Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Ex-husbands look alike

When you've been a cop for a few decades, you've come to expect the surveillance photos from a robbery to be fairly worthless--grainy, out of focus, dark, poor resolution. These days, though, things are changing. We are now getting much better photos and video.

It seems that convenience stores always have to best stuff first. Maybe it's because they are smaller and more agile than the big boys. A few years ago, one of our local banks had experienced four robberies at branches over a span of a few months. The COO, a friend of mine, called me up and asked me if there is anything I could think of that the bank could do. "Yeah," I said, "walk next door to the Kwik Shop, buy a big gulp, see what they have for cameras, and then buy the same thing for all your branch banks!"

Last week's bank robbery (the first since October 6, 2008) provides evidence that banks have caught up to 7-Elevens. This was a pretty good beauty shot of the robber--even better at full resolution. You can see his goatee, read the "B" on his cap, and notice the wedding band. Not bad at all. We got this out to the local media pronto, hoping to get some hot leads.

Friday afternoon, I encountered Det. Sgt. Luke Wilke in a workstation examining a screen full of mug shots and drivers license photos. "What's up?" I asked. "I'm chasing leads on the bank robbery," he said, "Everyone is calling to tell us it's their wife's ex-husband, and they all look just like the guy!"

Oh well, better to have plenty of leads than none at all. The photos and video will continue to improve, and we will have plenty of it.

9 comments:

Doublebanker said...

Looks like a pretty slow guy to me...should be able to catch him. I think I saw him on the Biggest Loser last night.

Anonymous said...

Everyone has good reason to keep their nose clean, but those with resentful exes have especially good reasons to keep it clean. After all, to make their ex big trouble, and make some crimestoppers cash in the process - that's a resentful ex's dream come true!

I always had a feeling that when someone presents a note saying they have a weapon, they've almost surely got nothing but a piece of paper. Is presenting a note that says one has a weapon and demanding money a lesser charge than actually displaying a weapon and demanding money?

Phillyun said...

Someone needs to proofread / think about these releases a little better. Is there a reason it is a set of small photos rather than the larger ones? Why not release the big photos to the public or link to the larger ones so more detail is available?
Here are a couple things I saw - feel free to correct me, I know you have better people (than me and Joe Public) that have covered these details.
"He was last seen wearing a black or navy blue ball cap with a red bill" - May I point out that its Navy blue according to the photos and its a red pattern (or lettering) on the bill rather than just a "red bill". Its not worn straight which may be distinctive in the way he wears hats. Recently had full sideburns or is letting it grow out (5 o'clock shadows).
"... with a white tee shirt underneath" - it has a pattern, may be distinctive for those who know what it actually is.
"... and a wedding band." - Now that's interesting/funny, a person, *clearly* an ex-husband of many women, but still with a wedding band who is strapped for cash. No use pawning the ring when you can borrow from the bank. No - there's more to this one.

Anonymous said...

The problem with this guy is he's an "everyman". I bet pretty much everyone can look at this photo and say "Hey, that looks like so-and-so...", in fact, I kind of recognize him... :) He's rather plain and non-descript. And I wonder if he's really a larger build or just how many t-shirts he had layered on? It just makes you guys job that much harder. Poor Wilke. :(

Anonymous said...

Just arrest all the ex husbands. Afterall, if they can't keep a marriage in tact, they can't be much good at anything. I've been married 34 years and counting...wait a minute...the ball and chain wants something again! Later...

Anonymous said...

Phillyun: I work at the pawnshop down the way too!

We were wondering what all the hub-bub was about last week (Helicopter, SWAT team, etc). Found out within about an hour when a customer came in and said something about it.

Anonymous said...

People need to realize that the nice pictures that are available usually aren't available immediately. Police don't just walk into the bank and they throw the video of the heist up on the big screen! This sometimes takes hours to get a single frame much less the video. So when the initial description comes out that you get from the media that is listening via scanners - it is from the words of the witnesses - which is what is released to the public. Would you like LPD to not release anything about a description until we have a Ernest Hemingway description available? I think probably not.

Anonymous said...

I think that LPD does a fine job, 3:50, when it comes to releasing descriptions to the public, or rather to the press. It's certain press entities that drop the ball when they redact details (and it's usually always the same detail) from the physical descriptions of at-large suspects. The Journal-Star is particularly guilty of this sort of intentional redaction.

I assume that LPD releases as many description details as they know, as soon as they have them, in order to increase the chance of catching at-large suspects. I can only assume that the Journal-Star redacts detail, in order to reduce the chance that the same suspects will be caught. Public safety takes a back seat to political correctness, as far as the fishwrap is concerned.

Anonymous said...

It's a good bet that while KOLN gave the full suspect description for the Fast Break robbery suspect, as it was released to them by LPD, the shabby Journal-Star will likely redact one detail before they print it. Watch and see if they do.