WHILE walking my dogs on Knavesmire I saw a youth about to break into our car.
He realised he had been spotted and sped off down Bishopthorpe Road in the direction of the city centre.
Because a police car had passed in the same direction five minutes earlier, I felt I ought to report the incident. Turning to the telephone directory, under "Police" it said refer to the Business Section.
I did so, only to find no entry at all. In desperation and utter amazement I turned to the index at the front. The only number of any relevance was a freephone Crimestoppers. The woman to whom I spoke explained the organisation is a charity and took only information on known, or suspected, criminals.
She gave me another long number which I learned was York Police.
The officer there had no interest in my information and cut off my call when I asked why reporting a potential crime was so difficult.
Can we now deduce that, like many British companies, "customers" are not wanted because they are too much trouble?
Will we ever find out at what level of command, and who, sanctioned this distancing between police and public?
What a mockery the supposed partnership between them really is.
A Gough,
Ash Walk,
York.
Updated: 11:27 Saturday, January 22, 2005
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