OMG Stolen Bike Turns up on Gumtree

[firedfromthecircus]

If the police aren't interested, and you are sure it's yours just go steal it back!

 

[SEANSTEPHENS]

Re: Re:

Ok, just remember this person advertising could have paid for the bike....

https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/mens-bike/1256178408

Typical stolen bike description though, seller knows nothing about the item for sale and it reads like they wrote it drunk

Front and back 'hydrohlic' brakes is a highlight... LOL

 

[Moog]

If the police aren't interested, and you are sure it's yours just go steal it back!

Yup...quite sad and at the same time annoying the way the police have used me for not only my personal information, but the person in possession of the bike.

Tonight I'd went round and YES 100% my bike, missing spoke bits of black tape to stop cable rub, tape covering missing paint, all the little things..grips, seat..now well worn.

I asked for a lowest price and £100 and left.

I'd called the police as I was instructed and gave the bikes current location and was told to wait. Waited and was called back, the policeman telling me, we don't have the resources and we can't go into a person house

Not what I was looking for, just wanted them to be there and I'd of said the bikes mine, shown the photo and all the details you can see in the photo. The policeman was a bit of a dick, contending, "how could you know the bikes was your if you've only seen it on Gumtree..

This was after the police had been told I'd seen the bike and was outside the address...!! The policeman was really trying it on and putting it in such a way that, "We the police can't do anything...etc"

I asked one or two questions and this led to me being told...If the bike is yours take it back, usually in these cases nothing is said...Exactly what I'd intended to do to begin with...

Also the young woman, had a child and the police officer was adamant that they should regardless of myself not wanting to press charges due to the child and not wanting to frighten the child..

I honestly regretted calling the police, thinking forget it...All this bother for a bike and now stroppy, mentally challenged police :facepalm:

But as I said the police said as I'd reported the incident it was out of my hands...!!??

So now I am left with no bike and no back up.

My next step is to call back with the pre tense of buying the bike for £100 and telling the seller straight the bikes mine...And like I'd explained to the police it's kind of difficult to walk away with my bike...Its in a block of flats on the 10th floor, what do I do take the bike and wait for the lift to arrive right outside her door...

I'm told if you do that the owner can then contact the police and take it from there.

 

[The History Man]

It's your bike. You have ownership of it despite any subsequent transactions after it has been stolen even if in good faith. You have a right to take it back.

If the present owner claims good faith she has to take this up with the seller not you. The bike remains your property unless you gave somebody agency to sell it. Which you didn't.

 

[mk one]

Yeah, pretty f**** up but unfortunatlly the police are driven by revenue nowadays, maybe you should offer them a fiver to step in
Possession is still regarded as ownership and for you to take the bike regardless of previous events then you are guilty of depriving them of their property. It needs to be proven that it was stolen from you and only a court can do that, and only a court can decide if the person who's property it now is actually stole it.

 

[Moog]

Re:

This is simply just not good enough :evil:

 

[Minifreak]

It sounds likely this women is not the theif but a victim as well in that she has inadvertently bought a bike at some point from someone who themselves may not have been the original thief.

Anyone down the line who didn't actually steal it is in effect handling stolen goods but it would be he reasonable person test, i.e. Could they in all honestly have known the bike was stolen. Buying an item super cheap down the pub for example.

If you reported the bike to the police at the time of the theft I'd like to think all witness, cctv and forensic opportunities would have been looked at to track the perpetrator. If this was negative the only way the police could look at tracking the original thief would be to speak to your gumtree seller and see if they had any details of who they bought the bike from and so on until they either reached the original seller after it was stolen, or a dead end.

Once any crime is reported to the police a record is made and there has to be a justifiable outcome, only fair and right.

I find it odd that you were told to just take the bike but not odd that the Police had no one to send, sign of our times in aftaid, ever increasing population, a larger and larger number of whom think they can do what they want in life, increasing use of drink, drugs, mental health etc leads to an increasing crime rate and not enough police resources and partner agencies to deal with the aftermath.

Where I live the population is around 400,000, the number of uniformed officers (those that respond to the majority of al public calls and incidents) who parade for duty is around 30. Take out those who are abstracted for court, training, on sick leave, office bound due to being assaulted on duty and needing time from the street, God for bid being granted any leave, dealing with prisoners and interviewing and seeking charge decisions and building a case for court, sitting on a constant supervision of a violent or self harming prisoner, waiting hours on end for a person in crisis to receive a mental health assessment or a multitude of other roles they have, leaves often only 10 of those uniformed officers to look after those 400,000 people.

Thankfully most people are still decent but you can see the odds are stacked against the police.

My two pennies worth.

 

[mk one]

Where I live the population is around 400,000, the number of uniformed officers (those that respond to the majority of al public calls and incidents) who parade for duty is around 30. Take out those who are abstracted for court, training, on sick leave, office bound due to being assaulted on duty and needing time from the street, God for bid being granted any leave, dealing with prisoners and interviewing and seeking charge decisions and building a case for court, sitting on a constant supervision of a violent or self harming prisoner, waiting hours on end for a person in crisis to receive a mental health assessment or a multitude of other roles they have, leaves often only 10 of those uniformed officers to look after those 400,000 people.

Thankfully most people are still decent but you can see the odds are stacked against the police.

My two pennies worth.

Are you a policeman yourself?, that sounded like it was borne from experience

 

[Minifreak]

Where I live the population is around 400,000, the number of uniformed officers (those that respond to the majority of al public calls and incidents) who parade for duty is around 30. Take out those who are abstracted for court, training, on sick leave, office bound due to being assaulted on duty and needing time from the street, God for bid being granted any leave, dealing with prisoners and interviewing and seeking charge decisions and building a case for court, sitting on a constant supervision of a violent or self harming prisoner, waiting hours on end for a person in crisis to receive a mental health assessment or a multitude of other roles they have, leaves often only 10 of those uniformed officers to look after those 400,000 people.

Thankfully most people are still decent but you can see the odds are stacked against the police.

My two pennies worth.

Are you a policeman yourself?, that sounded like it was borne from experience

What gave the game away

The sad reality is I believe that this is Moog's bike, we all know our own bikes very well and the small details count, but police work on threat risk and harm as a way of deciding what to prioritise. They theft of the bike should have been recorded and this sighting of the bike on gumtree should be a new line of investigation, but police work on evidence. I would imagine there is very little if none in this case that would lead to the thief. It should however be assigned to someone to look at slow time, you certainly won't get an immediate response for this.

If I was Moog I'd be upfront with the gumtree seller, not get into an argument but see what information they can offer, you never know she may give the bike back or sell at a reduced price.
I certainly wouldn't 'steal' it for the reasons I've stated above, likely she could be an innocent party.

I know there are bad and lazy people in all works of life, I'm not nieve enough to think the police are any different, we are just humans after all, but I can assure you your can't stay doing the job these days if your not totally committed and have your heart and head in the right place so no more police hate please! Hate the criminals and those that don't add to society despite being able to should they care.

 

[Moog]

Re:

Ah...just remembered

I'd written my post code all over the bike with a Permanent UV marker....Now to buy a UV torch