Calgary Police Service, sorry, we can't help you.

[A790]

First and foremost, this is my account of what is happening between myself and the CPS. It is not an accusation, only my side of a reather pathetic story.

On September the 29th I went out to my vehicle (1990 Silvia) to find the front end with very obvious damage. I patched it up and went to class. The damage was beyond my ability to repair, so I just did a half-assed hackjob and left it for the time being.

Over the course of the next few days I spoke with Marvin at Autodream regarding my options and costs. I also talked with several people. I had not contacted the police at this point, nor my insurance company.

I call my insurance company about it on October 12, after getting a quote from Hallmark Autobody and it being very, very high. I also go to the district 6 office in person.

I get there and am basically called a liar. After they have evaluated the damage to my vehicle, they conclude that I must have hit someone. They tell me that there must be an investigation because "my story doesn't add up". I told them that I did not cause the damage to my car, and I am told that I must have.

At no point did I say "I'd like to report a hit and run". I walked in there and told them that "I went out in the morning to find my vehicle damaged." How he was able to turn that into me participating in a hit and run is beyond me, and absolutely appaling at that.

Because my story doens't add up they are going to go at the car with a "fine-toothed comb" until they get to the truth. I am told that I may be charged.

The thread I made the day I saw the damage: http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.p...hreadid=103526

***

Now, I am very angry. I wake up in the morning and go to College. I don't have a criminal record, and I am not a very aggressive looking person. I was not ignorant, mouthy, hostile or otherwise.

As it stands now, I'm mad. Yes, very mad. I went in to REPORT A CRIME and I'm being treated like a criminal. I'm told that he doesn't have the authority to lay a charge at this time, but after an investigation we'll have more information.

***

He goes on to tell me that there is NO WAY anyone but me caused the damage as there was NO WAY someone could have hit me where I was parked (behind my apt building in a stall). I have pictures that PROVE OTHERWISE. Not only do I find it to be a very definate and probable possability, but I now believe that to be EXACTLY what happened.

In the exact same lot I know of several other similar incidents. My mothers boyfriends truck was hit on TWO seperate occasions, in the exact parking lot my car was parked in. My girlfriends vehicle was vandalized; a neighbours car was STOLEN.

They REFUSED, flat out REFUSED, to listen to a word I had to say. They were too busy proclaiming me to be the guilty party, the criminal.

I'll be blunt: I was afraid to talk to my insurance company because of what would happen to my insurance rate. As well, I never contacted the police in person until today because: A) I never had the time, and B) I was told by the CPS on the phone that I WAS NOT REQUIRED TO.

[mac_82]

For hit and run accidents you usually have to file a report right away. That way you can report it to your insurance company right away, and they usually waive the deductible.

If you had called the cops right away they may have came to see the damage without you moving the car or patching it up, may have helped the situation a lot.

[l8braker]

more details please. where were you? parking lot? road? who was parked infront, behind?

seeing as how you waited so long and perhaps gave them sketchy details, thats just another day for them. too many morons come in and put on an act. (ps, i volunteered at a comm. office and know this first hand)

[A790]

I called the CPS the day that it happened and I was told there was "no rush", and I quote the constable I talked to.

[vietdood]

you're accident happened on the 29th. you must immediately file a police report and contact you're insurance company to let them know of your situation. reporting 2 weeks after an accident will sound fishy to anyone

hopefully it all works out.

[A790]

Originally posted by vietdood
you're accident happened on the 29th. you must immediately file a police report and contact you're insurance company to let them know of your situation. reporting 2 weeks after an accident will sound fishy to anyone

hopefully it all works out.

I called the CPS that day. I was told that there was no rush, and to get a quote to see if the damage was over $1000.

[ricefarmer]

that sucks man, been hearing a lot of bad stories about the police lately, especially on beyond. when someone attempted to break into my car and fucked up the door in the process the officer who i spoke to was very hepful in getting a report filed so i could go through insurance. i guess cps is like any other place offering a service, some times its good, sometimes not.
try another station?

[l8braker]

you didn't state that your post. you go from you talking to your body guy to "i was called a liar" without saying that you actually called them.

ps. don't edit that back into your post.

[A790]

I clicked "submit thread" instead of "preview post" by accident, hence why I'm adding to the original post.

[A790]

I would like to point out that I have witness that can verify the integrity of the car when I parked it September 28th, as well as where I was when I noticed the damage on the 29th.

[Khyron]

If you are driving around with damage to your car, and no police accident sticker indicating the damage, you can be investigated. That's how they catch hit and run on pedestrians etc. So yah, you really look bad to them, and honestly I can see their point.

