This month of September marks a little over One Year and a month since I located my stolen Nikon V3 with an 18.5mm Nikkor lens in a pawn shop in Cedar City, Utah. It was turned over to the city police in August of 2014. Since then, It’s been in police evidence for longer than it remained stolen from me which is pretty aggravating. I’ve called the police multiple times and even met up with a few officers in their physical offices but the bureaucracy failed miserably to return my stolen photo gear.
Since then, I have given up ever hoping to get my gear back. Even when your valuables are stolen it doesn’t do any good if the police secure them because there’s a good chance you’ll never see them again. By the time that you do, your gear will be so outdated it will be a waste-of-time anyway. I just wanted to go on the record about this for the journal.
The image above was one of the last photos I captured with the Nikon v3 which I hadn’t even owned for longer than two weeks before it was ripped off in a vehicle burglary. The robber broke into my Jeep while I was watching the Hobbit movie at the theater. I learned a lot that day.
Nate, have you checked with the City or County attorney? If the case has been to trial already then the judge should have ordered restitution to the pawn shop and issued a disposition of the evident to the victim. However, if it has not been to trial yet then they will not release the evidence. It is really a nightmare for everyone involved. Good luck.
This really stinks and is a lesson to all of us who carry photographic equipment in our vehicles. I leave nothing visible that looks like a camera bag (or computer bag). Everything is covered so that a potential thief has to weigh the risk that there is something of value in the lot and not just some cheap camping gear. 🙂
My 4Runner also has an alarm that will sound if entered without the key. My Older Son discovered that the alarm work even if the windows are down. That was funny… and encouraging.
Good luck getting your equipment back, Nate.