Is there any justice?
I put this in “isolated instances” because I hope that the police (in)action isn’t normal. I fear it is; which makes me sad.

Today I was walking out to my car which was parked in front of an Ace Hardware in St. Paul. Being in a state of condition yellow I noticed a man and woman walking towards the hardware store, past my car. To describe these people further they were African-Americans roughly 50 years old, they were dressed like other local St. Paul homeless, and had an unusual ora about them that I read as: “We are up to something.”

They went into Ace as I was getting into my car. About 1-2 mins later the woman was running as fast as she could out of the store. She ran right past me, so close that I could see the Dirt-Devil logo on the vacuum tucked under her arm.

I watched a while until she went around the corner. I drove around the block toward her while calling the hardware store. I informed the clerk of what I saw and he told me that no one has purchased a vacuum and therefore must be stolen. I told him where she was and, “if you go now you can easily catch her.”

I followed another block (by now she was walking) and saw no Ace Hardware man. So I called the St. Paul dispatcher (I didn’t want her to win!). I told him what was going on and that she was right in front of my car (thinking: COME GET HER!!). My jaw dropped when he told me that he couldn’t do anything until a store employee called in with a complaint.

“But. Sir, I saw it, she is right here, and the store employee told me it was stolen!”

He said, “Sorry, we can’t do anything right now.”

After hanging up I followed another block or so. She knew I was there now; I didn’t care if she saw me. I decided that I was the only one who cared about justice and drove past her slowly… staring… shaking my head… let down… heartbroken. She smiled back. Knowing. Safe from the police. Safe from the store. And safe from the guy that saw the whole thing.

I could have easily got the vacuum from the 50 year old heavy-breathing lady, but for obvious (I think) reasons I didn’t get out of my car. I could have just as easily citizens arrested her, but the police didn’t want to come anyway.

I drove back towards the Ace, no one was in the street looking for her that I saw.

Is there any Justice? What a realization.

If I worked there I wouldn't risk my life for a Dirt Devil either. Dyson, maybe...but not a Dirt Devil.

This is similar to an incident I reported to the State Patrol a few years ago. I'm driving to work, minding my own business, when I happen to look in my rear view mirror and see a guy in a shitty blue two-tone conversion van intentionally side swipe a guy in a beater compact car. Not once, but twice. It was obviously intentional, and he was obviously pissed about something. The guy was pushed off the highway and then went through the ditch on onto the frontage road.

Mr. Crappy Blue Van then took the next exit and gave chase. I turned around at the next exit and came back and drove the area back and forth, and finally found the van at a nearby gas station. I called 911 to report it and got the same story. They couldn't do anything unless Mr Beater Compact Car called it in. "What if he's too intimidated to call it in?" I asked. "What if he's lying unconscious in a ditch somewhere?" I asked.

Doesn't matter, the state patrol said. They can't do anything.

Finally I said, "Well his plate number is ENU 152 and he's heading westbound on Hwy 13. If something happened to the other guy, it's on you. I've done my part", and hung up on them, pissed that I couldnt' slam a cell phone down in the cradle to hang up.

To this day whenever I see a shitty blue two tone van I check the plate.

That sucks, witnessing a crime, even petty theft, and not being able to address it. It eventually costs all of us.

As to MSP not being reactive to 2nd party calls... it has been known to happen that folks using the freeway corridors in the early morning or late evening will call in an "aggressive driver" and ask if there is a unit in the area. When told there are no troops in position to respond, the drivers then drop the green flag and do the NASCAR thing all the way to work.

(That was not a suggestion, but rather an observation...)

This was in morning rush hour and it wasn't a limited access highway so you couldnt' even approach OJ Simpson speeds. Still, I'd think that something like this would be serious enough, and would present enough of a danger to 2nd parties, that it would be checked out.

I learned my lesson though, and I wont' bother them again..no blood, no foul.

Another thing that surprised me was that even though it happened in Burnsville, since it was on a state highway, I had to contact MSP. I understand that it's a state highway, but clearly B'ville PD would have been there much quicker, and the chase did continue in B'ville.

All the more reason to be prepared to defend yourself and only yourself (and loved ones).

+1, sadly

Enforcement of relatively petty matters has always been performed on a patrol basis rather than in response to calls.

It is my experience that the 911 dispatchers would prefer not to receive third party reports of anything that didn't result in serious enough injuries to require an ambulance. I've called in drivers so drunk they can't maintain lane for more than 10 seconds and I've called in unsecured loads on the freeway with scrap iron dangling over an endgate. I've never had a unit actually respond.

Yep.

"That's okay, dispatcher. I have a gun. I'm pretty sure I can take care of things myself. You have a good day."

I'm sure it isn't, but it is one of the sorts of easily forseeable consequences.

Matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if there are some folks who might take deliberate, willful, premeditated advantage of such calls -- perhaps not even legitimate ones -- as a way of seeing if the coast is clear.

And, just to be clear: I'm strongly opposed to driving at unsafe speeds, regardless of whether or not the coast is clear, and wouldn't do that.

George Phillips was going up to bed when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window.

George opened the back door to go turn off the light but saw that there were people in the shed stealing things.

He phoned the police, who asked "Is someone in your house?" and he said "no".
Then they said that all patrols were busy, and that he should simply lock his door and an officer would be along when available.

George said, " Okay," hung up, counted to 30, and phoned the police again.

"Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people in my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now cause I've just shot them all." Then he hung up.

Within five minutes three police cars, an Armed Response unit, a dog handler, and an ambulance showed up at the Phillips' residence and caught the burglars red-handed.

One of the policemen said to George: "I thought you said that you'd shot them!"

George said, "I thought you said there was nobody available!"

Ace hardware saved us all some money by redistributing wealth AND eliminating the middle man. True patriots I tell ya. I appreciate your post and look forward to these redistribution programs coming to my 'hood in the near future.