Cheetah7

I was talking to someone about this yesterday who was saying that he hates anyone that 'grasses' people up, no matter what they have done - the code is simple where he comes from, quite simply you never dob.

I think this is mad because there are some situations where you have to - for instance if you knew someone had committed a crime such as rape/child abuse - of course you would grass them up surely?

We all have our limits as to what we would keep quiet about but the 'don't grass - at any cost', well that is just bullshit. Its shocking that there are people who honour that code because sometimes reporting someone is the only way.

Would you?

Margaret3

Must admit i rarely 'grass' in the work situation as from past experiences it only ends up me having the grief, however a few weeks ago i got soooooooo angry and reported a couple of collegues, am on holiday just now but am sure that will blow up in my face and i will be looking for another job shortly

asprilla

I would honour the "spirit" of this code. If there is such a thing.

However the folks that honour it to the letter at all costs... well they're a little bit crazy in my view. Probably religious fundamentalists in a former life.

Hebe

No doubt about it - especially for a serious criminal offence and if I knew for sure - not just speculation. As to the work place - then it would depend on the situation. If I thought someone wasn't pulling their weight or taking the piss then I would speak to them first - if the problem continued then I would report it further.

emelems

I tend to keep my council, unless the offence falls into a category that goes against my principles.. For instance, if I knew that someone was having an affair and their innocent partner was none the wiser, then I would have to say something as cheating on people goes against my personal principles.. if that makes sense.

Other than that, I usually find that keeping schtum is best.

Em x

Jen1977ni

This thread has hit a nerve. Back in Northern Ireland, as well as being a teacher, I was also a Police Officer, as you well know. We ended up having this new Part-Time Constable coming to work at our station and long story short, I ended up out on foot patrol with him one night. I must admit, something about him just made me very VERY uneasy, but I just put it down to my not knowing him very well. Later that night we ended up catching a few 'yoofs' in the act of playing golf with some glass bottles, silly little buggers, but we managed to stop some of them from running off and took their names down for the YDO. One of the lads we caught had a little bit of attitude and really got my colleagues back up, so much so he started pushing him around unnecessarily, he was just being out of order and abusing his authority in a big way. I had to intervene and ended up taking the young fella to the side, having a quiet word and he calmed down very very quickly. We got his details in the end but he was really very angry at the 'man-handling' he'd received from my colleague, as I was too! Anyhoo I couldn't let this go and ended up recording it in my notebook and later confiding in another full-time colleague about the aggressive behaviour I'd witnessed. She advised I speak to the Sgt about it, which I did, the next time he was on.

A week later when I was at a briefing for an operation we were about to go on my colleagues started calling me a tout etc saying that as a result of my report, that guy had ended up being suspended pending investigation, one after the other they were making joking comments but I believed they were being serious re his suspension and part of me felt quite bad for it. Once they'd seen me upset one of them approached me and said they'd all been joking, but that he had been suspended for threatening his wife with his issue firearm the night before and that there'd been other complaints about his aggressive manner on the job. I'm glad now that I didn't keep it to myself, but at the time I did feel bad for 'dobbing' him in. Luckily it didn't backfire and he is now no longer on the streets abusing his authority, but not down to me, down to a culmination of events.


So in conclusion, if something is gonna eat away at you, and by not telling you feel guilty, it's best to confide in someone. Sorry for the long boring story lol

scottishcelts

Apart from the obvious - NO.

hoofie2002

Christ almighty - now THAT is a dangerous job. I always remember rocking up at Larne cop shop early one morning in the mid eighties [got lost coming off the ferry and thought they could show me how to get to Belfast]. They couldn't have been more pleasant but it's a bit unnerving when a big polis sergeant is talking to you whilst holding was looked like a sterling sub-machine gun.

Jen1977ni

Was prob an MP5 but yeah, not the easiest place in the world to police, as the media these last few days has shown! Hate being so far away knowing that all of that crap is going on back home, it's hard, very very hard.

Cheetah7

Yes but I bet you had just cause.

Hope it works out for you Margaret, its not a nice situation to be in.

Cheetah7

My friend and I were talking about something that was in the news recently about a hit and run and she asked me what I would do if I was in the car with her and she hit/killed someone and drove off, would I dob her in.

The answer is yes I would, can you imagine having your loved one hit and/or killed by a car and the driver driving off?

I guess we all have our own code that we abide by, you hear of wives protecting their husbands when they know they have committed serious sexual crimes - is it out of love or honour, probably both who knows?

Ive heard of people dobbing in others for drink/driving and yes I support that in some cases, it is always innocent people that are on the receiving end of someong DUI.

What one person thinks is out of order, perhaps another has seen worse and would honour the 'code' so to speak.

squeezzii

I agree totally there PP to dob the person in for their recklessness, but I feel not to dob would do 2 things, firstly it would leave you as guilty as the driver and secondly, surely the guilt of being 'involved' in the hit and run and NOT saying/doing anything would be too damaging to you, its not something you could just 'brush off' is it?

Sally Simpson

I think that you have to stand by your principles but it can be a very difficult thing to do.
Sometimes, it is just easier to let things pass but if you know that something is morally wrong, illegal or hurting someoe else, then it definitely requires much more thought & one may have to stand up & be counted.

squeezzii

That must've taken a fair bit of courage Jen, knowing the possible repercussions if it hadn't gone your way, you should be credited for that.

Jen1977ni

At the end of the day I was a Police Officer and I saw another officer doing something out of line, I knew he'd been moved to our station because of another issue where'd he'd worked previously, but didn't quite know what the issue had been. Anyhoo, you know when you get a really bad vibe from someone, well it ended up, after discussing this with my colleagues, that they too had felt uncomfortable in his presence and with his general topics of conversation and demeanor. Luckily it didn't backfire, but even if it had, we are employed to protect the public, not push them about all over the place just because we have a quick temper!