Got arrested this morning

[Bo Diddley]

Sadly I never thought to. They were very civil and I didn't blame them but I do blame a system that lets it happen. I guess the police will still have the footage and must have logged the incident. Is it something that one can legally request?

Yes, it is.
I wouldn't bother with the IOPC, it will get you nowhere as they will kick it into the long grass.
If you want to claim compensation that could amount to a few grand go down the civil compensation case route, you can Google that.

 

[Silvius]

If you want the police to look into how they treated you then make a complaint to the police, not the Stalking Directory. These days making a complaint couldn’t be easier. You can cut and paste this post into an online complaints form on your police force’s website.
If you want to escalate this and waste more people’s time then you can register a complaint with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
If you’d like to save time I can tell you what both the police and the IOPC will tell you. When a member of the public calls the police to say they have seen suspicious individuals with guns the armed response teams have to respond. It sounds like they dealt with you correctly.

Just out of interest, how would you like the police to deal with armed poachers? How would they know you weren’t poachers?

In Sussex we can email the police control room before we go stalking to prevent this happening (shooting.notification@sussex.police.uk). Not sure whether Wiltshire offer something similar?

I am asking for advice rather than having a rant. I also want to make people aware that this is happening and should not be acceptable. I may complain to the police but if I do, I would like to know on what grounds I should complain and it may also help to know who else who can exert pressure might be interested in the story. Sometimes asking the police to police themselves isn't the ideal answer, its asking whoever polices the police. The police are doing the job that they are told to do and these guys were professional and polite.

I think a proportionate response might be best when dealing with suspected poaching. Why do they suspect poaching? "Has gun" is not a good enough answer. If poaching in the area is rife and large armed gangs are about (as is actually the case very close to the land I own where there has been armed poaching recently but is not the case near this permission), then if a large gang is sited when the landowner has already said only one or two people have permission, this response would be excellent. If its in an area with no poaching reports and its a couple of chaps who appear legit from the reg no, then maybe an unarmed officer waits by the car for a chat when they arrive back and they call the landowner together? Any FAC holder has proven they are law abiding to get the FAC. Even if a FAC holder were poaching, why assume he would turn his gun on the police to add to the day's woe? If I were caught speeding back from a range day, would I be swatted because I have a rifle? A faint suspicion of law breaking does not mean that you are about to do violence.

 

[Silvius]

Turkeys voting for Christmas….that’s what the chumps having to call in every time they leave the house are.

This is kind of how I feel about it. If we take this, then what next? How much further into the corner do we get pushed. Its like we are doing something socially unacceptable. I get the idea and I want to work with the police but if shooters are always taking a step back then where do we end up left?

 

[jall55]

Can’t wait to hear how happy folk are when a Sab calls in multiple armed men acting aggressively when they crash a pheasant shoot.

Indeed - we always advise the police we are shooting
Saves the hassle

 

[Greenmist]

I am asking for advice rather than having a rant. I also want to make people aware that this is happening and should not be acceptable. I may complain to the police but if I do, I would like to know on what grounds I should complain and it may also help to know who else who can exert pressure might be interested in the story. Sometimes asking the police to police themselves isn't the ideal answer, its asking whoever polices the police. The police are doing the job that they are told to do and these guys were professional and polite.

I think a proportionate response might be best when dealing with suspected poaching. Why do they suspect poaching? "Has gun" is not a good enough answer. If poaching in the area is rife and large armed gangs are about (as is actually the case very close to my land where there has been armed poaching recently), then if a large gang is sited when the landowner has already said only one or two people have permission, this response would be excellent. If its in an area with no poaching reports and its a couple of chaps who appear legit from the reg no, then maybe an unarmed officer waits by the car for a chat when they arrive back and they call the landowner together? Any FAC holder has proven they are law abiding to get the FAC. Even if a FAC holder were poaching, why assume he would turn his gun on the police to add to the day's woe? If I were caught speeding back from a range day, would I be swatted because I have a rifle? A faint suspicion of law breaking does not mean that you are about to do violence.

The police I assume from what you've said were responding to the report of a firearm, as you have said they don't know until they arrive what they are dealing with, the chat with the unarmed officer sounds like a great scenario, what if it wasn't you? What if that unarmed officer was shot by a nutter with an unregistered firearm? The police can only act on the information given, they will have SOP's they will follow.
Sadly, I think what you are upset with, is public perception of hunting, of which I agree with you totally

 

[finnbear270]

If you want the police to look into how they treated you then make a complaint to the police, not the Stalking Directory. These days making a complaint couldn’t be easier. You can cut and paste this post into an online complaints form on your police force’s website.
If you want to escalate this and waste more people’s time then you can register a complaint with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
If you’d like to save time I can tell you what both the police and the IOPC will tell you. When a member of the public calls the police to say they have seen suspicious individuals with guns the armed response teams have to respond. It sounds like they dealt with you correctly.

Just out of interest, how would you like the police to deal with armed poachers? How would they know you weren’t poachers?

In Sussex we can email the police control room before we go stalking to prevent this happening (shooting.notification@sussex.police.uk). Not sure whether Wiltshire offer something similar?

Comedy sketch? e mail control room, do you have to inform them if you are taking a dump in the wood?

 

[slider]

Because it’s unnecessary and has no effect on how the police would react.

If folk are happy enough to be bundled with criminals and terrorists then fine.

