so uh

[kaberett]

if any of you feel like telling me I'm not awful for having called the Met on an attempted burglary I'd be very grateful (violent in that we've a smashed window but bars on all the doors etc)

(I know it's dodgy as fuck to call the Met at any point for any reason and I'm feeling awful about it)

(we're all okay, and the police have two suspects in custody with plausible forensics on them once forensics have been by)

Comments

[kaberett]

(still giving statement)

[ghoti]

you are not awful. that's what they're there for. and that's what us forensoids are for :)

[ghoti]

also, you are brave and i hope that you still feel safe in your flat.

[kaberett]

I actually do, which is nice, and interestingly I'm not quite seeing how I'd get from here to not feeling safe (in the emotional rather than intellectual sense), so that's interesting. Huh.

[jelazakazone]

<3 <3 <3 <3 You did the right thing. Definitely.

[kaberett]

Thank you.

[ironed_orchid]

You're not awful.

It's awful to be burgled, or have someone attempt to break in, and it's awful to deal with the police, and it's awful how the police treat suspects.

But you are not awful and you didn't do anything wrong.

[kaberett]

Thank you.

[crazyscot]

No, you're not awful. As ghoti said, that's why they're there. I take comfort in knowing that there are a small number of good eggs in the Met; I know one from my uni days.

[kaberett]

One of my cousins was chief super (or similar) of the Met for a while. I have very complicated feelings about all of this.

[ursamajor]

You're not awful. I called the cops when we had an attempted burglary-in-progress while we were home, even knowing it was regular practice in our then-neighborhood to not, because they were trying to do us harm right that very moment. It's still a violation of your sanctuary.

[kaberett]

Thank you.

[redbird]

You're not horrible; once someone tried to break into your house, you had to choose between problematic options, and protecting yourself is reasonable.

[kaberett]

Thank you; this is reassuring. (I kind of want to know how the various very-firm-on-ACAB people I know would advise me to behave should similar ever happen again, but I also kiiiind of don't.)

[birke]

I'd do the same. Police are supposed to protect you when you can't protect yourself. It's their only good use.

[kaberett]

Ha. Thank you. I am mulling this over and it is chewy and helpful.

[azurelunatic]

You're not awful, and you have a right to a home without people trying to smashy-smash.

[kaberett]

Thank you.

[davidgillon]

1) Hell no, you're not awful. This is the reason we have a police force.

2) {Hugs}, use as needed.

[kaberett]

Thank you. <3

[sfred]

You're not awful. This was the right thing to do.
Thinking of you.

[kaberett]

Thank you lots. Am actually doing surprisingly okay now I've come down off the adrenaline (first hit from realisation that people were making a concerted effort to break in; second from having invited the Met into my house...!)

[shewhostaples]

You are not awful. This is the point of them.

[kaberett]

Thank you.

[vass]

You're not awful. <3

[kaberett]

♥

[ewt]

Calling the Met is not ever great but there are definitely times it is the least-worst option and I am sure this is such a time. You are allowed to defend your personal safety with whatever resources are to hand. These people were trying to get into your home.

Glad you are OK.

[kaberett]

Thank you lots. This is helpful. (Still okay! And I was very glad, around 3.30am, that I'd made the rice pudding earlier that evening so I had comfort food to hand.)

[littlebutfierce]

You did the right thing! It is awful to have to rely on them when they are so fucked up but honestly in many cases what other options do we have? In my last flat I called them for domestic violence downstairs & felt v conflicted about that, but there was no way it was safe for me to intervene & I couldn't do nothing (not least bc I couldn't sleep with the noise...).

I'm glad you are safe.

[kaberett]

Yeah, I'm -- the "other options" thing, I'm kind of wanting to ask the stridently ACAB folk I know what they think I should have done, and I'm kind of scared of the answer :-/

Thank you.

[feanelwa]

Somebody was breaking into your house so you called the police. That's what the police are *for*.

[kaberett]

Yep, that is a very sound point and one I am attempting to take to heart. Thank you.

[naath]

The Met can be a bunch of bloody awful wankers sometimes, but they are your local police force and they are who you are supposed to call when some horrid person breaks your windows to try to take all your stuff, and they seem in this case to have been competent at policing (when we we burglarized Cambs police didn't catch anyone). You did the right thing.

[kaberett]

Thank you. <3

[ludy]

You are not awful. You did the most sensible thing possible in the imperfect cicumstances we all live in.

Also if good people stop engaging with the Police and not calling on them for their legitimate purposes then they are not exactly going to become fluffier are they? As well as getting the service you are entitled to you have provided an inadvertent training exercise of being a Disabled Queer entitled to their respect and protection ...

Hope you are as OK as possible

Hope you are OK

[kaberett]

Ha, good points well made. I do seem to be largely okay, which is nice; we'll see if I get delayed-anything, but hey, if I do I've got a counselling session on Monday, so!

[wildeabandon]

You are not awful. Sometimes there are no good options and you have to take the least bad option to protect yourself.

[kaberett]

Thank you.

[untonuggan]

You are not awful.

Rambly story I swear is related: As we've been looking at housing in a house not of evil bees, I keep having to remind myself that where we live will not magically fix Institutionalized Racism/Classism in the United States. Gentrified neighborhood? Living there won't fix Institutionalized Racism/Classism. Neighborhood that could really, really use more resources and better schools and more job opportunities for residents? Living there won't fix Institutionalized Racism/Classism. Neighborhood we can't afford? Living there won't fix Institutionalized Racism/Classism. Right now we just need to move to a space where I feel safe and comfortable, so I have spoons to do what I can (when I can) to be an ally and do activism and also do happy things like knit.

Similarly, you need to live where people are *not trying to burgle you*. Yes the police system (everywhere) is fucked up, but you not calling them will not Fix Police Brutality. That's a struggle for another time. And hey maybe cops will earn their paycheck nao?

♥

sympathies, hope you are feeling ok.

[kaberett]

Ha. Thank you. And yes: apply own oxygen mask first. <3

[worlds_of_smoke]

You're not in no way, shape, or form awful. Calling the police is what I would've done in the same situation and I'm not the only one who would call the police in that situation. <3

[kaberett]

Thank you. <3

[silveradept]

You aren't awful. Police are supposed to help you maintain your safety and security, and someone trying to break in is violating both of those ideas.

[kaberett]

Thank you.

[redsixwing]

You're not awful. You're protecting yourself and your space with the structure that exists to protect it, and that is an important thing to do.

What the police do (or don't do) is not your responsibility. They can choose for themselves - as can, and did, the people who violated the clearly-drawn boundary of your actual physical house, omfg.

[kaberett]

Thank you. And, ha, yeah, that is certainly an evocative way to put it. :-)

[ex_we935]

I definitely don't think you're a horrible person for phoning the police - it's reasonable that you don't want to be burgled!

~K.

[kaberett]

Thank you. <3