# Random call from police claiming im harassing a neighbor i havent seen in months **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 2, 2015, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-call-from-police-claiming-im-harassing-a-neighbor-i-havent-seen-in-months/739209 "2015-12-02T14:14:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-call-from-police-claiming-im-harassing-a-neighbor-i-havent-seen-in-months/739209/21 "2015-12-02T18:12:48Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Wait. The police called you on your phone? Is that even a thing? It sure is in Sweden; don’t know about the UK. Why shouldn’t they? It’s less embarrassing for the suspect and costs tax payers a great deal less than sending out a police car to retrieve him/her. Win-win! (It only applies to people accused of midemeanors, of course - they wouldn’t call a suspected robber or rapist on the phone). ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-call-from-police-claiming-im-harassing-a-neighbor-i-havent-seen-in-months/739209/22 "2015-12-02T18:16:20Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > It sure is in Sweden; don’t know about the UK. Why shouldn’t they? It’s less embarrassing for the suspect and costs tax payers a great deal less than sending out a police car to retrieve him/her. Win-win! > (It only applies to people accused of midemeanors, of course - they wouldn’t call a suspected robber or rapist on the phone). Well, I have only a cellphone and the number is not published. If I get a call from a number I do not recognize I do not answer it. If I get a voicemail from someone claiming to be a cop, I’d laugh and consider it a stupid prank. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-call-from-police-claiming-im-harassing-a-neighbor-i-havent-seen-in-months/739209/23 "2015-12-02T18:17:39Z")
Hi, this is the um police! Yeah that’s it. The police. We’re going to arrest you. Come down to the police station so we can burglar your house while you are out, um, I mean, um You Know What You Did! So yeah, it’s the police all right. Please hurry! ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-call-from-police-claiming-im-harassing-a-neighbor-i-havent-seen-in-months/739209/24 "2015-12-02T18:22:56Z")
> [@kimberlyxx](#): > > he said hello is this kimberly, i said yes and he said its “blah police station” we need to talk to you regarding allegations of harrassment from your old neighbor. > That when i started saying i havent seen her in months, how have i harrassed her, i havent been in the area ect > and he said “you know what its about” > he would not even say what and then i started shouting telling him to come arrest me and is this a joke > and he got obnoxious sayig its No joke and i know what it is about > then he said are you going to come in or am i going to have to arrest you > i said NO > then hung up the phone Did they identify themselves personally on the phone i.e. name and shoulder number? I would be suspicious if they did not. If this happened to me I might consider making a complaint to the police (especially if I had previously reported the issue), because it seems something might be off. ---
**Author:** ![kimberlyxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b487fb/32.png) [@kimberlyxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimberlyxx)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-call-from-police-claiming-im-harassing-a-neighbor-i-havent-seen-in-months/739209/25 "2015-12-02T19:35:24Z")
got a call back from the actual police who have searched the database and said im not wanted for anything and it was clearly a prank, now im thinking who did this? I moved a few months ago and only family know where i am, if it was this neighbor how did she get my number? only other person it could be is a disgruntled ex friend who knew about my problems with this neighbor i blocked but why would she get a guy to do this? maybe she wanted me to come to beat me up or something i dunno. Really weird, hoping they will call me back so i will pretend that i will meet them and get more info then call the actual police ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-call-from-police-claiming-im-harassing-a-neighbor-i-havent-seen-in-months/739209/26 "2015-12-02T20:03:09Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > Hi, this is the um police! Yeah that’s it. The police. > > We’re going to arrest you. Come down to the police station so we can burglar your house while you are out, um, I mean, um You Know What You Did! > > So yeah, it’s the police all right. Please hurry! Another alternative is that if she hadn’t been so adamant that it couldn’t have happened that they would follow up with saying there was a fine involved and she needed to wire money to such and so address to pay it or she would be put in jail. I’m thinking either scam or further harassment from said neighbor. Most likely the former. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-call-from-police-claiming-im-harassing-a-neighbor-i-havent-seen-in-months/739209/27 "2015-12-02T22:42:49Z")
> [@kimberlyxx](#): > > i thought this forum was a uk forum They don’t allow proper capitalization or punctuation in the UK? ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-call-from-police-claiming-im-harassing-a-neighbor-i-havent-seen-in-months/739209/28 "2015-12-02T22:54:35Z")
[You sure have a lot of problems with neighbors](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=775362). Just to be clear, the neighbor in this thread is _not_ the same neighbor you filed a complaint about because he wore shoes? In his own home? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-call-from-police-claiming-im-harassing-a-neighbor-i-havent-seen-in-months/739209/29 "2015-12-02T23:11:50Z")
> [@kimberlyxx](#): > > Really weird, hoping they will call me back so i will pretend that i will meet them and get more info then call the actual police If they do, record the exact time of the call. If you have the means to do so, record the actual voice content of the call itself. Even if the prankster has withheld their caller ID, it is not actually untraceable. The police may be able to obtain the caller’s identity from the phone company, and they may indeed be inclined to do so, given that the caller is impersonating an officer. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-call-from-police-claiming-im-harassing-a-neighbor-i-havent-seen-in-months/739209/30 "2015-12-03T01:26:45Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > If they do, record the exact time of the call. If you have the means to do so, record the actual voice content of the call itself. > > Even if the prankster has withheld their caller ID, it is not actually untraceable. The police may be able to obtain the caller’s identity from the phone company, and they may indeed be inclined to do so, given that the caller is impersonating an officer. I realize you are in the UK and what telephone features are available and how to use them are almost certainly different from this side of the pond, but do you have something like [call trace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malicious_caller_identification) available for automatic tracing of problem calls? If so, investigate how to use it. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-call-from-police-claiming-im-harassing-a-neighbor-i-havent-seen-in-months/739209/31 "2015-12-03T14:54:03Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > To waste your time. If it was an “official” call, you’d know. > > This is not correct, though how incorrect it is varies with the circumstances and the type of crime suspected. However, the police generally can’t arrest you _at home_ without a warrant. :smack: This is what I get for spouting off on law I don’t practice in. Mea Culpa. It’s also a good reason for not taking legal advice from a nameless person on the internet. I am glad, however, that my instinct of asking for an arrest warrant if somebody comes to your home to arrest you is not _totally_ off base. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-call-from-police-claiming-im-harassing-a-neighbor-i-havent-seen-in-months/739209.md?page=1)