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Comment by beembeem | Hacker News Reader

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beembeem·

Have already seen this with other stolen property with other PDs across the country.

- "It's too risky"

- "not valuable enough"

- "could be dangerous"

- "can't prove your stolen item is where the GPS says"

- "can't dispatch an officer or detective just because you have a GPS location"

etc etc

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I had someone steal my keys with an airtag on them in Seattle. Cops said they were going to send someone after making me file a police report, screenshots of Find My, etc. Call them an hour later, "oh yeah, no officers responded, we are too busy, good luck!" and this was on a slow-ass sunday around Greenlake. Recovered the keys myself. Good thing they have a 355M budget.

https://www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/FinanceDepartm...

SPD does much the same for me. I had my laptop tracked using Prey software (prior to Airtags) and they refused to send cops to a location I personally scouted out, took pictures of, and identified my equipment.

When I told them I might confront the thief on my own, they strongly cautioned against it.

Basically they aren't interested in doing their job, or anyone taking action themselves.

This is the best argument for defunding the police - their budgets have largely stayed flat or even gone up, and they aren't doing their jobs. Why are we paying for it?

I could write a book about how useless the police are, using only FOIA requested docs.

Don't forget: "Are you sure you didn't let them borrow the car?"

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