Yeah, this isn’t a funny post. I am just pissed the fuck off and I need to vent.
So the other day, my friend and I were walking back to the office from lunch when we were approached by a crackhead. He asked us for a crackpipe, and we said no and just kept on walking. Then he asked us for money, and a pipe, and then a dollar. We again said no, and kept on walking, at which point he ran up behind my friend and sexually assaulted her.
She screamed and I looked around to see who was there to help us. We were 50 feet from the police station but no police in sight. I ran and got a security guard who used his radio to get someone to call the police. He also called another security guard to follow this disgusting man until the police caught him. He followed him around the block, at which point they encountered the police, who handcuffed the man about 100 feet from the front door of the police station.
They then told us to go to the front desk of the police station to give the report. So we did. The officers at the front desk said they had no idea what we were talking about. We told them that my friend had been assaulted and that the officers who detained the “suspect” told us to meet them at the front desk. They told us to sit down and wait on a bench.
We sat and waited for over 30 minutes. No one came to take a report. Finally we go back and ask what the hell is going on. They continue to say they have no idea what we’re talking about. We tell them there must be SOME way to figure out who handcuffed the suspect right in front of their station less than 40 minutes ago. They asked us for a description of the officers, and then again said they didn’t know what we were talking about. They said they would only help us if we had the names of the officers. Well we didn’t, since they told us they would meet us in the station 100 feet away.
At this point we recommend they call dispatch because the security guard talked on the phone with them (which is how the officers arrived at the scene). Again they said they didn’t know what we were talking about. At no point was anyone at all concerned about the welfare of my traumatized friend, who sat on the bench. We asked if we could please make a report for sexual battery. They said they needed a female officer to do it and there wasn’t one at the front desk. We waited again.
About 15 minutes later, the officer who handcuffed the man suddenly appeared. We said we needed to talk to him. .He told us that he let the man go because he didn’t meet criteria for a psychiatric hold. We told him that this had nothing to do with that and that we were going to press charges for sexual battery. He said he’d let the man go 30 minutes ago because there was no one to give a report. We told him we’d been in the station for over 45 minutes waiting to give the report. He shrugged and said his shift was over and he was going home now.
At this point I am furious, but what can we do? No one gives a shit. Finally a female officer arrives to take the report. Why the hell they needed a female officer to take the report is beyond me as they did it in the lobby with 4 other (male) officers and at least 6 people standing around waiting to report assault and stolen bikes and various crimes that had been committed within a 1000 foot radius of the police station (which they didn’t care about). So here we are, amidst 10+ people (mostly men, of course) while the (female) officer is asking things like “what did he do to your genitals?”
So they took our report and that was it. No one followed up, no one gave a shit. Apparently the police are the wrong people to ask when you need some help. Thanks LAPD.
February 1st, 2010 - 2:35 am
there is a misconception about the main duties of the police, many people still have. it’s not about stopping or preventing crime. it’s to keep people in their place, by any force necesarry.
February 1st, 2010 - 7:17 am
I am so sorry to hear that happened to your friend and you. What you need to do is follow the chain up. Contact the Sargent on Duty at the time and make a report of the officers. Once you make a report the LAPD MUST put that into the officers files which will haunt them for years. Next you need to call the local district attorneys office. Report what happened and see the response. If there was not a decent follow up to you then you should go to the media. Nothing makes the LAPD move faster then the media. You can imagine the crime that slips by because of derilict of duty. Which by the way is a crime for the police. If the police start giving you the cold shoulder then you should start slinging that phrase around as well as gross negligence.
You told the the officer(s) you wanted to press charges and followed their direction. There was evidence of an assult and a victim willing to press charges.
PS They have to wait for a female officer because if there are marks, abrasions, or evidence that needs to be collected it cannot be done by a male officer. It really does protect your friend if this ever goes to court. I know this sounds really stupid but I have seen a defense lawyer question the victim that let a male officer look at marks (evidence) and since she let a male officer look at her she must not be that tramatized.
February 1st, 2010 - 11:34 am
This makes me sick. Over and over. SICK.
February 5th, 2010 - 6:22 am
My heart truly goes out to you and your friend for this travesty and horror. I am so sorry to hear about this.
February 6th, 2010 - 1:50 pm
this sucks, pigs are f’ing lazy, that crazy-crackhead-bum was asking for a different type of crack and it looks like he got that crackpipe after all. These are some **bum rules: never ignore a bum (you may hear what they say…just dont really listen), never please a bum (you try to give them a hand, they’ll grab your leg), never turn your back on a bum (this will avoid surprises) , always be ready to fight with a bum (poking eyeballs works great, biting should be your last resort…then test yourself for diseases), never be unorganized/lost in front of a bum (they will capitalize..this includes talking on the phone), most importantly just use your damn instincts to detect evil doers.
**note: not all bums are created equal, there are many type of bums (crackheads, druggies/drunks, decent, homeless, crazy/mental, crazy-crazies, funnies, jackers, gropers, etc…they can be combo-ed up too)..and not all bums are mean, there are many nice helpful bums too…give them 1 dollar, but have that 1 dollar ready don’t fish for it in front of them…you hold up traffic :0)
February 10th, 2010 - 9:55 am
chango, why the focus on what mal and her friend should have done? Sounds a bit like those “rape prevention” chain e-mails. The tone is always victim-blaming.
Likewise, the attitude of the police seems to be “well, you were a female in public, what did you expect?”
February 11th, 2010 - 11:55 am
James, i might of gone off on a tangent, but, the intention was not to blame the victim(s) or to tell anybody what they “should have done” (that’s just a useless waste of time). The intention was not to tell anyone what they should do (for pete’s sake, those ‘rules’ are not even official!). Ive never seen those “rape prevention” chain e-mails…but for your own good don’t believe those man, they lie, you will NOT have bad luck for NOT forwarding(that’s ridiculous! voodoo does not travel well through e-mail), if you do fwd it, just delete the ‘you will have bad luck’ nonsense (this way you don’t spread the retardedness around)…there we go again, another tangent…back to police, go to: RateMyCopdotcom (for entertainment).
February 15th, 2010 - 1:15 pm
Sadly I have had a very similar experience with my local police…. After a tailgater passed me, threw a golf ball at my windshield while moving, followed me, and then attempted to get me out of my car to fight, I drove to my local police station to find it deserted. Thank god he didn’t follow me there, I would have been on my own. They later, despite having his license plate number, said they couldn’t do anything. It struck me as a complete lack of giving a fuck with a strong dose of laziness.
February 26th, 2010 - 1:13 am
Sorry to hear about it, but keep in mind that the government is where the “C” students go to work.
March 1st, 2010 - 11:02 am
I work for the government!
March 30th, 2010 - 3:57 pm
Well at least they didn’t send a SWAT team to your home kick in the door and shoot your cats (you don’t have dogs for them to shoot). By this standard your encounter with the police is a screaming success.
I know that sounds flippant, but actually it happens with disturbing frequency. Either they don’t do shit, or the respond with overwhelming force like they are taking out a terrorist cell.