Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Odd item to steal

Sometimes it seems like people will steal about anything, but I must say this one surprised me. Maybe the thief needed it more than the victim. (click to enlarge)

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Where on earth would you hock something like that (for meth money or whatever)? Maybe they didn't realize what it was. It was leased, so the leasing co. would have the serial #.

I've got to say that the dominantly cynical and suspicious side of my mind automatically suspected the victim, because if their interlocked vehicle were disabled by the theft of their interlock, they might think that they'd have a few days of interlockless driving allowed until the new interlock was installed. People do funny things sometimes.

Anonymous said...

6:06

I was thinking the EXACT same thing. The victim would be the only person with a reason to remove it. But, who knows? Could have been just a vandal.

Herb said...

Why would you leave your (interlocked) car in a bar parking lot for three days?

At one time I ran a shop here in town that installed the units. Had a customer go to Applebee's for lunch while we did the work; she couldn't start her car when she came to pick it up.

Methinks it is more likely that a buddy picked him up there, the weekend party started, and when it came time to be dropped off back at his car, he couldn't pass the interlock test. The haze he was currently in helped him decide to rip the interlock off the dashboard, and when he still couldn't start it, he went back to the party. By Sunday, he had conjured up the "it was stolen" routine...

What are the chances of the car sitting that long on a private lot without being reported? IIRC, especially a lot with "No Trespass" signs all over it?

Sorry, can't type anymore...the BS detector is screaming too loud for me to concentrate.

car54 said...

Does not pass the duck test. I think he damaged it and then reported it stolen hoping he will not have to pay for it

Cash said...

Chief,

Today CNN is running an article on legalization of marijuana (and strip club tax?? we'll skip that part) being the means to alleviate budget shortfalls in some states. I'm just curious as to your thoughts. How many arrests are made for possession of 1 oz or less in a given year? What other variables would you consider in the debate? Just curious to hear your thoughts...

Steve said...

I've never seen one of these DUI interlocks, so I don't know what they look like. My understanding is that you blow into them, so there must be some kind of mouthpiece and maybe a tube attached to it. Maybe somebody had a nervous cat and thought the interlock was a bong.

By the way, "thief" is spelled like "Chief" with the "i" before the "e". I thought that would be a good way for you to remember it.:)

Anonymous said...

The way to handle government budget shortfalls isn't more taxes, it's less public spending. Of course, if drug legalization is your #1 agenda item (as I suspect it is for 8:24, though they'll likely deny it), then the budget issue is only a ruse, and it's all about the dope.

Anonymous said...

Chief,

Have you ever committed a crime, or do you have a clean record?

Mack

Anonymous said...

I think when he blew into the interlock, his BAC was so high, the interlock ran away.

ARRRRG!!!! said...

As you can plainly see, my car does not have an interlock device.

Cash said...

9:09 -

I must admit, I'm a little insulted by your blind accusation. I've never been been a drug guy, nor will I ever be as a prefer an unaltered mental state. Legalization is not my number one issue. Personally, I am a conservative and agree that reduced spending is the better of the alternatives, however I am merely interested to hear a relevant point of view related to legalization. It seems as though our society is headed down the path (it is obvisously being explored) so I don't see the harm in learning about the issue on a crime control basis.

Steve said...

9:09 was right about one thing, 8:24 denied it!

Anonymous said...

I won't deny it. I light up every night. I wish it was legalized. Pretty much everyone in Lincoln enjoys a good chief every now and then.

Trevor said...

I guess the thief wanted a "grab and run" on what looked like a soft target. If's electronic, it promises good value for the size and weight. Perhaps there was an attempt on the stereo that was aborted when the interlock device came into view (is it connected by a wire?). It's simply deadweight loss now: the victim is worse off without the thief being any better off.

Anonymous said...

Indeed they did. To even consider taxation, one has to be at least somewhat a proponent of legalization, because you can't effectively tax an illegal product - unless it's to be a tax that you don't really plan to collect, like the dead-head drug tax stamps. Those aren't really for revenue collection (and thus could not offset government spending); they only exist to enable a tax evasion charge vs drug dealers.

Nor does one have to use an illegal product to propose legalizing it. As an extreme example, child porn could doubtless be taxed to make up for revenue shortfalls, but to even propose considering taxing it, one would have to have an open mind about legalizing child porn, even if they never had and never intended to be a consumer of that disgusting commodity.

Anonymous said...

Been to California lately? There is a THC outlet on every other corner. Any doctor can write you a script for the stuff. I say tax it heavily because in California it is essentially legal already and they need all the tax revenue they can get.

Anonymous said...

AS FOR CALIFORNIA. I JUST MOVED BACK FROM THERE.. ALTHOUGH STATE SSAYS FOR DR PIUPOSRE IT IS LEGAL.. MOST STORES GET RAIDED BY FEDSYOU CAN GROW, POSSESS, AND SELL WITH A PRESCIPTION CARD...BUT MOST OF THEM DO IT TO PEOPLE WITHOUT IT..

THERE IS A BIG FIGHT RIGHT NOW..OVER STATE RIGHTS TO LEGALIZE AND THE FEDS, EVEN THE PRESIDENT IS PUTTING IT ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER REVIEW... THE FACTS..

IT WILL BECOME LEGAL SOON....

Unknown said...

Just a quick comment on a really old post. I work for the interlock company that provides service for this person. I was on site to reinstall a device in this vehicle. The drivers window was smashed and the car was a mess. The wiring was ripped out from under the dash. The client has a friend that lived within view and they were out of town for a few days. There are units stolen on a regular basis. For what purpose or to what end I'm not sure. The units are valued at 1000.00 and do have serial numbers. They are useless once they time out.Not all people are as you think they are. Best to believe the story than to denounce so quickly.