Today in TechPolice chief sent 10 officers on an overtime hunt for his son’s stolen iPhone
There's nothing worse than having your iPhone stolen — the idea of a complete stranger having full access to all your contacts and data is enough to make you sick, not to mention the expense of having to buy a replacement. Typically, though, authorities aren't able to do much to find a stolen phone beyond taking a report. But that's because we're not the son of a police chief. When someone stole the iPhone of Berkeley, California police chief Michael Meehan's son, a full manhunt was launched that cost taxpayers thousands.
On January 11, 2012, an iPhone was stolen from the school locker of Meehan's son. Because the phone had tracking capabilities, an investigation was launched that involved up to ten officers, some from the city's drug task force. Four detectives were paid overtime as part of the search.
According to police department spokeswoman Sgt. Mary Kusmiss, "it is common for BPD officers to actively investigate an in-progress tracking signal from a stolen electronic device." The iPhone's signal stopped sending information in a North Oakland neighborhood, and was never found.
According to records, neither Meehan nor his son actually filed a report over the missing iPhone. Meehan declined comment on the incident to local reporters.
This isn't the first time Meehan has come under fire for some questionable decisions: He's already being investigated for an incident involving a member of the local media.
Meehan allegedly sent an officer to a reporter's home after midnight in order to persuade him to alter a story that had been published about the department. That investigation has already racked up a $50,000 bill that will be pinned on the city, and therefore, the taxpayers.
This article was written by Fox Van Allen (@foxvanallen) and originally appeared on Tecca
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