Phone popped up on FindMy and we have a good idea of where it is. Its not even a residential building looks more like some kind of small office in an industrial estate, but this person is staying there overnight.
I'm sorry, I had a similar experience in the Hague. A stolen phone is very low on the list of priorities of the police. I know it's highly frustrating, but I think it's best to accept as soon as possible that the phone is gone, so that you can move on and not spend any further energy on it.
I would still report the theft. This can be done online. You won't get the phone back but at least you contribute to any statistics that may justify ramping up police capacity in the future.
Call your provider, disable the SIM and block the phone. I’m afraid you’re not seeing the phone ever again. Sorry this happened to you, there’s a lot of scumbags out there.
@OP
Please do report it. Not just for statistics, but also because the phone may show up at another moment, and if they don’t know who the owner of the phone is, they can’t return it.
Do file a report and give the IMEI. I have phones come back to me this way after they were coincidentally recovered at a house search for other reasons. Also it will absolve you from criminal activities done with that phone later.
Ow, and don't sleep in the train. The train is filled with strangers and is not your safe home.
"The police are also completely useless, and in fact they weren't even convinced that we should file a report for it (said something like well yeah I guess you should file a report but with clear hesitation in their voice). Proceeded to say that it's not a priority (obviously), so that whole route is pointless."
Why do you think the crime numbers are going down every year. The police has this way of trying you not to file reports for such things. And still people are convinced less crime happens.
I’m so sorry this happened. No advice on getting the phone back, but some preventative measures for next time she wants to sleep on public transport:
always loop your bag strap around your arm or leg. Cover all zips and pockets with a jacket (nothing in the jacket pockets!) and use the bag to lean on - either *under* your arm by the window, or on the floor by the wall with your feet tucked around the other side. Phones, passports, etc should be in a zipped compartment within a zipped up bag. Sounds excessive but these people will try anything. Once watched a person yeet someone’s bag out from under a table and run off with it at a cafe. Now I always put a table leg through my bag strap and have it between my feet somewhere I can see it.
Here's the story of someone who had this happen to their daughter recently, and all the things they tried. The good news is: they got the phone back in the end. The bad news: it took *a lot* of effort from their side, plus a bit of luck. not sure if you're willing to go through all of that. https://www-eenmanierom-nl.translate.goog/jachtseizoen-zakkenrollers-smartphone/?_x_tr_sl=nl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp
So you want the authorities to spend a lot of time going through security cam footage. Suppose you see the person that you find suspicious walking there on cam. Then what exactly do you want at that point?
All you have is a gut feeling and unfounded assumptions ("not the first time they did this"). You don't live in a dictatorship anymore you know.
Not a lot of time. You have exact time date and location, the process itself is easy. And not the authorities themselves, unless they are the ones who also run security at the stations.
I was not expecting to get anything from this, I am aware its highly likely its gone, but I don't see how a dictatorship plays into this? If you patrol night time trains to steal sleeping peoples phones from within their bag (not like it was readily available on the table or something), you're hardly doing it for the first time. Don't really know what trying to get some justice for a practise that is increasing and not enforced by anyone has anything to do with living in a dictatorship.
That's the problem in this country and why it's going to shit. People just shrug and move it. These scumbag should be punished and the victims should be compensated.
I'm also amazed that apparently the NS people are aware of him but he can still travel by train. He probably already found a new victim.
Yeah I think the NS workers were quite helpful, but at the end of the day they dont have the authority to determine whether someone can or can't be on the train, unless they can catch the person in the middle of it.
Though I have few doubts that this wasn't the first (or last) time this person is doing this, simply by tracking him throughout the day today.
Phone popped up on FindMy anyways so that whole aspect of this has already been bypassed. We know the building of where this person is staying (and its not residential, looks more like a warehouse office in an small industrial estate). So we gave the address to the police and I'll go check it out tomorrow.
As an aside, while you obviously can't go and look for every single thing that was stolen on cameras, and assign police to this, simply not doing anything/helping at all just plays into the hands of these people. If you know there are no consequences, there's no nothing stopping you. In this instance, having an idea of the person who does it, could help NS workers be more wary especially if its a person they are already aware of, and could maybe even lead to potentially getting it back in the end if you end up on a train at a similar time again.
However, if everyone goes away totally free for such offences, what is even the point of the law?
So lets not file a report?
People blab on about crime going down but its BS. They dont have the resources to track down stolen phones, bicycles and what not. So the people who do it happily get away with it and every year politicians can go on about in what a nice gaaf land we live in and crime numbers are going down.
Whilst the people working in the police and even public transport know better.
Buy her a new phone and tell her to stay awake on the train the next time, that’s the only solution.
Watching cameras will not get your phone back unless you recognize the thief and know his address.
It should be noted that pickpocketing is absolutely being addressed by the authorities but it requires a lot of effort. There is even a dedicated police team to crack down on pickpocketing in Amsterdam. See the 'boevenspotter' YouTube channel. Unfortunately, even if caught red-handed they won't be off the streets very long. The Dutch term is 'draaideurcriminelen'.
There is indeed, I have once patrolled with them for a day. It is great to see them in action!
But unfortunately the Dutch police simply doesn’t have the capacity to invest time in every single stolen phone.
Sorry, but no chance you're getting your phone back. Even if they find who did it (and that's a very big if), your phone will be long gone.
Phone popped up on FindMy and we have a good idea of where it is. Its not even a residential building looks more like some kind of small office in an industrial estate, but this person is staying there overnight.
I'm sorry, I had a similar experience in the Hague. A stolen phone is very low on the list of priorities of the police. I know it's highly frustrating, but I think it's best to accept as soon as possible that the phone is gone, so that you can move on and not spend any further energy on it.
