University Police officers recently solved two theft cases with the help of internet technology, using eBay and the University network to charge two University students with separate crimes.
University Police Lieut. Melissa Fielding said in the first case, two students reported that their bicycles had been stolen — one in November 2008 and the other last month.
One of the victims later found what appeared to be his or her bike while searching on eBay, Fielding said. After the student notified the police, officials used eBay records to track down the bicycle’s seller, University student Charles Neil, Jr. Police then verified that the bicycle Neil had been selling belonged to the victim.
Fielding said the police officers found more stolen bicycles and stolen bicycle parts amounting to more than $4,000, along with burglary tools, in Neil’s apartment. A University Police press release stated that Neil was charged with three separate counts: two for grand larceny and one for possessing burglary tools. He was released on $1,500 bail and appeared in Charlottesville General District Friday. He will appear again March 26.
While Fielding said University Police officers have used Web sites such as eBay and Craigslist to track stolen property before, she also noted that using such methods does not always result in the case being resolved.
“A lot of the success depends on whether the victim can provide proof that bike is theirs, and it’s important for [a] victim to record the serial number of the bike,” Fielding said, adding that students can register their bike’s serial number on the University Police Web site.
“Registering doesn’t help prevent theft, but it helps identify stolen bikes,” Fielding said.
Another case involving theft occurred Feb. 8, when first-year College student Taylor Critz allegedly stole an iPod touch.
The iPod’s owner reported it missing Feb. 10 and the iPod was tracked by the University’s Information Technology and Communication department Feb. 11.
Shirley Payne, University vice president and chief information officer, said ITC was able to track the iPod because it was registered under the University’s network. According to a University Police press release, Critz was charged with one count of petit larceny and also was released on $1,500 bond. She is scheduled to appear in Albemarle General District Court Thursday.
The iPod touch case was another aided by some luck, as University Police officers are not always able to track stolen items so efficiently.
“We’ve been asked to track devices but that rarely results in a recovery, usually the thief just grabs it and runs,” Payne said. “If it never connects, we can’t track it.”
Fielding said she suggests that students use a software program called LoJack to prevent thefts of electronic devices. The program uses a call-home technology that allows a separate company to monitor the location of a device and has helped officials track missing devices in the past.
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