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£165 to get stolen scooter back
3:40pm Friday 22nd August 2008
Comments (48)A DISTRAUGHT teenager was ecstatic when police told her they had found her stolen scooter just yards away from the family home – until she was told she would have to pay a hefty sum to get it back.
Faye Bradley’s scooter was found abandoned about 200 yards from her home in Wilberforce Avenue, Clifton, was towed all the way to the other side of the city and the recovery fee is more than the hard-up teenager can afford.
But North Yorkshire Police said that it was force policy for all stolen vehicles to be compounded.
Faye, 18, was gutted when her prized possession – a Honda Barley 50cc scooter – was stolen from her home, last Sunday evening.
Police rang the teenager – who uses her trusty scooter to travel to Askham Bryan College where she is studying for a national diploma in animal management – the next morning to say they had located the vehicle on the next street.
But her joy was short-lived when she was told that the scooter had been taken to a compound in Dunnington, and she would have to pay to get it back.
She was charged £105, after being unable to afford to collect the vehicle after five days, she has had had another £60 bill added to the amount – £12 a day for storage.
Today her distraught mum, Amanda Bradley, has said she is devastated that, as “a victim of crime”, Faye has been landed with such a large bill to collect the stolen property.
”It is just not fair that we have to pay to get our own property back after it was snatched from her home,” the Amanda said.
Faye’s brother, 22-year-old Lee, added that he is furious on behalf of his sister.
“If the police had called us when it was stolen we could have collected it straight away,” he said.
“Instead they just impounded it and expect her to foot the bill.”
Lee said Faye desperately needs the scooter to get to college. “The scooter was an old one,” he said. “It’s not worth much, and, as Faye’s excess is £250, it is just not worth getting back.
“It is such a shame, my sister is really bright and she will really struggle to get to college now.”
A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said it was a national policy to send recovered stolen vehicles to a compound. He said: “The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the Removal and Disposal of Vehicles Regulations 1986 give the police power to remove vehicles in certain situations.
“This includes vehicles which ‘have been abandoned without lawful authority’. “This part of the powers covers stolen motor vehicles that have been abandoned.”
Your Say YourYork Press
Stu Pidd, York says...
4:15pm Fri 22 Aug 08
NoNewsIsGoodNews, York says...
4:18pm Fri 22 Aug 08
I wonder if these certain situations talked about is only when we know for sure who owns it, so we can charge the registered keeper, or better still their insurance company......
Once again all common sense has gone out of the window, the police would have known fine well where the bike belonged, and could have walked or driven around the corner to inform the owner, better still they could have wheeled the bike with them and saved this girl a stupid amount of money.
Stevie D, Selby says...
4:36pm Fri 22 Aug 08
Having anything stolen is traumatic enough, without having to find a substantial sum of money to get it back in the rare event that it is found and still usable.
old_geezer, york says...
5:10pm Fri 22 Aug 08
But come on, Mr Policeman, try to keep us on your side! Don't blindly "follow procedure" (curse of our age), but think of words lke "discretion" and "common sense".
bob the builder, York says...
5:12pm Fri 22 Aug 08
bob the builder, York says...
5:15pm Fri 22 Aug 08
bob the builder, York says...
5:17pm Fri 22 Aug 08
Mullarkian, York says...
5:25pm Fri 22 Aug 08
No wonder the police are held in such contempt, they are just another arm of revenue collection.
old_geezer, york says...
5:27pm Fri 22 Aug 08
Any police reading this?
Geoffers, Wigginton says...
5:32pm Fri 22 Aug 08
Bemused, York says...
8:03pm Fri 22 Aug 08
I suppose I'm way out of date, silly me for thinking the police are a public service, there to make honest citizens' lives better after they've been robbed.
Any police reading this?
I agree old_geezer, and all the apologists for the North Yorks Police Farce appear to have naffed off.
Sarajo, berkeley heights says...
8:08pm Fri 22 Aug 08
topumpire1, york says...
8:58pm Fri 22 Aug 08
Stevie D wrote:I agree, the victim is stung twice, the second it seams by the LAW, it is time that we the people fought this ruling, TELL our MP to scrap the law or get out so we may put MPS into westminister who will scrap the law.
