Is that all they took? I am a retired Los Angeles police officer, and of all the years that I was a police officer I have never ever, ever heard of someone going into another person’s residence, and take one particular item, or any item for that matter. Unless, of course the person is known and knew that you had a phone at your bedside. It’s possible but extremely rare. Burglaries at businesses occur at night and burglaries at homes normally takes place during the day when the occupant is at work. Where do you live? In a high crime area by chance? how did they get in? And what did the police say? Interesting post if I do say so myself. It is possible but is so rare for someone that you don’t know would do something like this.
Here is the full story: I am 78, retired and temporarily living in a rented room on the edge of the town centre of High Wycombe, UK. One morning some months ago, I woke up and, seeing that it was already light outside, wondered why my iPhone alarm had not sounded. I noticed the patio door was open as were several drawers in my room. Then I saw that my iPhone 13 was not where it should be on my bedside table and, with the help of a friend, called the police.
The burglar had somehow overcome the lock in the door (there were no scratches or damage), snuck into the room and quietly taken the phone, checked for other valuables and made his exit with the phone and two small toiletries bags containing an electric razor, electric toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. It was obviously a quick in-and-out job making as little noise as possible. My hearing is very poor without hearing aids which I obviously don't wear in bed.
Two police officers turned up and commiserated but pointed out that there was little or no chance of recovering the phone as it would have already been sold on, so I should not expect to see it ever again. One of the officers had a quick look around the vicinity and failed to spot the two toiletry bags which had, on inspection by the burglar, been discarded as worthless and had been left in plain sight in the front of next door's drive. One of the officers told me that this particular area is a hot spot for burglaries and opportunist theft due to the number of multi-occupancy rented accommodation and the presence of small hotels in which the more disreputable types find lodgings.
Over the course of the next eight weeks, the phone showed up on 'Find My’ in a couple of locations within a kilometre of my home; most of the locations were within a circle of a few meters. Each time, I notified the police but was told that 'Find My’ is insufficiently accurate for a search warrant to be issued.
The phone was never found. Even so, I sent the investigating officer an e-mail thanking him for his efforts but I have never received an acknowledgment in return.
It is my belief that the thief made a prior reconnaissance of the property where I live and, having learned how to avoid the sensor of the PIR security light by keeping within its blind spots, returned in the early hours one morning with a bunch of keys and struck lucky: one of the keys fitted and the occupant was deaf.
