Then why are cops more interested in busting kids with dime bags instead of thieves stealing $600 phones?
Some kid smoking a joint (IMHO) pales in comparison to theft of a phone.
Today's phones have data on them - personal information, trade secrets, etc.
Some agencies have specialized narcotic units/squads that exclusively look for people buying/selling/using drugs. It's unrealistic to expect members of a narcotics unit to handle medical calls, civil matters, or delayed property theft reports, because that's not their job. So for them, it has nothing to do with being "interested", it has to do with what their actual job is.
As for road patrol who are not specialized..they'll handle what is dispatched to them. If they haven't been dispatched to a call, then they'll typically do proactive work like traffic stops (which can sometimes lead to drug/DUI arrests). Again, it has nothing to do with the patrol officers being "interested", it has to do with what's assigned to them.
Police cannot randomly stop people at a carnival and check phones unless the victim (or a witness) *SAW* that particular person actually steal the phone. "I
think he might of done it" or "he was the only one next to it so it
must of been him" doesn't count and won't stand up in court.
So when someone goes to the cops and has -all- of the information such as the location of the phone and so forth they are not interested in he easy collar nowadays?
We actually don't know if the victim has "all" the information.
First, what kind of location has the phone been pinpointed to?
Let's pretend that the victim tracks the phone to a 5-story apartment complex within + or - 5 feet.
Which floor is the phone on?
Let's pretend that the victim tracks the phone to a residential area within + or - 25 yards.
Which house is the phone in?
Let's pretend that the victim tracks the phone to a 5-story apartment complex within + or - 25 yards.
Which floor is in the phone on and which apartment is in it?
Second, did victim (or a witness/surveillance) SEE the suspect actually TAKE the phone? *Note: This is assuming that the phone has been been pinpointed to an exact numerical address.
If yes, what if the suspect says "
I bought this phone at the carnival, I paid cash for it". How do you prove otherwise? This essentially turns into the victim's word versus the suspect's word, and becomes a civil matter. Or what if the resident isn't the same person as the carnival suspect and says "
I have no idea what you're talking about, I don't have that phone".
If no, then the police have no right to press further unless the suspect were to admit to having the phone (which is unlikely, and the above "I bought this phone" problem still remains).
These scenarios are an enormous liability and the legal ramifications on the officers involved and the department due to all the unknown variables are mind boggling. The police will not simply barge in and start searching drawers and cabinets based on some phone tracking app/feature that could be in error or inaccurate (despite it saying otherwise). Like I said, these kinds of thefts can be and get VERY complicated, and I'm not even going into jurisdictional problems. A lot of people do not understand what needs to be in place before an investigation to take place or what necessitates proof or probable cause, all of which play a role in the investigation of the theft.
While the ability to track the phone may seem like it's a guarantee you'll be getting it back if it's stolen, that is definitely not the case for many many people. And that has nothing to do with lazy police, it has to do with everything I mentioned above.
I am super paranoid about my phone personally, and am always very cautious using it around people I don't know. I've heard of victims get their phones snatched literally from their hands AS THEY'RE USING IT or from the table right in front of them and then the thief running off and vanishing before the victim even knew or could register what happened. Droid or Iphone or whatever you use, be careful with your phone, it's very desirable little computer that is worth a lot of money.
I hope that it works out of the OP, it's a terrible situation all around.
