ED Police Station and abandoned dog

[Mark]

We were walking past the East Dulwich Police Station at about half ten last night and there was an abandoned dog tied up to the scaffolding outside. The station was closed and so we used that yellow scuzzy phone on the side of the building to report it to the police. We were given the number for the RSPCA and told to call them. We called the RSPCA and after getting through their ridiculously annoying phone system were told, by answer message, that it?s the responsibility of the local authority dog warden. So directory enquiries gave us the switchboard number for Southwark council*, and we called them and were told that as it?s after 5pm it?s the police?s responsibility. So we called the police again on the scuzzy phone and they said a dog unit was on its way to collect it.

I trust the dog?s now in safe hands but is there any point in having a police station that?s closed most of the time? Why are people petitioning to keep it open? What benefit does it have for the community? Is it just nice to be able to say ?there?s a police station in East Dulwich? but in reality it doesn?t serve much of a purpose? Maybe I'm just unaware of the fact that it's really busy in the daytime serving the local community? Could someone enlighten me please...

* I should mention that Soutwark Council?s after hours emergency helpline (via the main switchboard number 020 7525 5000) was efficient and very helpful

[Keef]

Good for you, for not just leaving the dog there!!! (tu)

As for the police station, the only reason it wasn't closed a few years ago was because it had the stables. Are they still in use? If they are, that will be why the police station is still there.

[mockney piers]

they were in use when i moved here, but haven't heard a clippetty clop for a while now.

echoed..hats of to you mark.

[batdog]

Mark,

The dog population of the world will LOVE you forever. (tu)

I can only REPEAT myself here : Let's get rid of the Police Station, the most useless building in East Dulwich. (td)

[SimonM]

No, the stables were closed a few years back and the horses moved elsewhere in SE London - probably somewhere closer to 1 of the Sarf Lunnon footie grounds perhaps?

I thought it a shame at the time as I quite enjoyed seeing the horses being expercised in pairs around ED - they came along Underhill Road quite often - or in the park.

[Guest]

They got rid of the horses a few years ago now, which is a shame they used to regular exercise them round the local streets and park, mind you I suspect that people would complain about that now.

[Keef]

I used to love the horses, as kids they used to let you come in to the stables and feed them sugar cubes. Mum used to tell me that in her father's day, people would come out on to the road with their shovels and pick up the manure to use on their rhubarb!!!

At least it was organic, that would go down well in the ED of today! ;-)

[batdog]

Keef,

Are you absoultely sure that were sugar cubes ? And not something else...?

And are you also sure that people didn't use the manure to feed their homegrown "mushrooms" >:D<

[Keef]

Well as an innocent youth, I believed they were sugar cubes :-S Perhaps naive....

[Jeremy]

Must have been recently that the horses were moved! Clippity cloppiting along Crystal Palace Road was a daily occurance until recently. As was large piles of horse poo in the road!

[spadetownboy]

eliza Wrote:

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

> They got rid of the horses a few years ago now,

> which is a shame they used to regular exercise

> them round the local streets and park, mind you I

> suspect that people would complain about that now.

well my roses would,they havnt been the same since.

[Reluctant runner]

The horses moved over two (nearly three) years ago. They now reside in sunny Lewisham.

[spymum]

Poor little mutt, how can people be so mean as to abandon a dog? Well done Mark!

I assumed that the ED Police station was completely closed, which I thought was a shame. I always try to memorise where the nearest stations are in case I have to drive to one for help (paranoid, moi?!). Where is our nearest functioning police station, just out of interest?

spymum

(blog: Posh Mum)

[Guest]

I think you'll find its PECKHAM

[spymum]

Oh dear! That'll work then, won't it ;-) And it's not exactly near!

Where in Peckham? - I go there quite a bit and have never even noticed it. Then again, I arrive, shop and leave at lightning speed!

spymum

(blog: Posh Mum)

[Bony Fido]

I arrived back from work at the bus stop outside ED nick at about 10.30 on Wednesday night. There was a young couple standing outside with a dog which was tied to one of the scaffold poles. It looked as though the couple were concerned about the dog - the man (probably Mark) was on his mobile at the time. It looked as though the dog might have been there quite some time judging by the big puddle he/she was standing in.

I went to Franklins as it was getting near closing time thinking that "the authorities" would be arriving to take the animal into care. However, as I was returning a woman who said her name was Catherine came up to me and told me about a dog tied up - she was obviously very concerned. She said she rang the on the police phone and was told they would "come out for it" but no one came out. I pointed out to her that ED nick is only staffed 6am to 10pm (last I heard anyway) so they must be coming from another station. I couldn't remember the RSPCA number ( it's 0870 5555 999 ) but it wouldn't have been much help anyway according to Mark.

In the end Catherine who said she has pets of her own and lives in Rodwell Road took the dog and went off down the road saying she was going to "the shop" and would ask them to help. The dog was so happy to be untied I thought its tail was going to fly off, it was wagging so fast! It must have had a fair bit to drink because the first thing it did was cocked its leg against the nearest lamp post.

I don't know what eventually happened but I think the dog was in good hands.

