am sure the police can fund for the repair. Oh, and he got away to rob another day.......

Ratty, did you try to make a claim?

[Huguenot]

Well, why don't you see what you can get?

[Huguenot]

Destroyed....beyond repair?

Come on chap, they're fence panels. Destroyed? What does destroyed look like? Okinawa?

I can admit that it's disappointing they didn't ctach the crim - is that aggravating? If they caught the crim would you waive charges?

[sophiesofa]

I'd be really peeved off if someone did that to my fence, and indeed I was when a burglar broke my fence (although not as much damage) and window. I think that the policeman admitted it was his fault at the time makes all the difference although presumably the burglar must have done some of the damage, so although not your fault it is also not the police's, annoying though that may be. Hope your fence gets mended soon.

[ratty]

I did try. Got knocked back pretty quickly. Did not pursue it though for numerous reasons

[ImpetuousVrouw]

Maybe if everyone starts chasing the police for damages, the police would be less likely to want to chase criminals through private property and we'd all suffer. ?160 is not an excessive amount of money why would you even pursue the police for that?

[Rockets]

Errr, because they damaged it, apologised to my neighbour for doing so and said they would pay for the repairs. The attitude of some people on this forum amazes me! Let's hope it never happens to you hey! ;-)

And to Hugeknot, yes, where there used to be a fence is a gaping hole, completely unrepairable and no longer able to perform it's fence-like duties, hence the need for a couple of new panels coming to a cost of ?160, which the police said, after apologising for damaging the fence they would repair.....oh here we go again.....

[Narnia]

Would you feel differently Rockets if they were chasing someone who had burgled your house and made away with some of your most prized possessions? Just wondering.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

As the token poor person on this forum, I think ?160 is an awful lot of money.

[ruffers]

ImpetuousV thinks it's not excessive, I'm sure they'll pay as it's so insignificant.

Whether it's 60 160 or 600 if I woke up in the morning to find my garden stomped on by the plod and them admitting it was them, and saying they'd pay, I'd expect them to. No question.

[Loz]

I thought the new term by the hyperbole merchants for 'a bit poor' was 'living in poverty'.

[ImpetuousVrouw]

I think that if a policeman, in the course of his duty, chasing crims, breaks your fence, then it's a bit much asking the police to pay when that means we all have to pay for the fence. Isn't there a victim of crime fund that you could go to? I think this country is getting as bad as America for suing for stupid things like that.

Do we really want to end up in the situation where the police do a mental cost analysis before they chase a villain, to take into account the possible money they'll be hit for afterwards.

Buy these,

read this,

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/templates/content_lookup.jsp?content=/content/knowledge/how_to/erect_a_fence/erect_a_fence.jsp

and it'll only cost you ?28 saving ?132 of tax payers money

[The Minkey]

In this country someone who has committed a crime, can claim back for the damage caused by police officers in the course of a search. Are you telling me that someone who has had their property damaged by the police in pursuit of said criminal has less rights..? You're having a laugh, my friend - what planet do you live on?

It was the policeman who said he was responsible for the damage and suggested the OP contact the station for reparations. I've no problem at all with my tax money being used to compensate someone in this kind of circumstance.

[KidKruger]

I'll gladly fit your 2 x fence panels for ?155.

[Rockets]

ImpetuousVrouw - I am still laughing now after reading your post! Police are public servsnts and sometimes during the course of serving the public they may damage property. For this they have to fill out a property damage report so that when the member of public claims, quite rightly, the system pays out. To suggest that myself, or anyone else in the same situation, should fund the repairs themselves is bordering on the ridiculous - hardly encourages people to assist the police if you may end up getting a big bill at the end of it.

After much to'ing and fro'ing with the police they have left me with no option than to complain further up the hierachy - wasting my time and their time.

I know a lot of police officers and they all say the same thing when I tell them what happend: they won't pay. Why? Because the people you end up dealing with are not police but pen-pushing, budget saving civil servants. All the police I have spoken to say this is exactly the type of thing that makes their jobs ten times harder because it damages their reputation.

Surely it is far easier for the police to pay the ?160 (and let's be honest considering the police helicopter was hovering overheard for 30 minutes or so, that numerous police turned up including dog handlers the ?160 is but a drop in the ocean of the overall public cost) say sorry we broke your fence and keep their reputation intact with myself and my neighbours. Next time they come knocking they can go to someone else's house. If the officer concerned had said, sorry but the criminal broke your fence then so be it. But he didn't. He said he broke the fence and that we can get the police to foot the bill.

And to Swagger's point - if the policeman had been trying to tackle the burglar who had made off with my stuff I would be doubly annoyed, one because I would be out of pocket cos I would have lost my Xbox (bit more of a PS3 man myself) AND my damaged fence. ;-)

PS the image attached is not Beeches Brook but the said fence!

[cate]

Why don't you issue the Met with a County Court summons? You can do it on-line. And get the costs. Bet they would pay up promptly or risk it getting in the papers.

[Bluerevolution]

They look rotten to buggery and in need of replacement anyway.

?12 a pop http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=9276452&fh_reftheme=promo_159030003%2cseeall%2c%2f%2fcatalog01%2fen_GB%2fcategories%3c%7b9372012%7d%2fcategories%3c%7b9372019%7d%2fcategories%3c%7b9372069%7d&fh_view_size=10&fh_location=%2f%2fcatalog01%2fen_GB%2fcategories%3c%7b9372012%7d%2fcategories%3c%7b9372019%7d%2fcategories%3c%7b9372069%7d%2fcategories%3c%7b9572013%7d&fh_eds=%c3%9f&fh_refview=lister&ts=1271017139268&isSearch=false

[cate]

Another idea - send a letter to Mayor Boris. He's in over-all charge of policing.

[Sue]

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> As the token poor person on this forum, I think

> ?160 is an awful lot of money.

xxxxxxxx

I was about to post the same thing.

[H]

To all the people on here who think the police shouldn't pay, would you like it if I came onto your property without your permission (as it sounds happened here as the neighbour was the one who granted permission), damaged your property and then refused to pay for it? I don't think so. Yes damage is going to be caused in these circumstances, but why should an innocent party in all this have to fork out for it? This kind of damage should be factored into the policing budget as a cost of fighting crime. I don't mind if my taxes go towards this as I don't think Rockets should have to pay when it was nothing to do with them. Say they had caused worse damage, for example smashed a green house and a few windows as well as the fence. Should Rockets pay for that too? If it happened to me I would be demanding my costs to be paid. And now I shall duck as I prepare for you all to shoot me down...

P.s. good luck Rockets.

[Sue]

I agree with you H, and I'd be bloody furious if it happened to me.

[Huguenot]

One hundred and sixty quid for that!?! You've confirmed my prejudice!

30 quid for the panels, and 30 mins work.

The reward is a police force that's confident that they can chase a burglar/rapist/violent thug without doing five days of paperwork first.

I'd say that if you were so poor you needed the 30 quid I send it to you, but I'm worried you'd abuse the trust in that too!