It's disgusting that anyone should have to pay to retrieve stolen property.Having anything stolen is traumatic enough, without having to find a substantial sum of money to get it back in the rare event that it is found and still usable.
nannystate, York says...
10:27pm Fri 22 Aug 08
Where do the contractors get their prices from? £12 per day to store a scooter. They should be ashamed of themselves.
Sharkey, York says...
10:43pm Fri 22 Aug 08
old_geezer wrote:This is modern Britain, and another in an almost endless list of what is wrong with it. The Police has to be run as a business and recover as much if not all of their operating costs. No such thing as a public service any more. An utterly pathetic state of affairs.
Thanks for info Bob, just makes it worse if they charge for release after fingerprinting - effectively charging the victim to catch the thief! I suppose I'm way out of date, silly me for thinking the police are a public service, there to make honest citizens' lives better after they've been robbed.
Any police reading this?
Kynnersley, Huntington says...
10:46pm Fri 22 Aug 08
petethefeet, York says...
11:23pm Fri 22 Aug 08
Lamplighter, York says...
6:37am Sat 23 Aug 08
Bemused, York says...
10:43am Sat 23 Aug 08
No, they were behaving like idiots under all the circumstances, and unfortunately as might be expected of the North Yorkshire Police.
WullieG, york says...
2:28pm Sat 23 Aug 08
Anyone fancy going into business?
old_geezer, york says...
4:22pm Sat 23 Aug 08
Nobody readier to support the police than me, but the steady trickle of stories seemingly designed to antagonise the public, and made worse by spectacularly wooden official spokespersons (do these officers have any PR training?), makes depressing reading.
Bemused, York says...
5:47pm Sat 23 Aug 08
(do these officers have any PR training?)
Yes, a lot, but shear bloody arrogance appears to have taken over. The attitude is "We can do it so we will", regardless of the interests of the public they are supposed to serve, or whether it's the intelligent thing to do.
chrisatyork, york says...
9:50pm Sat 23 Aug 08
Sharkey, York says...
10:55pm Sat 23 Aug 08
chrisatyork wrote:The police seem to be exploiting an act passed in 1986 to extort the money. I don't recall they used to do this, so it seems likely they've twisted the intended purpose of the act to force victims of crime to cough up more of their hard earned money.
Can the police be done for theft? if yes then this is a classic case
A bit like "finders keepers" in fact, which has no place in law, unless you can make the law up to suit your own purposes. If a private company tried to charge for returning items they'd found on the street, the law would be a little different for them I feel.
Bemused, York says...
11:12pm Sat 23 Aug 08
Yes, but legally it isn't.
The power to remove the scooter from where it was abandoned appears to be under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 Section 99.
They then inappropriately placed it it a compound and had the audacity to charge what appears to be a fixed penalty for what I can't imagine. It's the same legislation that authorises the towing away of cars parked illegally on double yellow lines, and the charge to get them back, applied to a recovered stolen vehicle. I call it disgraceful.
I believe it to be an abuse of power which should be referred to a solicitor (perhaps Faye can get legal aid), or at least form the basis of a complaint against the police. I would also refer it to Hugh Bayley, to take up with the Home Office.
It's an example how the North Yorks Police are out of control.
Braddaz, YORK says...
7:34am Mon 25 Aug 08
As soon as we noticed the bike was missing we reported it to the Police and told them NOT TO RECOVER as we knew it would be local, we gave them contact numbers and told them they could ring us any time, but the firt call we got was to say it was in Elvington!
We have left the bike at Elvington as Faye cannot afford to get it back, but it is going up everyday by £12. Plus we will have to pay for a recovery veichle to pick it up as it is wrecked.
spamspamspamspam, york says...
5:08pm Mon 25 Aug 08
spamspamspamspam, york says...
5:12pm Mon 25 Aug 08
Bemused, York says...
6:26pm Mon 25 Aug 08
In the past 15 years or so, and especially under the influence of New Labour it's gone down the tubes to the extent that perhaps only disbanding and re-inventing might bring back what we had.
doublevodka, york says...
6:52pm Mon 25 Aug 08
Bemused, York says...
