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Why do people report "Stolen" phone to police?

Y

YungMoola94

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 18, 2010
150
0
I've always been wondering why people who get their phones "stolen" report it to the police. What exactly can they do if you didn't see the thief? Do they have some kind of special database to find the thief?

Also I quoted Stolen because for some reason people who leave their phone behind think someone stole it. It wasn't STOLEN unless the thief snatched it from your hand or you were deceived.

Seems to me people are just waiting cops time when they could be fighting a REAL crime.
 
Slow day down your end? If I leave my phone somewhere and somebody else takes it for himself, he stole it. End of.
 
Wow, really?
You need someone to explain to you why people report stolen items to the police?
And if someone takes possession of property that don't belong to them its a crime. No finders keepers laws bud. You're supposed to return it to its rightful owner.
 
When you lose something like an iPhone, someone probably picked it up. That someone doesn't have the right to just keep it or sell it. "Finders keepers" isn't a thing in the real world.

People have gotten their phones back having reported it stolen. One way this might be is a good Samaritan turns the phone into the police. If I found a phone and there was no contact info, the police station is about the best place I would think to leave it.
 
YungMoola94 said:
I've always been wondering why people who get their phones "stolen" report it to the police. What exactly can they do if you didn't see the thief? Do they have some kind of special database to find the thief?
Click to expand...

Most insurance companies require that a police report is filed before they'll accept a claim for a stolen item.

Also I quoted Stolen because for some reason people who leave their phone behind think someone stole it. It wasn't STOLEN unless the thief snatched it from your hand or you were deceived.
Click to expand...

Incorrect. Stealing is taking something that doesn't belong to you. It doesn't matter if it is an iPhone in a purse, sitting on an empty table, or an iPhone in someone's hand.

Seems to me people are just waiting cops time when they could be fighting a REAL crime.
Click to expand...

Theft is a real crime.
 
YungMoola94 said:
Also I quoted Stolen because for some reason people who leave their phone behind think someone stole it. It wasn't STOLEN unless the thief snatched it from your hand or you were deceived.
Click to expand...

I've seen a few instances where someone left it behind and successfully recovered it because the person who found it answered the call. However, if the other end refuses to provide a means of getting it back and keeps it for himself/herself that's akin to having your iPhone stolen.
 
The Police here actually do use Find My iPhone to track down stolen iPhones.
 
YungMoola94 said:
I've always been wondering why people who get their phones "stolen" report it to the police. What exactly can they do if you didn't see the thief? Do they have some kind of special database to find the thief?

Also I quoted Stolen because for some reason people who leave their phone behind think someone stole it. It wasn't STOLEN unless the thief snatched it from your hand or you were deceived.

Seems to me people are just waiting cops time when they could be fighting a REAL crime.
Click to expand...

For insurance purposes and because you are supposed to!

Police in the UK will send someone to check surveillance camera footage if there is any.

Hope you never get anything stolen with an attitude like that.
 
Among other things police may investigate if several thefts are reported in a given area. Where I'm from it's less phones being left behind and more car break-ins. If a certain neighborhood has a series of them, the police may actually come out and investigate and possibly recover the stolen property.
 
YungMoola94 said:
I've always been wondering why people who get their phones "stolen" report it to the police. What exactly can they do if you didn't see the thief? Do they have some kind of special database to find the thief?
Click to expand...

That "special database" is called Find My iPhone. And if a police department is properly motivated, yes, they can and will use it to find a thief.

[snipped out the part about the definition of "stolen." Lot of people already pointed out correctly that the OP has it all wrong.]


Seems to me people are just waiting cops time when they could be fighting a REAL crime.
Click to expand...

The NYPD seems to think that smartphone thefts ARE a real crime - both your definition of "stolen" (where someone is assaulted/deceived and the phone is snatched) and everyone else's definition (that plus any other instance of taking what's not yours). Enough that they track statistics on the crime, investigate such crimes across precincts and recover stolen iPhones, AND encouraged people to update their OS when Activation lock debuted. And they attributed Activation Lock with a reduction in this "real crime," unfortunately at the expense of Android users who are now seeing more thefts (because they currently lack a similar feature.

So yeah, it's a thing.

Granted, not every police department is enthusiastic about investigating iPhone thefts. I've experienced first hand that a lot of suburban police departments don't care and don't want to get involved, even if you have a good fix on where the missing iPhone is located. Frankly, those police departments are more concerned about not reporting such crimes so their statistics don't go up, rather than actually working at reducing real crime. But ignoring the problem doesn't make it any less "real."
 
At the very least they can use it to track theft metrics. At best they find the device. There's nothing to lose by reporting.
 
Because when a person is arrested all of the items on them at the time are taken and logged. If the serial number runs up against one that is stolen the person is also charged of being in receipt of stolen goods, and the item returned to its rightful owner.
 
YungMoola94 said:
I've always been wondering why people who get their phones "stolen" report it to the police. What exactly can they do if you didn't see the thief?
Click to expand...
They can do the same thing as when a $1000 diamond ring is stolen. Whether it's a $1000 ring or $1000 phone, it's stolen property and must be investigated.
 
YungMoola94 said:
I've always been wondering why people who get their phones "stolen" report it to the police. What exactly can they do if you didn't see the thief? Do they have some kind of special database to find the thief?

Also I quoted Stolen because for some reason people who leave their phone behind think someone stole it. It wasn't STOLEN unless the thief snatched it from your hand or you were deceived.

Seems to me people are just waiting cops time when they could be fighting a REAL crime.
Click to expand...
You don't seem to realise that any insurance claim requires that you report the theft to the police and get a crime number.
 
nebo1ss said:
You don't seem to realise that any insurance claim requires that you report the theft to the police and get a crime number.
Click to expand...
Indeed, it has to go through that route. The police won't waste their time with a stolen phone much like they don't bother looking for stolen cars but this is what insurers need to process a claim.

Its much better tracking a turned on stolen phone on 'Find my iPhone' and visiting the person who has nicked it lol.
 
I usually report any theft to the police, especially since I choose to claim it on my insurance. They typically require a police copy.
 
Wait till OP "loses" his phone. Then he will feel the pain even though no one snatched it from his hand directly.
 
nostresshere said:
Insurance often wants a copy of the police report.
Click to expand...

This for sure. And hey - That's their job - to help with ANY crime. Doesn't have to be a murder for you to file a police report. And trust me, their time is being wasted every day by people who report things that aren't even a crime at all.

All crime is a REAL crime. Theft is theft.
 
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