[batdog]

Catherine,

We'll love you forever :))

[Domitianus]

Setting aside their capability in dealing with abandoned dogs I have to question the general efficiency of East Dulwich Police. A friend of mine recently visited the station to collect a form he required to make a request for information. He found two other customers waiting who had been there for and hour and 90 minutes respectively without being served. My friend noticed that there was a young police officer in the office who seemed to be doing nothing but sitting in his chair twiddling his thumbs. After half an hour of waiting my friend politely enquired of this officer whether it would be possible for someone else to come out and deal with enquiries. The officer immediately responded in an extremely threatening, offensive and aggressive manner, shouting at my friend to get out. This jumped-up twerp, however, had chosen to pick on the wrong person and got a very blunt and to the point response from my friend who told him what a disgrace his behaviour was and asked for his number. The officer concerned refused to give it to him and simply walked out of the room only to return a few moments later with a colleague. He pointed out my friend and said "It's him, it's him". Suffice it to say that my friend was not impressed by these ganging-up tactics and only left the station after he had got the original officer's number and details of how to make a formal complaint which he did through Peckham Police Station. He is currently awaiting a response to his complaint.

It would be nice to thinkthat this was a one-off experience but not so. Approximately eight months ago I had to visit East Dulwich police station myself to report the theft of a camera. The attitude of the civilian administration officer who 'took' my complaint was unbelievable. Completely lacking in the slightest degree of customer service skills, he took my complaint with not the slightest indication of courtesy or co-operation and finally delivered me a crime report number. When I asked him what would be done about the teft he replied "Nothing!" and proceeded to tell me that I should have reported it earlier. I pointed out that I had not reported the theft earlier as I had been unsure whether the camera had been lost or stolen and had not wanted to report a 'crime' if the camera subsequently turned up. He shrugged his shoulders in disinterest. The whole matter left me with a feeling of anger and disgust. Thieves are thieves. They do what they do and that is frustrating enough. However, I pay my taxes for a professional police service and instead we get the Keystone Cops - the only difference being the Keystone Cops are funny whilst the East Dulwich police station staff are unhelpful, rude and hostile!

[James]

You have my sympathy Domitanius. A few years ago I had the misfortune of having ?1000 fraudulently taken from my bank account after my wallet was stolen. I reported it at the (now closed down) Lewisham Police Station where I was told that as I didn't actually see the person stealing it & couldn't give a description, I had no choice but to report it as "lost." I very reluctantly did this. There then followed two weeks of hell as my bank would not refund me any of the stolen money without a crime number - which the police would not give me because I had reported it as lost, not stolen ("Well why didn't you report it as stolen?" they asked me incredulously). I spoke to a number of officers - most were patronising, lazy, unhelpful and totally unsympathetic. A few were downright rude, treating me with suspicion and contempt. ("How do I know you ain't just given it to one of your mates?" asked one. I wonder if he says this to every victim of crime he deals with.) When I eventually did get the sacred crime number I learned that the cashpoint where I was robbed was No 1 IN BRITAIN for this type of crime. I also learned that a friend of a friend had the very same thing happen to her ON THE SAME NIGHT. The difference was that she was given her crime number instantly and treated with sympathy and respect (she reported in in Central London). Don't want to generalise as I have a friend who works for the police but the fact that so many of them seem so incompetent and unhelpful is quite worrying...

[Keef]

I too have a friend who works for the police, and can honestly say that I think he's a decent copper (we've actually had cross departmental dealings, so that's not just mates bias). however, having been on his stag do and a couple of other things, I can honestly say that some of the people that seem to be able to get in to the force are a real concern!

[batdog]

Domitianus,

Re: the first part of you story, a police officer on duty dealing with a member of public has a legal obligation to identify him/herself ( unless number ID is displayed on the shoulders or elsewhere), even if it is a civilian support worker on duty ( the moment you enter their territory whoever is addressing you is "on duty" ), he/she has the legal obligation of giving the ID to a member of public. If they refuse to do so they are committing an offence and they can be legally prosecuted.

3 years ago a female staff in plain clothes and without any visible ID/Name started to take my details when i went there to report something and refused to give any details at all when I asked her to identify herself, she also said that she was alone and I couldn't see/speak to her supervisor. So it was a "no exit" situation.

I decided to call 999 and reported to the operator that there was a female pretending to be a police staff/support worker trying to steal my personal details, all within the police station. As I insisted that it could have been a police station "heist" possibly by a professional gang, they eventually "believed" me and few minutes later a Peckham Patrol turned up ( 4 fully uniformed Officer ) and I explained what happened and asked them to remove the "suspicious" female from behind the counter. They all laughed and one of them actually knew her and told me that she was a support worker and she still must identify herself, ...suddenly a senior officer appeared from behind the office door and identifyied himself and the support female worker.

This is only one of the several reason why I campaign for the full closedown of the useless ED police station. >:D<

[shambles]

ok ok ok ...enough already. can't stand 'let's all slag off the old bill' type stuff. shall we abolish them?

[shambles]

agree re ED police station tho - pointless place

[mockney piers]

I'd just like to say this thread is descending dangerously close to policism. I'd just like to state that I'm not policist, some of my best friends are rozzas. Couldn't actually name any but I did once meet a hobby-bobby.

Shambles - "shall we abolish them?"

I knew it, you're an anarchist agent from the Flunratian government trying to undermine our own fair democracy; go on, admit it!

[shambles]

what's a hobby bobby?