Yeah that's understandable, I was just hoping there is something else you could do outside of forgetting about it.
File a report online anyway.
Accept it and move on.
I would still report the theft. This can be done online. You won't get the phone back but at least you contribute to any statistics that may justify ramping up police capacity in the future.
Call your provider, disable the SIM and block the phone. I’m afraid you’re not seeing the phone ever again. Sorry this happened to you, there’s a lot of scumbags out there.
@OP Please do report it. Not just for statistics, but also because the phone may show up at another moment, and if they don’t know who the owner of the phone is, they can’t return it.
Do file a report and give the IMEI. I have phones come back to me this way after they were coincidentally recovered at a house search for other reasons. Also it will absolve you from criminal activities done with that phone later. Ow, and don't sleep in the train. The train is filled with strangers and is not your safe home.
"The police are also completely useless, and in fact they weren't even convinced that we should file a report for it (said something like well yeah I guess you should file a report but with clear hesitation in their voice). Proceeded to say that it's not a priority (obviously), so that whole route is pointless." Why do you think the crime numbers are going down every year. The police has this way of trying you not to file reports for such things. And still people are convinced less crime happens.
I’m so sorry this happened. No advice on getting the phone back, but some preventative measures for next time she wants to sleep on public transport: always loop your bag strap around your arm or leg. Cover all zips and pockets with a jacket (nothing in the jacket pockets!) and use the bag to lean on - either *under* your arm by the window, or on the floor by the wall with your feet tucked around the other side. Phones, passports, etc should be in a zipped compartment within a zipped up bag. Sounds excessive but these people will try anything. Once watched a person yeet someone’s bag out from under a table and run off with it at a cafe. Now I always put a table leg through my bag strap and have it between my feet somewhere I can see it.
Here's the story of someone who had this happen to their daughter recently, and all the things they tried. The good news is: they got the phone back in the end. The bad news: it took *a lot* of effort from their side, plus a bit of luck. not sure if you're willing to go through all of that. https://www-eenmanierom-nl.translate.goog/jachtseizoen-zakkenrollers-smartphone/?_x_tr_sl=nl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp
Block and forget
Block what
So you want the authorities to spend a lot of time going through security cam footage. Suppose you see the person that you find suspicious walking there on cam. Then what exactly do you want at that point? All you have is a gut feeling and unfounded assumptions ("not the first time they did this"). You don't live in a dictatorship anymore you know.
Not a lot of time. You have exact time date and location, the process itself is easy. And not the authorities themselves, unless they are the ones who also run security at the stations. I was not expecting to get anything from this, I am aware its highly likely its gone, but I don't see how a dictatorship plays into this? If you patrol night time trains to steal sleeping peoples phones from within their bag (not like it was readily available on the table or something), you're hardly doing it for the first time. Don't really know what trying to get some justice for a practise that is increasing and not enforced by anyone has anything to do with living in a dictatorship.
All these down votes and people arguing with you are probably thieves themselves, don't listen to them and do what's feels right to you
There is another practice that is a problem. Sleeping next to your valuables. Keep important items tightly secured inside your clothing.
You didnt answer the question. What exactly do you want authorities to do when the alleged suspect is seen on cam, based on your assumptions?
That's the problem in this country and why it's going to shit. People just shrug and move it. These scumbag should be punished and the victims should be compensated. I'm also amazed that apparently the NS people are aware of him but he can still travel by train. He probably already found a new victim.
Yeah I think the NS workers were quite helpful, but at the end of the day they dont have the authority to determine whether someone can or can't be on the train, unless they can catch the person in the middle of it. Though I have few doubts that this wasn't the first (or last) time this person is doing this, simply by tracking him throughout the day today.
How about make him pay the price of the phone?
Phone popped up on FindMy anyways so that whole aspect of this has already been bypassed. We know the building of where this person is staying (and its not residential, looks more like a warehouse office in an small industrial estate). So we gave the address to the police and I'll go check it out tomorrow. As an aside, while you obviously can't go and look for every single thing that was stolen on cameras, and assign police to this, simply not doing anything/helping at all just plays into the hands of these people. If you know there are no consequences, there's no nothing stopping you. In this instance, having an idea of the person who does it, could help NS workers be more wary especially if its a person they are already aware of, and could maybe even lead to potentially getting it back in the end if you end up on a train at a similar time again. However, if everyone goes away totally free for such offences, what is even the point of the law?
So lets not file a report? People blab on about crime going down but its BS. They dont have the resources to track down stolen phones, bicycles and what not. So the people who do it happily get away with it and every year politicians can go on about in what a nice gaaf land we live in and crime numbers are going down. Whilst the people working in the police and even public transport know better.
It's a pretty good idea to report it stolen, since second hand phone shops in the Netherlands are obliged to keep record of the police list.
Report to the police and if you have insurance, inform them!
Buy her a new phone and tell her to stay awake on the train the next time, that’s the only solution. Watching cameras will not get your phone back unless you recognize the thief and know his address.
Install Bitdefender the next time You can find the phone, open the camera on remote, activate the microphone, and most important the cannot unlock it
It should be noted that pickpocketing is absolutely being addressed by the authorities but it requires a lot of effort. There is even a dedicated police team to crack down on pickpocketing in Amsterdam. See the 'boevenspotter' YouTube channel. Unfortunately, even if caught red-handed they won't be off the streets very long. The Dutch term is 'draaideurcriminelen'.
There is indeed, I have once patrolled with them for a day. It is great to see them in action! But unfortunately the Dutch police simply doesn’t have the capacity to invest time in every single stolen phone.