Careers: Police/stolen vehicle

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Expert: - 10/26/2010


Question
QUESTION: My Jeep and cell phone were stolen Sunday morning. I live in a moderately large city (Syracuse, New York).

I was wondering how police respond to such a crime, how they try to locate the vehicle, etc.

The police assured me that most stolen vehicles are found, but it seems pretty unlikely that they will succeed, since the vehicle could be anywhere. Maybe I'm just being cynical.

ANSWER: John,

I don't know anything about Syracuse because I've never been there.  But if its like any other city the police have a pretty good idea where the suspect(s) come from so they probably concentrate on looking in the area where they live.  Most stolen vehicles are found within a few days.

Hopefully they will use your cell phone and the phone records will be key to solving the case if the suspects are not caught in the car.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: There are no suspects, because I was the only witness and I had no idea who the man was.

I also disconnected my phone per the advice of others because I was concerned about the guy racking up a huge phone bill. The phone company told me, though, that no calls had been made since two days earlier (I disconnected the phone about 14 hours after the incident).

So, if there are no suspects, what happens? Do the police check drug locations, or other crime areas?

Answer
What I was trying to tell you is that there are suspect(s).  Even if the police don't know his name they probably have a good idea where he comes from.  I can't speak for them but most likely the car will show up in a low income type neighborhood.   Too bad that they can't get "pings" from the phone.  It might lead the police right to the car or even the suspect.

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Jack Toomey

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U.S.: I am an expert in this category for the purpose of giving young people an idea what the hiring process involves for the position of police officer. I am getting a flood of questions from young people who are being influenced by unrealistic television shows. I'd ask you to consider that when you watch police shows on television that they are NOT realistic and most of what you see does not happen in real life. Please do not ask me about potential jail sentences that you, your friends, or family might receive in court. There is no way for me to know that. I am NOT a probation officer so I cannot answer questions about probation and parole matters. I am a retired police officer with 26 years experience.I worked in a variety of assignments including investigations, homicide, sex crimes, runaway investigations, missing persons, and fraud.I also dealt with the general public during that time giving a wide range of advice on matters such as domestic disputes, problem solving, teenage problems, civil/criminal matters, and dealing with the mentally ill. I am available to give sound and reasonable advice which can solve most problems. Please do not ask me to do homework questions or online interviews. Young people should not rely on the Internet for interviews. Local police officers are normally very agreeable to assist students with interviews and surveys.

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Worked as a police officer/detective for 26 years.

Graduate of the University of Maryland.B.S. in Law Enforcement.Attended numerous schools and training courses involving investigations, interviewing, interrogations, crime detection, domestic violence, and others. Recognized in court as an expert witness.

Received numerous awards during my police career for expert investigations. Handled the most sensitive and confidential investigations. In 1999 I won an award for my work with high school students while working in my new career in a large suburban high school.

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