KANSAS CITY, Mo. — If your smart phone was stolen, but you knew who had it and you could lead police to the suspect, you’d expect some help, right?
Twenty-six-year old Jordan Call says when his wife’s cell phone was stolen Wednesday, Kansas City, Mo., police took a report but nothing more. It turns out, Call has a phone app that not only tracks the phone from his home computer, it allows him to remotely snap pictures of the person operating the phone from his computer.
Call used GPS technology to track his phone to the Willow Creek Apartments in South Kansas City. But when four officers showed up at the apartment complex, Call says they told him there was nothing they could do.
“It’s not very often that you get the crumb trails leading you to where the suspect’s living, as well as a clean shot of his face and the inside of his apartment, so I felt like I had done most of the work for them. I was kind of disappointed, ” said Call.
Call got more bad news when he bought a new phone for his wife on Craigslist. When he tried to activate the new phone, Verizon told him the phone was reported stolen and inoperable.
“I was pretty upset, my wife was pretty upset, we just want a working phone, ” said Call.
At that point, Call innocently asked the man who sold him the stolen phone if he would sell him another phone. When the two men met at a Roeland Park convenience store, Roeland Park police were waiting.
Officers took the phone dealer in for questioning and convinced him to refund Call’s money for the phone that had been reported stolen.
“They were really helpful. Roeland Park PD showed me that they care,” said Call.
Roeland Park police did not end up arresting the phone dealer because they can’t prove the man knew he was selling phones that can’t be activated. But Roeland Park’s Deputy Police Chief told Fox 4 his officers will continue to investigate.
Meantime, a Kansas City, Mo., police spokeswoman told Fox 4 if Jordan Call feels like KCMO police officers didn’t do enough to help him, he can always complain to the Office of Community Complaints.
Jordan Call said don’t worry, he’ll be calling.
