So, a work collegues brother-in-law is a copper.
Last week his bike was nicked from his garden. A couple of days later his wife thought she saw the bike being ridden by a teenager. He goes out in his car to search the area, finds said bike, takes the bike back and lets the thief go on his merry way.
I think the term USELESS best describes the shithead
Rant over, I'm off to buy some pork scratchings
Any STW fuzz willing to defend him?
he was off duty
You seem remarkably upset about this, considering you're not personally involved...
Was he the thief or are you just guessing?
God you lot are wet, do you actually own bikes yourself?
Well it's a case of perspective what's the better headline.
Off duty cop stabbed to death over bicycle
or
Keen cyclist reunited with bike through wife's vigilance
I think he showed commendable energy, resourcefulness and policing skill in locating and recovering the stolen property. I am confident that he would have been equally energetic in pursuit of the bicycle had it not been his. All of us who have had bikes stolen will be familiar with the tireless efforts of the constabulary to re-unite us with them. 
So, to recap, a man happens (COMPLETELY by chance) to spot his own stolen bike and get it back....
I fail to see what the police have done wrong here myself. Would someone please explain?
Might have been witnesses around, so perhaps he'll make a purse out of the yoof's scrotum later on when no one is looking, or perhaps the guy on it wasn't the thief, or perhaps he'll follow it up when on duty, or perhaps the cop doesn't want to lose his job or have his house torched while he's on nightshift and his family are asleep inside. Who knows? we don't.
Lots of anger there, have sit down and a Tunnocks Teacake.
enfht, do you by any chance read the Daily Mail?
God you lot are wet, do you actually own bikes yourself?
Yes but that it hasn't given me the sense to able to tell if it's thief riding a bike.
Let me put in another way, should a Postman decide what post he wishes to deliver?
Lets just hope the yoof doesn't nick your bike next time eh?
If the copper was not convinced that the case against the rider would hold up in court, he made the right decision.
If he had locked him up that would also have given the scrote his address, which is not good if you are a copper!
Let me put in another way, should a Postman decide what post he wishes to deliver?
eh so has he not recovered other bikes becasue he went after his, or not arrested someone because he was getting his bike back??? Unless theres a huge part of this you havent told us Im not sure what the moan is about
God you lot are wet, do you actually own bikes yourself?
yes, I have a bike, but I'd be happy to get it nicked so I can have a nice new one from the insurance company, but no bugger'll have it 
Do police officers really take the decision to arrest teenage bike thieves or not based on whether they're scared of having their family slaughtered in a revenge arson attack?
I find the idea a little implausible.
I think some of you may actually be about to defend the thief... 
Let me put in another way, should a Postman decide what post he wishes to deliver?
Is he on his day off?
should a Postman decide what post he wishes to deliver?
a closer analogy would be "Is an off duty postman required to redeliver mail wrongly posted through their letterbox?"
This thread seems the epitome of the growing trend for "lets slag off the OP no matter what he says"
Seems pretty **** of the copper not to do the thief (though you can see why he didn't), Shirley he would not have had to do much in his own time?
I'm sure the copper probably had more insight into the likelihood of getting a prosecution and probably concluded that arresting him would involve shit loads of paperwork and end up with the kid saying he found it and no prosecution being made as there would likely be no evidence he actually stole it. So in that position I can understand why he handled it that way even if it's not the knee-capping he might deserve in some people's eyes :p
We're turing into MegaCity1 where coppers are more like Judges.
Feel the limp-wristed fist of Dredd!
Oh and I read the Guardian 
Al, how did you know my name is Shirley?
This thread seems the epitome of the growing trend for "lets slag off the OP no matter what he says"
We're waiting for more details but the OP is failing to supply any.
The really interesting question perhaps is this: if you got your bike back from a scrote on the street by a mixture of firm persuasion and swivelling psycho-eyes, and the scrote complained to the police, would they side with you, or the scrote?
If we're confident they'd side with us I don't think on balance that I have a problem here.
Are suggesting the guy on the bike should have been the next Rodney King?
Is it time for your yearly Police-bashing thread then? This from a year ago...
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/police-apathy-or-apathy-towards-the-police
Busy Chipps
Busy Chipps
I wonder if it was the same thief?
Useless would imply he did nothing...not the case though was it?
Perhaps he knew the chances of a prosecution were slim to none, not to mention the load of paper work involved! You must know an awful lot about the realities of being a policeman to make such sweeping statements 
I don't think I understand
Are you mad because he got his bike back and didn't give the kid a pasting or because he didn't arrest him?
If he's off duty and he's just after his bike like any other normal citizen then job done what's your problem.
If he gave him a pasting, then that's his job, career and chances are most of his mates gone.
He arrests him for being in possession of a stolen bike, first question to any civilian can you prove it’s your bike? “Did you just go after a kid on a bike the same as yours and conveniently get it back?”- it’s a whole can of worms.
And to make matters worse there’s no proof the kid on the bike is the thief not to mention the p155 all sentence he’d get out of it (thanks CPS)
And as already pointed out if it all happened in his back yard so to speak then there is the family element too to think of. If the kid on the bike is the thief then he knows where the cop lives so can send his mates round to put a brick through the window or steal the bike again.
All in all you sound a little too angry about what is ultimately a happy ending
Bloke gets bike nicked. Bloke gets bike back.
The kid riding the bike was not necessarily the thief. Did someone already point this out?
Yawn. Troll central. I would imagine the copper used his knowledge and experience to asses that the chances of a successful prosecution were zero, otherwise he would have nicked him on the spot wouldn't he?
Oh how practical, matt
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