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How I Busted a Thief Who Tried to Sell My Camera on Craigslist

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Re: How I Busted a Thief Who Tried to Sell My Camera on Craigslist

#51

Post by rdl »

zapdrive wrote: post #48
SomeCallMeTim wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I waited on hold for 30+ minutes on a 911 call before giving up. Was going to report a domestic dispute, but never got a human. The dispute ended without anyone getting hurt, which is good, but ... well, it was then I decided that you pretty much can't rely on Oakland emergency services, so I moved out of the city. It's too bad, because I loved living there.

But the Oakland PD is very active and effective in quelling "Occupy Oakland" protests, arresting the protestors and charging them falsely.

And shooting people in the head with grenades. Not as effective as BART PD (the worst Bay Area PD, hands down) at shooting handcuffed people in the back, though.

Re: How I Busted a Thief Who Tried to Sell My Camera on Craigslist

#52

Post by jemfinch »

rdl wrote: post #49
jemfinch wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Much safer to just gather information and give it to the police. The police won't help you recover your stolen property: it's not their job. > Confronting a thief in person is pretty dangerous...there's a non-zero chance of a fight, possibly involving a knife or gun. Every day walking around a city involves a non-zero chance of a fight. Every day interacting with other humans in civilization can involve a knife or…

This model of the world is optimal in the majority of cases, but when it fails, it fails very badly.

So is driving on the highway. What, exactly, is your point?

We take calculated risks every single day. Meeting an opportunistic thief in a public place to retrieve your own property is at the low of end the risk spectrum, and the savings is a lot more than a slightly faster commute to work.

Re: How I Busted a Thief Who Tried to Sell My Camera on Craigslist

#53

Post by rdl »

jemfinch wrote: post #52
rdl wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This model of the world is optimal in the majority of cases, but when it fails, it fails very badly.

So is driving on the highway. What, exactly, is your point? We take calculated risks every single day. Meeting an opportunistic thief in a public place to retrieve your own property is at the low of end the risk spectrum, and the savings is a lot more than a slightly faster commute to work.

A thief is MUCH more likely than a random person to be 1) impulsive 2) stupid 3) violent.

It's a calculated risk. I also don't drive on New Years Day at 3am due to the drunks (or, really, late at night on Sunday morning in some areas). I prioritize my personal safety highest, followed by protection from liability, followed by my property. I've seen confrontations over similar things turn into stabbings or shootings. In Oakland, we had a fun game of "armed restaurant takeover" last year, where kids would enter a restaurant or coffeeshop, grab all the laptops/phones, and in a few cases, shoot people.

The police in most non-dysfunctional places are fairly willing to make arrests if you hand them a totally packaged case for grand theft. What they hate is work which screws up their stats (reported crimes which they can't/won't solve).

Re: How I Busted a Thief Who Tried to Sell My Camera on Craigslist

#54

Post by ISL »

triplesec wrote: post #32
enjo wrote: post #4

I've had 3 computers stolen from me in my life. Twice out of my car, and once when my house was broken into. Just once I wish a thief had been this dumb.

Never leave valuables in a car. This is well-known. Doing so is being about as dumb as this thief. Although you've learned the hard way, and I suppose we all make mistakes, so don't see this as personal criticism!

After having my car stolen, and a bunch of stuff taken, I was surprised to find that ~25% of the folks I talked with about it had the same sentiment; that it's stupid to leave things in a car.

Where I grew up, everyone left stuff in cars. Nobody stole things. Worked great.

Why is it okay for people to steal stuff in cities, but not in small towns?

Do you take your car-fixing tools (~2 BTC, these days) out of your car every time you go into your house?

Re: How I Busted a Thief Who Tried to Sell My Camera on Craigslist

#56

Post by joezydeco »

lysol wrote: post #15
pixelcort wrote: post #2

I would be curious who invited the person, or how the person found out about the party.

Could be his game. Party looks big enough while walking by, sneak in when it's starting to get a little hazy, grab a little something and stroll out. Or he was just a scummy fuck.

And now he knows where to return to meet the guy that put him in jail.

