I Filed A Police Complaint

You better believe I’m speaking up about these things. Here is the text from my formal police complaint which I just filed, after the events from yesterday:

“I dialled 999 at 11:30 on Thursday 29th April 2021, when my letting agent along with what sounded like a few other angry and threatening people, unlocked my door (in a shared house) and tried to enter my room.

This was after I had experienced escalating harassment from my letting agent and landlord over the previous week. I knew they were going to be in the house sometime between 11am and 3pm, because they had tried to force me into meeting with them again. I live in a Rent Guarantee Scheme property and I had already agreed with the council not to engage any further with the letting agent or landlord because of their abuse over the previous week and because all attempts at having a conversation with them were not productive because of their aggressiveness and hostility, and unfounded accusations (such as accusing me of growing weed, because I have houseplants).

After the letting agent had let themselves into my room without permission on two previous occasions, on Tuesday 28th April I warned them by email that I would phone the police if they tried to enter my room without permission again. I live with autism and OCD and all of this abuse and harassment (by email, in person and over the phone) has left me feeling scared to leave the house. I do not feel secure in my own house and even in my room, even though my door has its own lock, since the letting agent has a key and keeps using it to enter my room, even at times whilst I was indecent.

Before I dialled 999 on Thursday 29th April, the letting agent had been purposefully activating the fire alarm on and off for around 15 minutes, in an attempt to get me to leave the room. Because of my autism I am extremely sensitive to loud sound and this was very stressful. This left me feeling terrified so I barricaded the door in case they tried to unlock the door. When they unlocked the door, I quickly shut it and relocked it and told them I was phoning the police. They continued shouting my name and banging on the door over and over again whilst I was on the phone. I was sitting on the floor in the corner, trying to get ready to defend myself because I had no idea how many people there were, who was there and what they were going to do. I just really wanted the police to come to help me defend myself.

I was assured that officers would attend once they were available, but that they weren’t immediately available. The crowd of people outside my room remained there for around another 30 minutes before leaving. I continued waiting for the police to arrive or for a follow up call. At 12:30 (1 hour after dialling 999), I phoned Thames Valley Police and stated my incident number, asking for an update. I was informed that because it was a ‘civil matter’ the police had spoken to the council and ‘left it with them’.

I was really shocked and disappointed because I felt no more re-assured or safe than when I had dialled 999, and because I didn’t get the opportunity to report the incident in detail to the police, including the previous incidents involving my letting agent and landlord. I am sure that what my letting agent is doing is illegal and that they shouldn’t be given any extra leniency simply because they are a letting agent/landlord. They are intruding into my private space at will, being aggressive and threatening. I dialled 999 because I was in an emergency situation and felt in physical danger, and got no response, not even a follow-up.”

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