Jun
27
No Keeping This Geek Down
As you may have heard via blog or Twitter, we were burglarized yesterday. Ashley came home at about 4:45 PM to this:
We called the police, checked the house and found they also stole Ashley’s jewelry box and my cologne (I assume because the thief wanted to smell really good while running to their beige Chevy Tahoe and before peeling through our neighbor’s yard during the getaway).
The thief left so much behind that I can’t help feel extremely fortunate. I lost no computer hardware and thus have no real concern about our digital and identity security. Of course we have a Mac based complete automated secure off-site backup arrangement via ChronoSync, Amazon S3 and Jungle Disk so my temporary and ultimately relieved concern was limited merely to the time consuming stress of identity protection (changing bank passwords, locking down our credit report, etc). Let me take this moment to INSIST THAT YOU ENSURE YOU ALSO HAVE AN AUTOMATED SECURE OFF-SITE BACKUP SOLUTION! Just ask yourself, what would happen if my home burned down in the next 60 seconds?
Not to be discouraged or defeated, in only moments after getting home we were back online!
An old 17” server monitor of mine gets us back in action and gets Aiden his morning Nemo (Pixar’s Finding Nemo).
Alas, the story doesn’t end here! Only hours ago Ashley found a suspiciously timed Craigslist ad. Though the mind runs wild with ideas and suspicions, and everyone is eager to help in any way they can, I’m no vigilante. However I am smart! I have a case number, officer number and the phone number for Crime Stoppers all given to me by the original assisting officer. So I call the police to ask for assistance or advice.
Follow this if you can: I call Crime Stoppers and efficiently explain the situation, the receptionist is very helpful and curious but doesn’t know exactly what to advise so she conferences me with the local duty officer. They recommend that I call the local property crime department to offer up my information and append the police report. So I call this department and there’s little that can be done because the report isn’t in the system yet. However, this kind officer recommends that I call the North Valley Command Center to find the Sergent who could likely better help me. I don’t get the Sergent but I get another wonderfully nice and helpful individual (who also would like to know about my neighborhood because she’s looking to buy a house there) and I’m directed to call the area specific detective unit to find someone who would actually attend to my case had it been filed yet. This is it! I get another helpful desk clerk and then finally I get a seriously hyper-real police detective on the phone.
Terse and gruff, he is the real deal. I describe the situation, certain details and facts including our possession of the TV serial number; he has his doubts. I also relate with him and convey my full comprehension of his position. We connect. And after three brief conversations and two call-backs he’s on board. He “assigns” me an undercover task. If willing, I am to contact the Craigslist seller with an alternate identification and do my best to string the seller along until the detective can gather the resources to stage an undercover operation. He says he would do it right away but it’s Friday afternoon and his resources are tapped until Monday.
Now it is hours later and regrettably I have to report that I was able to confirm without question that this listing is NOT for our stolen TV. I would love to seek and gain some kind of justice for my loss, however it appears as though it’s not meant to be… not this way.
I never had my hopes up so I’m in no way disappointed. I still feel the same way I did a few hours after getting home to survey the damage. We are very FORTUNATE.
I have suspicions about who did this and I know their life is punishment enough. This loss is hardly a ripple across the place in life I am in right now. Yet it’ll be a lifetime of piercing guilt now for some foolish soul. One that will drag on them, even if only mildly, for the rest of their lives. I’m actually a victor in this story, they a victim.
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