Operation Hero™

I was having problems hearing my cell phone ring last week so I set it on top of a display. The hope was that when a phone call came in, I could also see the device light up and not miss the call. What I didn't realize was that inside the place I worked there was an opportunistic thief who would see my phone laying there and pocket it while I wasn't looking.

Moments after the offender left my location, I looked up and noticed the phone missing. This person was the only one in my kiosk, but I upheld strict rules and having not physically seen the device pocketed I maintained that I didn't have enough probable cause to stop and detain him with Loss Prevention in the store. What I did do, however, was take the wireless phone and follow this person around calling my phone time after time. This was a completely useless measure since I couldn't hear the phone to begin with but I felt I had to do something. Recognizing my defeat, I had to let the person exit the store. Without my phone, I was lost.

It is at this point in the story I'd like to give thanks to the first person who helped me in Operation Hero™: Travis (one of the contributors on this blog). In fact it was he who had coined the term and named this operation. He and I share our locations in real time with the Latitude, a Google mapping service. I wanted him to watch my dot on the map and see if it indeed did leave the perimeter of the store and wasn't a terrible trick being played on my by one of my coworkers. Within minutes, my phone's location updated and it was absolutely outside of the area where I work.

With his permission, I switched to viewing his account directly so that I could get the most up to date readings of where my phone was. First it went away from my location, then drove right past me on the main street to another location. I continued to call my phone non stop (yes, they actually left both the phone AND the GPS on the entire time). I even sent a text message to my phone saying I would pay $100 to recover my phone. While this was going on, a deputy from Orange County Sheriff's Office came by to take a report and record my phone's serial number as stolen in the police database. It's important to note that while my phone is just a standard smartphone, the retail value of it puts the crime at Grand Theft.

Then it happened: A few hours after my phone was stolen I was being called (from my phone) to the phone I was temporarily using by some guy claiming he had found my phone in a parking lot. I feigned excitement articulating that my phone was stolen from me and I was "glad" he found it. He informed me that since he was such a nice guy it would be swell of me to give him $10-$20 in my appreciation. I agreed and we set up a meeting point for me to get the phone. As I was leaving I got a call back from him again. He just saw my text and now wanted the full $100 ransom. What a great guy he is! To keep the meet, I agreed.

The second thanks in this story goes out to my best friend and contributor of this blog, Brad. I had seen on the map that he was near the meet point. On my way over, I asked him if he would get to that location early and order food to act like a patron. To his credit, he performed his role perfectly. When I would enter the store later on, he made no visual sign that he recognized or even knew me, and this sting operation was set.

Before I got there though, I placed one additional call. The final thanks in Operation Hero™ goes to the deputies of the Sheriff's office. Connecting with dispatch, I let them know of what was happening and asked that if they had the deputies in the area, could they meet up with me and possibly get this guy. Dealing in stolen property is a 2nd degree Felony, and if it turned out the person that showed up was also the person I saw on the kiosk, we would potentially have the Grand Theft charges on him as well.

A staging area was set up down the street at a local gas station. The deputies arrived on scene shortly before our sting operation was set to go down. A briefing of the events was given to them and we also connected my guy on the inside with the deputies cell phone number. The plan was to have me go in and participate in the drop, while my friend would relay all information about the suspect. Minutes later I was inside and placed my call to the thieves, letting them know I had arrived.

A van rolls up with two people, the passenger of whom had my phone and came inside. Like clockwork, his description was being fed back in real time. As soon as he was back in the vehicle and had pulled out of the parking spot, the deputy sheriffs drove around quickly and pulled the van over. This is now a felony stop so the proper amount of care was given to drawing these (potentially dangerous) suspects out of the vehicle one by one.

All in all, it was great to get my phone back. I was one of the very lucky ones, and you can better believe I'm not leaving my phone laying around even for a second, and EVEN when I still intend to only be two feet away from it like I was this time. The great coordination of all involved, my report / statement, and ultimately the person confessing to the crime made this a successful operation. I felt great in that moment, reinvigorated as to why I want to be in law enforcement. Because on that day, one more person who was up to no good was taken off the streets.