8:22pm Mon 25 Aug 08
but told us regardless of fault the car will be recovered and we even found out it was'nt left illegally parked!!
Because they are brain dead and go on autopilot. Probably a policy brought to you by the Association of Chief Police Officers, the idiots who close roads down and cause major congestion after the most minor of prangs.
We saw the start of the rise of ACPO and predicted the damage they would cause.
petethefeet, York says...
11:21pm Mon 25 Aug 08
Bemused wrote:Interetsing. Does this mean you have no faith in your senior officers? Surely....this cannot be so...;-). Everyone else has total faith in their senior management!!!!!
but told us regardless of fault the car will be recovered and we even found out it was'nt left illegally parked!!Because they are brain dead and go on autopilot. Probably a policy brought to you by the Association of Chief Police Officers, the idiots who close roads down and cause major congestion after the most minor of prangs. We saw the start of the rise of ACPO and predicted the damage they would cause.
Bemused, York says...
12:21am Tue 26 Aug 08
spamspamspamspam, york says...
11:41am Tue 26 Aug 08
Bemused wrote:Bemused - the removal of stolen vehicles is a NATIONAL policy. It isnt just done by North Yorkshire Police. Even in West Yorkshire they recover stolen vehicles, without routinely seeking the owners permission. Your comment about inappropriately placing it in a compound seems nonsense - where else should it be taken? Is a secure compound not good enough. And the police dont charge anything for the recovery of vehicles, the recovery company do.
"Can the police be done for theft?"
Yes, but legally it isn't.
The power to remove the scooter from where it was abandoned appears to be under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 Section 99.
They then inappropriately placed it it a compound and had the audacity to charge what appears to be a fixed penalty for what I can't imagine. It's the same legislation that authorises the towing away of cars parked illegally on double yellow lines, and the charge to get them back, applied to a recovered stolen vehicle. I call it disgraceful.
I believe it to be an abuse of power which should be referred to a solicitor (perhaps Faye can get legal aid), or at least form the basis of a complaint against the police. I would also refer it to Hugh Bayley, to take up with the Home Office.
It's an example how the North Yorks Police are out of control.
spamspamspamspam, york says...
11:54am Tue 26 Aug 08
Bemused wrote:what bring back falsifying evidence, perhaps we should start losing vital information (which may help the defence) and generally knocking people about until they admit offences (both physically and mentally).
I and my generation of police officers left a fully functioning service that was the envy of the world, and fully supported by the vast majority of the British public, criminals excepted of course, in poll after poll.
In the past 15 years or so, and especially under the influence of New Labour it's gone down the tubes to the extent that perhaps only disbanding and re-inventing might bring back what we had.
Yes that would be better wouldnt it.
Or what about reducing crime figures by not actually recording crimes....your window has been smashed madam? Hmmm you do realise because you live near a road a passing car has probably thrown a stone up and broken your window. No, its not criminal damage a simple accident madam.....
Bemused, York says...
12:04pm Tue 26 Aug 08
As for a private company charging and not the police, what sort of relationship is there between them and the police? Backhanders by any chance?
I don't give a stuff about national policy (which I doubt). It should still be subject to legal challenge.
What's your vested interest Mr Spam, it wasn't you driving the police van whilst swigging a cup of coffee, was it? Or has it been covered up?
spamspamspamspam, york says...
12:17pm Tue 26 Aug 08
doublevodka wrote:Ok, if i'm reading this right. Plod come across a 2 vehicle accident, noone with either vehicle. They see which one was the offending vehicle - perhaps its headlights were on, drivers door open etc. They run both vehicles through the computer. Neither come back stolen. Hmm a vehicle that isnt stolen in an accident....perhaps the owner has had an accident and legged it. Why would he do that...maybe he's drunk.
spam spam it also doesnt say that they did try to contact them. and i know from expierience that they dont contact the owners as when our car was stolen and dumped 100 yards away it was recovered.. and we only knew about it when police knocked on our door at 5am to question my hubby as they thought he'd abandoned it when drunk!!! but theydidnt notify the owner of a car that ours had crashed into as it was too early to wake them with bad news!!! errr hello we were the victims too! they soon realised there mistake but told us regardless of fault the car will be recovered and we even found out it was'nt left illegally parked!!
