Bicycle thief and turtle release.

[poker]

Today we went to beatch on our bicycles , me and my son ( the 8 year old) to see the release of several sea turtles.

We locked our bikes at the entrance of the beach together to a pole .

First the ayumento guys did an explaination of the animals and the nature reserve / beatch were we would release them later , but we cleaned the beatch and surrounding first together .
Wile we were bussy I saw a guy fideling with our bikes in the distance .

Went and cought him redhanded bussy cutting the steal rope from the lock .
Some other peaple arround also and he started a fus that I was the thief! 
I grabed him so he could not flee and earged the peaple to call the police to sort this out .
Luckely no fight broke out , wel he was a small guy and comes only to my sholders so that probably calmed him .
Police came fast , found the metal tweesers he hidden fast between the rocks before .
Seems they probably knew him anyway first they sayd what do you want , a denuncia wont do a lot he will be quiker out and have less bother than you , as I would have to go 2 times to the police station to sign fill in forms . . . . .
They suggested they take him to buy me a new lock ( with the second police car that came by then ) .
I sayd Ok no denuncia , let him buy me a new lock then .
Half an hour later they were back with him from his house as he did not have any money to buy a new lock even .
So I yust left it as it was then and as the police suggested was best to do .

At home I heard from some Spanish friends he is known to steal ( bikes also several ) .They are gipsys from the mainland somewhere originaly  .
They sayd best you did not make a dinuncia as they can get youre adress then and come and bother you at home ? WTF  The police then yust gives youre adress if you make a denuncia?

Anyway he lives in El Fraille in the main road that i overheard.
I have also seem him over the years we live here and next time I see him again ill yust publikly yell to him what a ladron he is.
And here he is if any of you see him be warned .

[poker]

The turtle release .

[Janet]

well thank goodness you're OK, P, and that you still have the bike. The police are obliged to surrender the address of the denunciant ... it's an open document and by law a denuncia cannot be secret ... this is an important part of the democratic constitution to protect against the sort of thing that went on in Franco's time.

Where will it all end, though? At least the turtles are happy!

[El Profesor]

It sounds to me that the police were trying to avoid a bit of unnecessary form filling.

It should not be the police's job to threaten the victim of the crime on behalf of the criminal.

Could we please know which type of police they were? (If it was policia local then they are not police)

[poker]

Yes local .
One of them in the second car that came his son sits in the same clas as my son so I know him even qwite good .

At the end there was even a guardia cevil car with 2 gardias , but I think that was just for chatting . . . . .

So police enouf , but no result .
They say it takes about ( if I remember good) about 25 minor delects ( like stealing bicycles , robbing handbags , wallets . . . .) before the courst really give a prison sanction .
No wonder the tiefs are not afraid of the police or robbing anyone .

Im just glad we have our bikes .
And that I dident knok the thief senceless , what I had I my mind for a second wile seeing him cutting my lock ( I came at him from the back ) .
If I would have done so Im sure I would be in prison . The irony of it . . . . .

[Guanche]

Sounds like the police couldn't be bothered. I've seen this before in the UK. You get a local habitual petty thief, like this one, and they wear the police down to the point that you experienced. They catch the thief so many time, put them before the court so many time and they walk out of court without real punishment so many times.

Whilst I would never defend this sort of policing I can understand it. You get to the point of thinking 'Why bother'! and that's what you got P. The thing is your attempt theft will not be recorded. And all is well and crime free in paradise....... not!

[poker]

Can I lend one of youre (ex trained)dogs next time Guanche and pretend its a stray that bit the thief .. . . . .
That would be a more effective way than police . . . .

[Guanche]

If I still had one P you would be welcome to it But I think you would end up in more trouble than the thief would!