Re: How I Busted a Thief Who Tried to Sell My Camera on Craigslist

#57

Post by HarryHirsch »

ISL wrote: post #54
triplesec wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Never leave valuables in a car. This is well-known. Doing so is being about as dumb as this thief. Although you've learned the hard way, and I suppose we all make mistakes, so don't see this as personal criticism!

After having my car stolen, and a bunch of stuff taken, I was surprised to find that ~25% of the folks I talked with about it had the same sentiment; that it's stupid to leave things in a car. Where I grew up, everyone left stuff in cars. Nobody stole things. Worked great. Why is it okay for people to steal stuff in cities, but not in small towns? Do you take your car-fixing tools (~2 BTC, these days) out of your car…

> Why is it okay for people to steal stuff in cities, but not in small towns?

My explanation is that in cities there are more people living in a small space, there are simply more thieves in any given area, and also more opportunities for them.

However, those who leave stuff in cars create an ecosystem for thieves to operate in, and they should please stop doing so, giving opportunities to thieves may result in more thieves.

Re: How I Busted a Thief Who Tried to Sell My Camera on Craigslist

#58

Post by SeoxyS »

rdl wrote: post #30
SomeCallMeTim wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I waited on hold for 30+ minutes on a 911 call before giving up. Was going to report a domestic dispute, but never got a human. The dispute ended without anyone getting hurt, which is good, but ... well, it was then I decided that you pretty much can't rely on Oakland emergency services, so I moved out of the city. It's too bad, because I loved living there.

I know of people who had various robberies and burglaries committed; the police wanted them to file an online police report, rather than sending officers out (I guess you could go to the PD, too). Anything where I wasn't legally required to interact with the Oakland PD (i.e. a shooting or something with serious bodily harm, or filing a report on insured property like GTA), I'd avoid them. Armed robbery would be about…

Oakland PD is the worst PD I've had the displeasure of interacting with. I was in downtown Oakland at night in a party of 5, and we were accosted and robbed by three scary-looking thugs with guns. I was lucky enough to not lose my iPhone (they didn't notice I had not given them my phone) and was able to call 911 right after. The cops showed up immediately (within 3 min) with 4 cars.

We indicated that the perpetrators must've been just down the street, barely a block away. Of course, a description of "three black guys wearing hoodies" does not get you very far, in Oakland. The cops refused to send a car after them, instead asking us to give statements for 30 minutes, before moving on.

The worst part was that we asked if they could give us a ride to the station or to a BART station, and they refused. They had more things to do… like finding other people whose statements they can send a group of 4 cars to write down, I imagine.

Re: How I Busted a Thief Who Tried to Sell My Camera on Craigslist

#59

Post by deepdog »

ISL wrote: post #54
triplesec wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Never leave valuables in a car. This is well-known. Doing so is being about as dumb as this thief. Although you've learned the hard way, and I suppose we all make mistakes, so don't see this as personal criticism!

After having my car stolen, and a bunch of stuff taken, I was surprised to find that ~25% of the folks I talked with about it had the same sentiment; that it's stupid to leave things in a car. Where I grew up, everyone left stuff in cars. Nobody stole things. Worked great. Why is it okay for people to steal stuff in cities, but not in small towns? Do you take your car-fixing tools (~2 BTC, these days) out of your car…

You don't have to not leave it in the car, you should just cover it up or hide it.

If you have a blanket in the trunk then hide your computer under it if you have to leave the car, or put it under the passenger's seat.

Re: How I Busted a Thief Who Tried to Sell My Camera on Craigslist

#60

Post by meric »

ISL wrote: post #54
triplesec wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Never leave valuables in a car. This is well-known. Doing so is being about as dumb as this thief. Although you've learned the hard way, and I suppose we all make mistakes, so don't see this as personal criticism!

After having my car stolen, and a bunch of stuff taken, I was surprised to find that ~25% of the folks I talked with about it had the same sentiment; that it's stupid to leave things in a car. Where I grew up, everyone left stuff in cars. Nobody stole things. Worked great. Why is it okay for people to steal stuff in cities, but not in small towns? Do you take your car-fixing tools (~2 BTC, these days) out of your car…

Do you at least hide the valuables in the car so you can't see them through the window?
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