Its not a difficult assumption to make, I imagine thats why they'd have come round to you straight away to speak to your husband (I assume he's the registered keeper) I cant comment on why the other car would have been recovered, I really dont know but I should imagine that your car would have been recovered to examine it to make sure your husband was telling the truth - eg was the airbag deployed and dna/hair/skin transferred onto it.
Now I'm not saying for 1 minute that your husband was anything other than the victim of crime. However not all criminals admit what they have done straight away, or at all so the Police need to investigate.
spamspamspamspam, york says...
12:24pm Tue 26 Aug 08
Bemused wrote:I fear your detective radar is a little rusty Bemused....
Bloody inappropriate when the complainant lives a mere 200 yards away from where it was recovered.
As for a private company charging and not the police, what sort of relationship is there between them and the police? Backhanders by any chance?
I don't give a stuff about national policy (which I doubt). It should still be subject to legal challenge.
What's your vested interest Mr Spam, it wasn't you driving the police van whilst swigging a cup of coffee, was it? Or has it been covered up?
Bemused, York says...
12:43pm Tue 26 Aug 08
"Police 'focus on soft crime'
30/05/2008
The police are targeting law-abiding people for minor
misdemeanours because it makes it easier to meet government targets, it has been claimed.
A pamphlet from right-wing think-tank Civitas said police and the Government risked alienating the public by concentrating on "easy-to-deal-with offending".
The pamphlet by journalist Harriet Sergeant accused police of treating incidents as crimes when they would
previously have been regarded as innocuous, because it helps meet their targets.
Many officers are expected to complete a certain number of "sanction detections" a month, either by charging, cautioning or fining an "offender".
Arresting or fining a normally law-abiding person for a
piffling offence is a good way of achieving this target and pleasing the Home Office, the booklet said.
"Not only do the police seem intent on criminalising those whose offences, if they can be regarded as
offences at all, are trivial," it claimed.
"They are accused of concentrating on easy-to-deal with offending like speeding, while the real criminals
seem to be getting away with it."
Police complaints could cost £500k
By Mark Stead
02/05/2008
COMPENSATION claims made against North Yorkshire Police mean the force could be sitting on a £500,000 timebomb.
Figures which are to go before the North Yorkshire Police Authority (NYPA) tomorrow have revealed the extent of allegations made against police in our region in the last year.
The force's total potential liability resulting from claims of "malfeasance" - which covers
accusations of wrongful arrest, false imprisonment, assault, malicious prosecution and
interference with property, among other areas - is now expected to top £220,000, with an additional £38,700 in legal costs."
I wonder what "interference with property" means? Removal of recovered stolen vehicles to private pounds?
Braddaz, YORK says...
1:02pm Tue 26 Aug 08
Bemused, York says...
3:00pm Tue 26 Aug 08
Braddaz, YORK says...
1:02pm Tue 26 Aug 08
Nobody rang us at all we gave contact numbers and no-one rang, and like I said earlier the Police were asked not to recover as we knew it would be local.
Make a formal complaint against the police via Hugh Bayley, he's desperate to show an interest in anything at the moment.
spamspamspamspam, york says...
10:37am Wed 27 Aug 08
"They are accused of concentrating on easy-to-deal with offending like speeding, while the real criminals
seem to be getting away with it."
This just goes to show that Bemused is out of touch and is trying to lead people down the garden path.
Why would Police use speeding motorists to hit government detection targets, which is essentially what your quote is saying?
For the few who might not know, to my knowledge speeding is not a "recordable crime" therefore bringing an offender to justice does not result in a detection.
If people want to know what Policing today is like and the frustrations faced by officers may I suggest reading the book "Wasting Police Time" by PC David Copperfield (not his real name!) my friends in the Police tell me it is a very accurate account of being a beat bobby in the modern police force.
Bemused, York says...
4:43pm Wed 27 Aug 08
"One officer interviewed for the study said he warned his own teenage son to take extra care at the end of the month when police are looking to fill their detection quota.