Khyron

[shedboy]

i got hit in an intersection (as a pedestrian) so i got a ride to the police station to report it. they said "you dont look like you got hit by a car" then said they were going to give me a ticket for jaywalking.

[qmf]

cps they look for easy ways out, i.e. ways for them to do less work and make $$$. Cause whats more work, an investigation or an assumption on the spot. And if u dont believe that your ignorant.
I would suggest not using them again for anything minor, its useless. They are only good for Drug busts (but thats a seperate unit) and for writing speeding tickets cause thats all that those cps' education will allow, a pen and pad + a piss poor attitude towards the ppl that pay there income.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by qmf
cps they look for easy ways out, i.e. ways for them to do less work and make $$$. Cause whats more work, an investigation or an assumption on the spot. And if u dont believe that your ignorant.
I would suggest not using them again for anything minor, its useless. They are only good for Drug busts (but thats a seperate unit) and for writing speeding tickets cause thats all that those cps' education will allow, a pen and pad + a piss poor attitude towards the ppl that pay there income.

Glad to see you hold the very people that keep your city safe in such high regard.

Think about it for a second. Imagine, on a daily basis, how many teenagers, adults even, hit something with their cars. We're a city of hundreds of thousands of people, I'd bet at least 100 people/day hurt their cars. They run into a lightpost, signpost, wall, railing, anything. They know they've done something dumb, but they want to collect on insurance. They go to the police, tell them it was a hit-and-run, and expect the police to immediately believe them and start dishing out cash or something. It's dishonesty like that that makes it so tough for honest people like A970 to catch a break.

If I worked for the CPS and had people calling me all day long telling me they'd had a hit-and-run, when it hadn't happened, I'd be pretty frustrated, too. I'm confident that if/when he calls back, maybe talks to someone higher-up than whoever answers the telephones, he'll get the help he deserves. People trying to pass off their idiocy as a hit and run probably don't try again after the first rebuke, so I'm sure his tenacity will be rewarded.

[A790]

See, and I see where THEY are coming from, and I'm trying my best to understand that. I see what you are saying Beserker, but at the same time I never walked in there and said "hey man, my car was hit".

I went in there after collecting my information and told them that my car was somehow damaged, and I beleived it to be an act of vandalism. He told me that it looked like my car had been involved in a hit and run, and that unless anyone else drove the vehicle, I was the person who committed it.

That's what he said to me. He never asked under what circumstance I beleive the car had been damaged, or where, or why. I wasn't even allowed to go with him to the car to point our damage that was preexisting and that I was aware of (which he included in his top-notch investigation).

I know that there are police in the city that are worth everything their paid and more, and that are more than capable of serving the community and showing the positive aspects of the service.

However, when I walk in there asking for help and walk out a criminal, there is a huge problem. You can't tell me that's the typical beaurocratic process.

I've talked with three (3) constables. Two in the station, and one on the phone. I have the names of all three, and all three of them will be named when I file a formal, written complaint, under the advise of my attorney.

[calgarygts]

I know how you feel - when I first moved to calgary my car got hit and run pretty badly in the parking lot of my building. I had tracks in the snow, paint marks and a match to the bumper profile of the truck beside me that did it. I called the police right away and went in to the station within 10 minutes of finding out and the same thing happened. The guy at the desk said it was me who did it, treated me like shit while I was trying to be polite. I've never been more frustrated - being polite after finding your car basically destroyed (the front end anyways) is enough of an exercise, but being treated like a criminal when you're trying to do the right thing is soooo frustrating. Just keep plugging away - I got the money in the end because I didn't give up and they'll realize sooner or later that you're not at fault. Just don't let your emotions get the better of you and let them see that you're not a shithead trying to get a self induced accident repaired for free.

[A790]

It doesn't matter to me at this point if I'm found at fault or not- if it's a hit and run, and not vandalism, then I won't get a dime from my insurance company.

At this point, it's the principle of the thing.

[Raz]

pictures, pictures, pictures! evidence is the best thing ever. Did you take any pictures of your car where it stood when it got hit, with the plastic pieces still on the ground indicating where it got hit?

- Rasmus

[rage2]

Rule of thumb... ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS report hit and runs, even if you have only 3rd party insurance. I've heard many times where someone gets nailed for hit and run, they do nothing about it, and the guilty party files a hit and run report and YOU get in shit for it. By not filling out a police report immediately, you will be under more suspicion, and things can get messy.

[A790]

Originally posted by Raz
pictures, pictures, pictures! evidence is the best thing ever. Did you take any pictures of your car where it stood when it got hit, with the plastic pieces still on the ground indicating where it got hit?

- Rasmus

Yes I did.