The Police Are Present, But What Are They Doing?

I look out my window, and see a Police car down the street. That is not an unfamiliar sight for me. The Police are on my street on a daily basis, sometimes visiting two different houses at a time. One house had three seperate visits in the same day last week. This must be a real hotbed of crime to have so many Police cars on my street.

I see a lot of Police on my street. But what I do not see is anything actually accomplished. The Police don't leave with anyone in custody. Sometimes they just knock on the door, then bang on the door, then bang really hard on the door, and then leave. The guy was home you know, he just wasn't answering the door. He knows it's the Police. I guess he just didn't want to talk to them.
So, what are the Police really doing on my street? Are they coming for a cup of tea?
Are the Police dropping by these houses to check on parole conditions? Or are they attending domestic disturbances, and can't do anything stronger than knocking on a door? What is really going on in these houses surrounding me that the Police are visiting on such a regular basis?
I know when I called a few weeks ago, to report an intoxicated individual damaging property, and attempting to break into a window nothing was done. "He likely lives there", I was told. And when a second call was made for the same individual driving drunk and crashing into a fence, then parking the car and passing out in the drivers seat, again nothing was done. "He's just waiting to be let in" the Police said. It was just another case of Police presence, dropping by for a chat and leaving without an arrest.
When I reported a landlord trying to run me down with his van, I was told it was a matter of "he said, she said" and I was told to say out of his lane when he is there.
When I reported night after night of drunken parties, all I saw was a final result of the kids being taken away, followed by parents being taken away, followed by the landlord cleaning out the house, followed by the same parents and kids moving back in to party all over again. It looked to me like vacation, free house cleaning, new furniture, repeat.
And when I do ask the Police what is going on, they say they cannot tell me. Are they protecting the individuals privacy, or their inability to uphold the law? What are they doing on these all too frequent visits? Who are they visiting, and why? Is anything actually being accomplished? And as citizens and tax payers, how would we know if it wasn't?
Are crimes being reported and the Police just can't do anything about it? Are domestic disturbances being reported and they cannot do anything more than knock on a door? Are the police dropping in on members of the public on parole? Because it sure looks to me like nothing is being accomplished. It's the same old, same old, every day on my street.
Just how broken is our system? Are the Police so overworked that they disregard the little stuff in order to take care of the bigger issues? I know they have a tough job. And I sure would not want to be in their shoes. But what is really going on?
We have a Provincial election on the horizon, and I don't know how to vote just yet. I don't know if we need more Police, a change in management, or an adjustment in manpower at WPS. I don't know if we need a complete overhall of the Justice System, or just a few tweeks. As a citizen, it is hard to tell what is really needed or what is really going on, because everything is protected by the "Privacy Act".
Nobody needs to know nothin' about anything. It is all under control.
As Kevin Bacon, in Animal House, said "Remain Calm, All Is Well" as he was trampled by the crowds.
Remain Calm ..... All Is Well.