Another said: "We are bringing more and more people to justice but they are the wrong people."
Complaints against the police have risen and much of the increase comes from law-abiding, middle-class, middle-aged and retired people who no longer feel the police are on their side, the report said.
It called for an end to targets and proposed a local tax to pay for policing, with commanders selected through local government or direct elections.
Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "This is a desperate but not surprising indictment of Labour’s red tape, target-driven culture which has distorted police priorities and undermined the relationship between the police and the public.
"At the same time, bureaucracy has tied officers to their desks and kept them off the streets."
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said the government's current targets were "ridiculous".
"It is a nonsense that issuing a penalty notice for littering is of the same value as solving a murder. The principle of policing by consent is being seriously undermined."
Chairman of the Police Federation, Paul McKeever, said: "What this report highlights are issues the Police Federation has long voiced concerns about.
"Police officers are struggling to bring some common sense to the increased demands of a target driven culture, which is all too often resulting in arrests to boost the statistics we are judged upon, rather than to do what is right for the public.
"This vicious circle of chasing targets then further alienates us from the majority of law abiding people.
"Action must be urgently taken to stop the erosion of the independent and impartial office of constable by this Government, and allow police officers to act with discretion, accountability and the consent of the public we serve."
spamspamspamspam, york says...
1:18am Thu 28 Aug 08
"Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said the government's current targets were "ridiculous".
"It is a nonsense that issuing a penalty notice for littering is of the same value as solving a murder. The principle of policing by consent is being seriously undermined."
What chance has the ordinary members of the public have of wading through the BS when not even those who should know have a clue?
OK folks a quick lesson, lets take Bemuseds quote from above... A penalty notice for littering is not of the same value of solving a murder. The Lib Dem spokesman is misleading the public and should be sacked for incompetence. Littering is not a recordable crime, therefore solving it does not result in a detection. Whereas murder is a recordable crime and solving it does result in a detection.
Bemused you really should know better than to post quotes which are frankly wrong and misleading.
Incidently Bemused did you watch the ITV programme "Wood You Believe It?" which was screened a few weeks ago? It was all about Selby Police and how they have ditched government led targets and are focusing on dealing with incidents in a way which the public would like.
Now I agree with you, in a way, if someone tells you to hit a target you're going to do everything you can to hit those targets. What I dont agree with is your blanket slating of North Yorkshire Police, even though according to the recent documentary they are doing what you want and infact Selby Police are leading the country!!
Bemused, York says...
2:31pm Thu 28 Aug 08
"Chairman of the Police Federation, Paul McKeever, said: "What this report highlights are issues the Police Federation has long voiced concerns about.
"Police officers are struggling to bring some common sense to the increased demands of a target driven culture, which is all too often resulting in arrests to boost the statistics we are judged upon, rather than to do what is right for the public.
"This vicious circle of chasing targets then further alienates us from the majority of law abiding people.
"Action must be urgently taken to stop the erosion of the independent and impartial office of constable by this Government, and allow police officers to act with discretion, accountability and the consent of the public we serve."
spamspamspamspam, york says...
4:17pm Thu 28 Aug 08
Did you not read any of my post?? I agree with what the federation have said in your post and also pointed out that in a recent documentary about north yorkshire police, in Selby they have dropped government led performance targets and are adopting public serving policing!
The only section of your post I disagreed with was the bit I cut and pasted about litering and murder.
I infact agree that out police should not be judged on whether they meet certain targets.
Incidently 5 other forces across the country have either dropped home office targets or have called for their abolishment, not over in west yorkshire yet though.
I appreciate this subject has gone off topic somewhat but i do get annoyed when people slate the rank and file bobby on the beat for doing what they are told they have to. Its YOUR government which introduce the policies which directly affect what happens on the street.
Bemused, York says...
7:52pm Thu 28 Aug 08
Not mine, I saw them coming. Truce on this one, it's now too far back.
Faye Bradley, who had her scooter stolen and then, when it was found, told she would have to pay to get it back
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Bemused, York says...
3:56pm Fri 22 Aug 08
So why didn't they nip round to her house and tell her? Are they brain dead or what? Is it any wonder the police are nowadays so disliked and treated with contempt?