3 ms·

Thousands of stolen laptops recovered in massive Bay Area car burglary scheme

11 points by MilnerRoute 9y ago

carapace 9y ago
> The scheme was so pervasive that if someone broke into your car and stole a laptop, smartphone or tablet computer over the past month in the South Bay, East Bay, or Peninsula, there’s a decent chance it’s sitting in an evidence storage room. There's a section at the bottom dealing with recovering stolen property.
- DrScump 9y ago
  upward of 2,000 laptop computers and other high-end electronics valued at more than $2 million I don't think the writer bothered to do the math. I think an average value of $1000 per device is, um, optimistic, and I bet there have been tens of thousands of devices stolen in those three counties in the past year alone. (They didn't report any such totals.) I'm also not confident that they will check all serial numbers against police reports (when complete with serial numbers) and that every local agency will follow up (I've heard nothing on any of mine or family's). Property theft is mostly ignored by most local LEOs.
  - carapace 9y ago
    I would guess the writer is just repeating information given by the police. > Property theft is mostly ignored by most local LEOs. I dunno, it seems to me like this article shows they take it pretty seriously. My reason for commenting above is that many HN readers are in the Bay Area and maybe some of them who have had stuff taken haven't heard about this and might be able to recover their stolen property.
Powerofmene 9y ago
The cost to insurance companies is crazy if they just smash and grab. The loss of valuable work product to businesses is far higher.
- brador 9y ago
  It’s 2018. Cloud storage and password protection should mean no loss of data for anyone. Every laptop should be no more than an easily replacable dumb client.
  - Powerofmene 9y ago
    And of course the damage to the vehicle....”smash and grab.” While a side window may not be too costly, what if it is raining and interior damaged, etc. These costs to higher end vehicles could be quite costly.

11 points by MilnerRoute 9y ago

> The scheme was so pervasive that if someone broke into your car and stole a laptop, smartphone or tablet computer over the past month in the South Bay, East Bay, or Peninsula, there’s a decent chance it’s sitting in an evidence storage room. There's a section at the bottom dealing with recovering stolen property.

DrScump 9y ago
upward of 2,000 laptop computers and other high-end electronics valued at more than $2 million I don't think the writer bothered to do the math. I think an average value of $1000 per device is, um, optimistic, and I bet there have been tens of thousands of devices stolen in those three counties in the past year alone. (They didn't report any such totals.) I'm also not confident that they will check all serial numbers against police reports (when complete with serial numbers) and that every local agency will follow up (I've heard nothing on any of mine or family's). Property theft is mostly ignored by most local LEOs.
- carapace 9y ago
  I would guess the writer is just repeating information given by the police. > Property theft is mostly ignored by most local LEOs. I dunno, it seems to me like this article shows they take it pretty seriously. My reason for commenting above is that many HN readers are in the Bay Area and maybe some of them who have had stuff taken haven't heard about this and might be able to recover their stolen property.

Powerofmene 9y ago

The cost to insurance companies is crazy if they just smash and grab. The loss of valuable work product to businesses is far higher.

brador 9y ago
It’s 2018. Cloud storage and password protection should mean no loss of data for anyone. Every laptop should be no more than an easily replacable dumb client.
- Powerofmene 9y ago
  And of course the damage to the vehicle....”smash and grab.” While a side window may not be too costly, what if it is raining and interior damaged, etc. These costs to higher end vehicles could be quite costly.