well for my two penneth worth, I am sorry you got poor service in the case you have given... but I can assure you that is not the common approach across the country...
What you have to remember is that we have 43 police forces in England and Wales, then those over the border in Scotland, each are run independantly of each other, and so there is no consistent national approach to crime/investigation, it is down to local forces and they key strategy crimes... and local policing priorities, sadly vehicle crime is low down on the Agenda
Of course we all work to the same regulations and laws... in respect of Scrap Yards, well they are not regulated by the police they are Licenced by Local Authorities under (MSO)Motor Salvage Operators Regulations (Vehicle Crime Act 2001), and Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964.
Some forces still retain specialist Vehicle Investigations Officers/Stolen Vehicle Units, but as funding is becoming increasingly sparse, there are fewer and fewer of us doing the work... just three covering the second largest geographical force in the uk down here.
Are we well paid? I took a £5000 pay cut to join the job, and am only now earning what I was as retail manager back in 2003!!! Also we pay 11% into our pensions, and currently police officers are being made to retire after 30 years, so if you joined at 18, you could find yourself being kicked out at 48!!! we work 7 days a week, and 5 week shift pattern of earlies/lates/nights... with two weekends off in five, and one of those is after a night shift so you sleep through one day!!! Oh and we have two year PAY FREEZE... with fuel prices having increased 16% in the last year, and everything else going up in price, if you think we are well paid now, we wont be in two years...
Back on topic of making a complaint, if you feel your reports what ever the nature, then you can make a complaint at local level, write to the force or even the IPCC.
Now I work bloody hard at my job, I love what I do, and nothing gives me greater satisfaction I getting people their property back, last month that included 3 vehicles worth in excess of £75k which had been stolen/cloned... and even greater satisfaction in locking people up!
Many on here know/have met me... I am always happy to offer advice/support, but I am only one small cog in big machine... and cannot comment on individual investigations/other forces.
Rant over...
What you have to remember is that we have 43 police forces in England and Wales, then those over the border in Scotland, each are run independantly of each other, and so there is no consistent national approach to crime/investigation, it is down to local forces and they key strategy crimes... and local policing priorities, sadly vehicle crime is low down on the Agenda
Of course we all work to the same regulations and laws... in respect of Scrap Yards, well they are not regulated by the police they are Licenced by Local Authorities under (MSO)Motor Salvage Operators Regulations (Vehicle Crime Act 2001), and Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964.
Some forces still retain specialist Vehicle Investigations Officers/Stolen Vehicle Units, but as funding is becoming increasingly sparse, there are fewer and fewer of us doing the work... just three covering the second largest geographical force in the uk down here.
Are we well paid? I took a £5000 pay cut to join the job, and am only now earning what I was as retail manager back in 2003!!! Also we pay 11% into our pensions, and currently police officers are being made to retire after 30 years, so if you joined at 18, you could find yourself being kicked out at 48!!! we work 7 days a week, and 5 week shift pattern of earlies/lates/nights... with two weekends off in five, and one of those is after a night shift so you sleep through one day!!! Oh and we have two year PAY FREEZE... with fuel prices having increased 16% in the last year, and everything else going up in price, if you think we are well paid now, we wont be in two years...
Back on topic of making a complaint, if you feel your reports what ever the nature, then you can make a complaint at local level, write to the force or even the IPCC.
Now I work bloody hard at my job, I love what I do, and nothing gives me greater satisfaction I getting people their property back, last month that included 3 vehicles worth in excess of £75k which had been stolen/cloned... and even greater satisfaction in locking people up!
Many on here know/have met me... I am always happy to offer advice/support, but I am only one small cog in big machine... and cannot comment on individual investigations/other forces.
Rant over...