Oh but it does affect how the police react.
I have a bit of stalking in commercial forestry right next to a town and always inform the Police when going out (a simple email and I get an "incident number" back in a few minutes).
I was once out when I met a member of the public who quickly scurried of and I saw him get his phone out.
A few minutes later I got a call from the Police asking me to confirm my location. Job done.

 

[M@tt]

Was it the police's right to speculate when we had not actually done anything suspicious? Surely the presumption is that the citizen is innocent and if he is not acting suspiciously you let him carry on unmolested?

I only answered the question asked.

But, in this instance I have no idea what was said in the initial report. It could have been a proportional response to the report, maybe a quiet evening at the station or an over reaction.
No idea without the full facts.

What I do take from this is the matter didn't escalate and in the end after a short while everyone went about their business safely.

 

[Siggy]

I'm sure you could make a civil claim for unlawful arrest or detention, did you get every officer's shoulder number and request copies of all the body-worn video footage they took?
Can you tell I've watched plenty of YouTube auditing comedy videos

why is it unlawful? pretty sure if the police are investigating a reported offence involving firearms they have the power to arrest while it is being clarified . Can't be bothered the read PACE but pretty sure it's in there.

 

[finnbear270]

Definately an arrestable offence here.

 

[palmer_mike]

Turkeys voting for Christmas….that’s what the chumps having to call in every time they leave the house are.

Agreed,
As I said on the lead ban thread: Things which we offer voluntarily have a habit of becoming mandatory

 

[cjm1066]

Please speak to your shooting organisation, being arrested with a firearm is likely to impact your next renewal.

Get this resolved professionally for everyone's benefit.

 

[Ronin]

A simple check if your vehicle, your address or yourself would have established legal ownership of firearms

Absolutely no need to “detain” anyone

 

[Greenmist]

Please speak to your shooting organisation, being arrested with a firearm is likely to impact your next renewal.

Get this resolved professionally for everyone's benefit.

No it won't, the op won't even have to disclose it. Being arrested is part of the investigative process. He wasn't convicted of anything

 

[gixer1]

I think it does depend exactly what, the person who called in said to get that response.
it’s happened to a friend and I some years ago, police weren’t armed though.
They decided, after talking with us that the reporter (Riding school) w as being facetious and apoligised.
No offence taken.
Ken.

How often have you heard of the police following up and charging the person reporting though?

It’s about time these morons are held to account - a person with a gun in woodland/rural areas in green/camo clothing is not the same as a person walking down a high street in a city in a tracksuit with a gun - the police can and should use judgement, not leap to multiple vehicles/officers and arrests before they have even asked the questions.

I’ve been stopped twice while out foxing, the police officers had the sense to stop us and simply say “hi lads, what you up to”…..took 30 seconds to assess the situation. Sounds like in this situation there was a Walter Mitty officer involved who never made it onto seal team 2 and so wants to try and counter the fact he never gets to actually fire any shots with the firearm he carries.

 

[gixer1]

A conversation lasting about 10 seconds would have told the response unit that the shooters were carrying out a completely lawful activity, with permission to be on the land, with no offence committed.
No need to arrest, detain or handcuff anyone in this situation, I wonder if any of those officers who arrived had an ounce of common sense between them.

Exactly, and we are victims of the absolute pile of sh*te system the police/government have created - there is nothing in the system to show what ground is covered by whom - even though we all need to list a place to use firearms.

Even an excel spreadsheet sheet can be searched within seconds for the name of ground, so surely the police could enter a vague location into a system when they list a person who has acquired a firearms cert -

I.e.-

James Smith FAC holder
Location - sleepy cow farm, Dorset

That way when some “terrified person” calls and says “there’s a terrorist with a gun on sleepy cow farm” the police can search “sleepy cow farm” and it will say “James smith”

Then go to said farm “hello, is that James?”

End of enquiry….now go tell the terrified person how the world works to stop them wasting time in the future.

 

[Greenmist]

How often have you heard of the police following up and charging the person reporting though?

It’s about time these morons are held to account - a person with a gun in woodland/rural areas in green/camo clothing is not the same as a person walking down a high street in a city in a tracksuit with a gun - the police can and should use judgement, not leap to multiple vehicles/officers and arrests before they have even asked the questions.

I’ve been stopped twice while out foxing, the police officers had the sense to stop us and simply say “hi lads, what you up to”…..took 30 seconds to assess the situation. Sounds like in this situation there was a Walter Mitty officer involved who never made it onto seal team 2 and so wants to try and counter the fact he never gets to actually fire any shots with the firearm he carries.

Miles away, little information given over the radio, unknown person/s with unknown gun/s in unknown situation and circumstances. Look what happened with Dale Cregan

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Send a bill for your soiled kegs to the Chief Constable with a covering letter.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Calls to the Police, various:

1. I wish to report an aggressively attired man in Crocs, wielding a high-powered army-like sniper's rifle. He was also accompanied by an ugly looking dog!

2. I'm concerned that a frail & elderly Edwardian attired gentleman, struggling to carry a shocking green fowling peice, may require urgent assistance. He is also attempting to drag a huge, pure white deer!

K

 

[slider]

Turkeys voting for Christmas….that’s what the chumps having to call in every time they leave the house are.

It's a condition of a night license anyway. Saves a pile of grief