Pleasanton PD will not take an accident report?

[HellFyre]

Someone ran a red light and hit me pretty squarely on the driver's side of my cage. I did what I thought was right and moved nothing, and called Pleasanton PD.

They arrive but won't take a report? According to the officers that showed up, it is their policy to *not* take a report unless someone goes to the hospital. I had multiple witnesses lined up ready to give their statement, but the PD does nothing. I was BS to say the least.

Is this a common policy?

 

[Brash47]

In a case like this, especially if there is significant damage, they cannot refuse to take a report. It may be departmental policy that they dont take non-injury accident reports, and make people exchange information, but even then, they cannot refuse to take a report if you demand it. That is failure on the part of the lazy ass officer to practice due diligence.

I would call and complain on this one...because it happened to me in the past. I demanded a report be taken where 15k damage was done to my car and the officer'S on scene refused the report, adamantly.

I don't advocate other officers getting in trouble, but when I am gaffed off by an agency, where a report is needed, and also a requirement of the law, I'm sorry, lazy boy is getting a complaint.

It's not like hes getting paid or anything to actually do his work...hmph.

brash

 

[HellFyre]

I asked and I asked and I asked. He said absolutely not! He f'in lied to me?! By law, if I ask for one, he has to?

I don't want to report on him, because the lady admitted to fault in front of him, and I might need his statement for insurance. I don't want to piss him off so that he won't repeat what she said.

 

[Angel]

Did you get the name of the officer?

 

[HellFyre]

Yuppers.

 

[Cygnus]

yes, this is standard practice in most cities (the only local exceptions I can think of are Los Gatos and Campbell). If no one is hurt, you can call them, but they won't come out. I am told that there are three things you can say that will get them to come out and take a report: imminent violence, (suspicion of) DUI, and "the other person doesn't have insurance". If they think there's a crime, they'll put your event in their queue (or so I've been told. Fortunately, I haven't needed to test this...yet.)

 

[motorman4life]

It is not the law that they MUST take a report, but they are mandated by the CHP to handle crashes on city streets in their jurisdiction and I believe they get funding from the state to do so.

Most departments have a policy that they only take non-injury crashes if a person demands it. They see these as "civil" cases and most officers call them "insurance reports" when they have to take them.

You could call up and ask for a Sergeant or Lieutenant. Ask them for a copy of their policy on non-injury collisions on city streets or ask them to explain it to you and see if that jives with what the officer told you at the scene. You can do it anonymously and without giving the officer’s name, if you wish.

It sounds like a clear case of dereliction of duty to me.. but, I wasn't there. : )

 

[Leonard]

I had the same thing happen in Pleasanton. A kid ran in to the back of my truck when I was at a red light. An officer was nearby and stopped but he did not want to take a report. I insisted and he finally wrote one.

Then I asked him if he was going to ticket the kid who was driving with a windshield obscured by frost that he didn't bother to stop and scrape off, but the officer would not write a ticket. He said that the accident was enough trouble for the kid and he didn't have a cause to write a ticket.

 

[Angel]

Well that is odd. I had someone hit me in the parking lot at work. Not only I got to file a report but they tracked down the person and I was given the option to press charges.

Weird...

 

[Trogdor]

Well that is odd. I had someone hit me in the parking lot at work. Not only I got to file a report but they tracked down the person and I was given the option to press charges.

Weird...

Sounds more like hit and run. Different story.

 

[HellFyre]

Yeah, I believe in your (Angel's) case the hit and run was seen as a felony, requiring a report/investigation.

 

[HellFyre]

Duh! Just occurred to me! She ran a red light, shouldn't there be a camera there?

 

[Trogdor]

Yeah, I believe in your (Angel's) case the hit and run was seen as a felony, requiring a report/investigation.

hit and run without injury = misdemeanor

hit and run with injury = felony

 

[HellFyre]

Oh, thanks for the correction.