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California man Joshua Kaufman helps catch laptop thief with computer spy program, Tumblr blog posts
New York Daily News ^ | 6-1-11 | Meena Hartenstein

Posted on 06/01/2011 1:17:25 PM PDT by Mr.Unique

When a burglar stole Joshua Kaufman's laptop, the police wouldn't help him find it - so he turned to the Internet.

"I came home late on a Monday night in March, and someone had broken into my apartment through my window," Kaufman, an Oakland, Calif. resident, told the Daily News. The thief made off with his MacBook, his Kindle, and a few pieces of jewelry, stuffed into a computer bag.

Kaufman called the police who filed a report on the incident, but they quickly shelved the case as a low priority. Luckily, he also remembered he had installed a security program on his computer called "Hidden," which works to track a stolen device by triangulating its location and taking photographs with the computer's camera.

SNIP

Soon he was flooded with requests from media outlets who also contacted the police, forcing them to take a second look. "They said, we're really sorry you fell through the cracks," Kaufman said Tuesday night, after he was finally contacted by Officer Holly Joshi, the Oakland police department's director of public relations.

(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: donutwatch
Interesting story.
1 posted on 06/01/2011 1:17:29 PM PDT by Mr.Unique
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To: Mr.Unique
"We're really sorry you fell through the cracks"

Translation: We ignore everyone until a reporter or a dead body shows up.

2 posted on 06/01/2011 1:23:05 PM PDT by ScottinSacto (If anyone will beat Obama, let's not send just anyone. Cain/West 2012)
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To: Mr.Unique

The perp looks like a terrorist.


3 posted on 06/01/2011 1:25:28 PM PDT by PGR88 (I'm so open-minded my brains fell out)
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To: Mr.Unique
I guess the police suspected the Amish and didn't want to get involved with those violent individuals. </s>
4 posted on 06/01/2011 1:25:54 PM PDT by ReformedBeckite ( 3 of 3 I'm only allowing my self each day)
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To: ScottinSacto
I posted this a few days ago:

Cops act under these very few circumstances:

1. The victim is a cop (or family member)
2. There is a fine or asset forfeiture possible
3. There is an opportunity for publicity
4. There is a chance to kick someone's ass

Otherwise, they show up and take a report.

Rule 3 applies here.

5 posted on 06/01/2011 1:30:26 PM PDT by Mr.Unique (The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list.)
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To: Mr.Unique

“You want to find an outlaw, hire an outlaw. You want to find a Dunkin’ Donuts, call a cop.”

Leonard Smalls, “Raising Arizona”


6 posted on 06/01/2011 1:43:59 PM PDT by catnipman
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To: ReformedBeckite

If it were my lap top I would not trouble the local police, I would take care of it myself.


7 posted on 06/01/2011 1:50:05 PM PDT by Rumplemeyer
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To: Mr.Unique

You left out.

5. The cop get to screw with someone and make their life hard.


8 posted on 06/01/2011 1:50:52 PM PDT by packrat35 (America is rapidly becoming a police state that East Germany could be proud of!)
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To: Mr.Unique

I couldn’t help but notice that this post was made from the IP address of a computer which was stolen from Anthony Weiner.


9 posted on 06/01/2011 1:56:06 PM PDT by TruthHound ("He who does not punish evil commands it to be done." --Leonardo da Vinci)
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To: TruthHound
I couldn’t help but notice that this post was made from the IP address of a computer which was stolen from Anthony Wiener.

Now, that's funny.

10 posted on 06/01/2011 2:02:52 PM PDT by Mr.Unique (The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list.)
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To: ReformedBeckite
I guess the police suspected the Amish and didn't want to get involved with those violent individuals.

Definitely Amish..Muthanna Aldebashi

11 posted on 06/01/2011 2:31:45 PM PDT by sockmonkey
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