Stolen Phone, police doesn't care if I know the details?

paulrn_2

I can see why the police have acted thus if your report to them was like your post, I am guessing that its not an English degree you are reading for. in the grand scheme of things you getting so out of your mind that you, in essence, lost your phone is of such inconsequential importance that Scotland Yard and Interpol probably havn't been informed. You allude that you know who picked it up so go and see him and ask for it back. If you do not know move on accept it and learn from it.

4810510

Your phone has been stolen, theft by finding is a crime. If you walked into M&S (other retailers are available) and took a £20 item and wandered off you can be sure the police would respond when M&S security call them. I would ask the Uni if they have a police liaison officer and if so speak to him. Otherwise I would write out a wee note explaining the whole situation just make sure you start it with "I wish to make a formal complaint of neglect of duty" and hand it into the police station. Go in the front door and ask to speak to a Sgt or Inspector and give him/her the note.

Just because you are a drunken student doesn't mean that you don't deserve police attention - usually the wrong kind.

eoghanlondon

Apart from the fact that nobody has given yuo the phone back, is there any actual evidence that it's been stolen? The police won't report a crime just because you ask them to (remember it adds to Home Office crime figures). You dropped the phone, and haven't seen it again. How do you know anyone picked it up? Has the phone been used since? Who's to say it wasn't swept up in the rubbish? Or is still where it was left? Can you give a precise time that the phone was picked up ("stolen")? Otherwise you're asking police to sit and view hours and hours of CCTV footage, which may or may not exist, to show someone who may or may not have picked the phone up, at a place where you may or may not have dropped it. Yagitmi?

Edit. Just re-read, apologies. So someone has picked it up in front of you, and you've given him permission to keep it. Well, is it theft by finding if he doesn't make reasonable efforts to find the owner? Yes. Did he make reasonable efforts to find the owner? Yes, the owner was there in front of him, and walked off happy-as-larry.

Bettingmad

Just follow my instructions in Post 5, logical steps to take.

macman

If you can afford a £400 phone then surely you can afford to insure it?

gjchester

eoghanlondon wrote: »

Edit. Just re-read, apologies. So someone has picked it up in front of you, and you've given him permission to keep it. Well, is it theft by finding if he doesn't make reasonable efforts to find the owner? Yes. Did he make reasonable efforts to find the owner? Yes, the owner was there in front of him, and walked off happy-as-larry.

Maybe you read more into my post, as they were both under the influence at the time it's possible either way that they may or may not have asked the question and can't remember the question or answer.

karendb

ivinsp wrote: »

Maybe consider getting a very cheap payg phone to put your replacement sim in for nights out, I used to do that and not the end of the world then if something does happen to your phone

I think this is one of the best suggestions I have come across! I will definitely suggest it to my DD who recently had her smartphone nicked (and she wasn't insured!)

Thanks!

AA_Alex

Ok, got an update.

I wen't to Uni's Security Department, and on my way I saw a community officer walking that way as well, started talking with her asking for an advice, told her a short story.

I was drunk, my phone got stolen on campus. I dropped my phone, some random uni student picked it up and didn't return it. I don't remember why, but I didn't ask the phone back, and my friend seeing that didn't do anything. Anyway, it looked like the guy used that I'm too drunk and stole my phone. It's a 400 quid phone which isn't insured, that's why I'm trying to get it back. I was at the police station, they didn't give me any crime reference number so apparently they added my phone to "lost" list, not stolen. So now I'm going to Security Department to explain what happened and if they can check the CCTV.

We talked together with security department, officer told what happened, I gave them the date and time when it happened(said check 2-3am). They replied alright, come back later.

I came back in couple of hours, ask for that guy I spoke with, he see's me and says:

"Hi. Oh, um... we had a system update and we don't have footage of that time, there's nothing we can do".

Lol! It was so easy to see that he's lying. I should've asked, don't you have to keep the footage for 28 days? (As people said in this thread) Told that to my friend, he said his friend's friend is suing the security department for something, saying they can't do their job properly.

So anyway, neither police, nor uni's security department wants to help me... As far as I think, it's easy to find that guy, just check the CCTV, look at his face and find him in uni. Seems too hard for everyone else. It's 500 quid to me, and another lost phone/drunk student to them.

Suggestions?

macman

Why would the security people lie to you-for what purpose?
Have you tried asking around to see if anyone else witnessed this event-surely there must have been one of you present who was still vaguely coherent? If so can they not ID the miscreant?
Interesting that you are blaming everyone else (the police, security, your friends) but seem to take no responsibility for securing or insuring your own property.

blue70

Alex

Firstly if I was a police officer and you came into the station and relayed the version of events that you have included in your first post my first thought would be that you have lost your phone but now wish to report it stolen when it hasn't been handed in. There is unfortunately no real evidence of theft based on the conflicting accounts that you have provided and the fact that you were so drunk that you have no memory of some parts of the evening. Call me a sceptic but ............

Secondly if you really want to report it as stolen then do so. You can make crime reports online with most police forces or make a telephone report (I'm sure someone will lend you their phone ). However you should be aware that they will ask you for witness details (your friend who was with you) and you will be asked if you are prepared to give a statement and go to court if anyone is arrested.

Thirdly If the security staff say that their system was being updated at that time and there is no CCTV then I would be inclined to believe them. As someone previously said why would they lie? It's not inconceivable that an update or maintenance was taking place at that time of the morning because there are less people about. I cannot believe that you have said that your friends friend is suing them for something but you don't know what. Do you really think that's true or is it just a recycled rumour put about by people who can't be bothered to find out if it's true?

I know things are easy to say with hindsight however - Why didn't you go to the University lost property the very next day, why didn't you log your IMEI number onto the Stolen Phones website yourself, why did you get so hammered that you couldn't remember part of the evening with a £400 phone on you?. I know that you are a university student but surely you must have some common sense?

Anyway apparently we learn by our mistakes .............