LF: Single mother tracks down thief who stole her £470 iPad Air 2… only for police to tell HER to 'knock on his door' because they are too busy

Title: Single mother tracks down thief who stole her £470 iPad Air 2… only for police to tell HER to 'knock on his door' because they are too busy
Source: Daily Mail Online
URL Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art ... -arrest-thief-iPad-stolen.html
Published: Sep 13, 2016
Author: Anthony Joseph
Post Date: 2016-09-13 08:45:16 by cranky
Keywords: None
Views: 960
Comments: 6

Sara Gration, 37, from Derby, called the police after her Find My iPhone app told her the stolen device had been switched on

A single mother tracked down the thief who stole her £470 iPad Air 2 only for the police to tell her to arrest him herself because they were too busy.

Sara Gration, 37, from Derby, called the police after her Find My iPhone app told her the stolen device had been switched on.

The app gave the name of the street where the iPad was and she dialled 101 and told police the information.

But she was left reeling when an officer told the mum-of-two officers were busy and suggested she should go to the street herself and to 'knock on his door'.

Ms Gration said: 'I couldn't believe it, I was asked to turn detective myself and was sent to a house where I could have been put in danger..

'I was basically being asked to be a police officer and arrest the man by myself. What on earth am I paying my taxes for if I have to do the police's work for them?

'Short of actually handcuffing the thief and dragging them to the police station, I don't know what more I could have done to help the police catch the thief.

'I appreciate that having your car broken into isn't exactly crime of the century and that it isn't a priority for them.

'But how can this be the right advice to give? Derbyshire Police put me at risk rather than following up themselves. I am disgusted.'

Ms Gration, a bookkeeper, had her £469 gold-coloured iPad Air 2 stolen overnight last Thursday when her car was broken into outside her home.

The divorced mother-of-two, who has daughters Isabella, nine, and Tamsin, seven, was alerted to the theft by a neighbour.

She reported the incident to the police who told her they would not be able to send an officer out and instead asked her to ask locally if anyone had any CCTV.

At around 1.30pm on Friday her Find My iPhone app alerted her to the fact that someone had switched on the stolen iPad at a house in Osmaston Park Road

Ms Gration, a bookkeeper, had her £469 gold-coloured iPad Air 2 stolen overnight last Thursday when her car was broken into outside her home

Then, at around 1.30pm on Friday her Find My iPhone app alerted her to the fact that someone had switched on the stolen iPad at a house in Osmaston Park Road.

Ms Gration, a self-employed bookkeeper, said: 'I immediately called to notify police.

'I then got a call back five minutes later from them telling me to go to the location, see if my iPad was there and knock on doors in the area.

'I wanted my items back so I went and was petrified. No-one was in at the house.

'Derbyshire Police had the chance to recover stolen items and potentially catch a thief but sent me instead.

'By not following up on such a strong lead, it has probably ruined any chance of conviction.'

Derbyshire Police have now apologised 'unreservedly' to Ms Gration for the blunder. Picturd (left) is the Find My iPhone app

Derbyshire Police have now apologised 'unreservedly' to Ms Gration for the blunder.

Superintendent Tracy Harrison said: 'We apologise unreservedly to Ms Gration. The advice she received on Friday was wrong and further training will be given to the call handler who dealt with her call.

'We should never advise anyone to put themselves in a dangerous situation to recover stolen items.

'An officer should have been allocated to make the inquiries that Ms Gration was asked to do.

'We were made aware of this mistake on Sunday and since then have sent an officer to make inquiries. Unfortunately we haven't yet recovered the iPad.' (5 images)

She should have knocked on the door. When the perp opened the door, she should have laid him out with a ball bat, recovered her property, covered the perp in lighter fluid, lit him up, then left.