In response to your edit I think what happened is that the police officer was notified of the stolen item by the pawn shop and before filing an official report

In response to your edit I think what happened is that the police officer was notified of the stolen item by the pawn shop and before filing an official report they contacted the owner of the item and offered them the choice. If she opts to pay the ransom the police officer has less paperwork, the justice system has one less case bogging it down, the pawn shop gets off the hook entirely, and she gets her laptop back quicker. Also the police officer maintains a great relationship with the pawn shop which might be beneficial in other cases. It's a win win win all the way around for everyone directly involved in the case. Unfortunately it's probably a net negative for everyone else as it makes the pawn shop less diligent in the future and makes it easier for robbers to offload their stolen merchandise making it more lucrative for them to continue their "profession".