The Public...

[DaLAW]

So I have nosey, obnoxious neighbors. I don't mind. Its entertaining at times. But anyway, I was coming home from work the other day and the neighbor across the street came over to me as I was getting out of my car and told me that my next-door neighbor's father (who lived with them) died. I asked, therefore, how the family was holding up. "I don't know, I haven't spoken to them yet". I then asked how she knew the man had died. "I asked the police-officer who was at their house".

OK, maybe its just because I find nosey people annoying anyway, but does anyone else think this neighbors actions were just ever so slightly intrusive? If so, is there anyway an officer can say, in polite terms, "mind your damn business and let me do my job" to people such as her who try to get the gossip-gab on scene? Or am I just being uptight about the whole situation?

[FireCop604]

"With due respect sir/madam, would you want me to tell the neighbors why we were in your home? If it concerned your safety, we'd let you know."

[xxcrispyxricexx]

I just say "Sorry, I can't say," and leave it at that.

On a side note, I grew up in a small town... I remember in high school once an ambulance got sent to my next door neighbor's house... had all the little old ladies that lived in the area call my house to ask if my mom or I had any idea what was going on.

[Defender77]

People ask me all the time what happened or what's going on...I just say "nothing."

[Defender77]

There are certain types of people:

-Those that see a crime and want to get involved, they will at least call 911 or be a witness for us when we arrive

-Those who are mildly concerned but not enough to do anything

-Those who don't give a rip

-Those who don't give a rip, but who wanna know what happened...who wanna see the dead body...or who wanna stare at the crying assault victim as she goes through the worst experience of her life.

[StudChris]

1st - Don't listen to Defender77, he has less experience than you do.

2nd - Yeah, we just give a polite "I'm unable to say due to privacy concerns". One of our dispositions for clearing a call is November, for no action taken. Sometimes we tell dispatch we'll be back in service. clear the call November November. Dispatch just clears it November for no action taken... but everyone else knows we mean November November for Nosey Neighbor.