Why is it so difficult to report some vehicle-on-vehicle lovin?

[Zero102]

I witnessed a guy (middle age, overweight, driving a red ~96 subaru legacy, license plate SDJ-319) back into a parked car (black honda crv, dunno the year, maybe 2008? license plate LEL-107) this morning at the Brentwood train station. After taking pictures of the license plates of both vehicles the guy who backed into the parked car got confrontational and it seemed clear that if I left a note on the vehicle that got backed into it would be removed so I left the scene and went to work and called the police. There are 2 menu options that they have which try to dismiss you - First they make it sound like all non-injury small value vehicle collisions should be reported online, then when you have hung up, checked the website and realize that isn't useful and call them back, there is another option for non-injury collisions that basically tells you to call your insurance company - which is fucking useless if you are just a witness looking out for another dude's ride - and ends the call on you.

Next I called 311 and they were completely dismissive, said I was talking to the wrong people and they said just to call the police back and hit 0 until you get somebody, which I did, and I got through to somebody who basically refused to take any information and said I should have left a note, 3 or 4 times she said there was "nothing she could do" and I should have left a note. After arguing with her over and over and explaining that any note I left would never have made it to the owner she finally agreed to take the plate of the vehicle that got hit and notify the owner, but would only pass on my information so that the owner could call me.

It seems like at every step of the way both our city and the police just want you to go away instead of reporting these sorts of things, but as a car owner who actually gives a shit about my car this really irks me. I had to call the police 3 times, 311 once, and argue with somebody to even get them to take my information to notify the driver whose car got backed into.

We have an online reporting system with the police that only helps you if it is your car that is hit and you don't know who did it - that sounds like exactly the right sort of thing but it isn't for situations where you are just a witness and not a victim. Why not?

Okay, maybe I don't know what I am really asking here, but I am pissed off. My cars have been hit before and I wonder how many of those times somebody might have witnessed it, caught some of the other car's information and been blown off by our police system.

[GTS4tw]

Just tell them the windows on the offending vehicle were tinted, they will probably devote a small squad to hunting him down.

Seriously though, the police are useless when it comes to any kind of crime that isnt right in your face and obvious. When it comes to hit and run, vandalism, theft, assault, or any other similar crime there is no point in even calling them. It will end up being a total waste of your time. I would only call them if I needed a police report for something, otherwise I just dont bother reporting anything.
If it is drugs, murder, or another minor driving related offence (like unsafe lane change, or speeding on a deserted road at 3am) then they could be able to use it to boost their public image, or bring in money, so they might help with those.

[Kloubek]

That sucks that you had to jump through hoops to be a good samaritan. It shouldn't be this way... but good on you for trying.

That'd make me pretty pissed off if some dipshit told me he'd remove whatever note I wrote. I mean, seriously... wtf.

[FraserB]

Call the non-emergency number.

Tell them you witnessed a hit and run. Last time I checked that counted as a crime in progress.

As for the person you spoke to, I assume you got their name or regiment number? Call professional standards, filing a report with them takes a few minutes and they DO follow through.

[Tik-Tok]

Just walk into a police station to file a witness report. I did the same to a hit and run a few weeks back.

[FullFledgedYYC]

Dude... you aren't giving the police an opportunity to make money... they are not interested.

[Masked Bandit]

Wow, no good deed goes unpunished eh? Try to be the good guy and just get the run around. I'll still say "thank you" to the OP on behalf of all hit & run victims who were never fortunate enough to have someone like you do the right thing.

[Traffic_Cop]

Dial non emegency number. 403 266 1234. Dont listen to any of the prompts, just hit "0". As someones already stated, its a crime in progress. A car will attend.

[G-ZUS]

Lazy officers FTL

A couple years ago, some b***h in some beat Pontiac Firefly hit my bumper and cracked the paint while trying to park. She left her car there and I saw the damage. I took pictures of the damage and paint transfer etc and called CPS to report a hit and run.

Some douchebag officer comes out and acts like I'm wasting his time by reporting it. He took my statement called the lady who owned the car and she denied hitting my car. I asked him if they were going to investigate or go see the damage/paint transfer on her car. He said if he's ever in her area he will "swing by and look at the damage on her car" and that's the last I ever heard of that.

[Mibz]

Report it to your insurance company, they're far more likely to pursue it than the cops.

[FraserB]

Originally posted by Mibz
Report it to your insurance company, they're far more likely to pursue it than the cops.

OP's car wasnt hit. He was trying to be a good samaritan.

[Mibz]

Shoulda quoted G-ZUS, sorry.

[Maxt]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok
Just walk into a police station to file a witness report. I did the same to a hit and run a few weeks back.

That didn't work for me , they said in the case of hit and run , its a crime therefore it has to be reported to a street unit , not the accident desk. So then I had to sit in the district office parking lot for a couple of hours to wait for a street unit to come to the office . It was frustrating enough I almost just said F' it .

[lilmira]

Gone through similar experience with a near miss, tried to report the asshole and got kicked around. Long story short, didn't bother at the end. It's their jobs to care but they didn't so how much further do I have to go?

[DeleriousZ]

To play devil's advocate, imagine being in their position doing that job. I can't imagine the amount of people that come in/call it stuff that absolutely should not be reported. Stuff that's traffic related, but aren't actual crimes/incidents like 'little jonny gave me a bad look and waved his fist at me, i want him tracked down and arrested!!'

Yes it's their job to deal with real incidents like hit and runs or near misses or whatever, but they're human as well and probably just get tired of dealing with stupid people all day. Or maybe they really are lazy fucks that don't give a shit, i wouldn't know either way lol.

[lilmira]

Yeah, I can definitely understand that. However, I offered to just file a report and then whoever could follow it up at their convenience. I would have no problem to get in touch with them if necessary at that point. No dice, they wanted me to sit there and wait for whoever to show up no telling when or the officer may show up whenever at my work looking for me to file the report. Yeah ok, that would look real good. So basically, it`s a polite fuck-off if you ask me.

I`m not trying to paint the entire picture from just one encounter neither. I`ve had very good experience with CPS officers.

[Zero102]

I agree this sort of thing is a big waste of time for our police officers, however it is a necessary step since as private citizens we are unable to resolve these issues ourselves. If I had a way to get a hold of the CRV driver directly I would never have to involve the police - the damage is definitely under $2k so it would just be a matter of insurance. Unfortunately I have no way to find the CRV driver so I have to involve the police. In situations like this it feels like there should be a much better solution than what we currently have.


End of day update - Still haven't heard from the CRV driver. I left both of my phone numbers with the police. If it is still there when I get back to the train station I'll write my information on the back of a business card and try to sneak it into his car somehow so the legacy driver will be unable to take it. I wish I had some business cards on me this morning as I could probably have snuck one through his window or something.

[Thaco]

you should have just put a note in the guy's fuel door or under his door handle or soemthing, he would get it within a week, and the bonehead who hit him wouldn't think to look there.

[Zero102]

The guy was standing right there so that wouldn't have worked.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by Maxt

That didn't work for me , they said in the case of hit and run , its a crime therefore it has to be reported to a street unit , not the accident desk. So then I had to sit in the district office parking lot for a couple of hours to wait for a street unit to come to the office . It was frustrating enough I almost just said F' it .

Seriously? I just walked into my district office and said "Hey, I witnessed a hit and run last night on "123 Fake Street", can I please write a witness report"

Done and done. Although it probably helped that the owner had already reported the hit and run earlier that day, so they had a case file already started for it.