A woman in Latvia was able to track her stolen phone to multiple locations, including a psychiatric hospital, but faced difficulty getting police to intervene due to the circumstances of the theft and the time elapsed before reporting specific locations. Despite locating the device, law enforcement initially declined to open a criminal investigation.
Phone Theft and Police Response
Katrīna lost her phone in Old Riga and was able to track its location using a tracking application. The phone’s movements were visible on her computer, leading her to a specific residential building in Ogre.
Despite the phone being valued at over 1,000 euros, police declined to initiate criminal proceedings, stating the incident did not appear to constitute a criminal offense. Atis Čakārnis, head of the Criminal Police Bureau of the Riga East Department of the State Police, said Katrīna was informed of her right to appeal the decision to the prosecutor’s office, but did not exercise that right.
Police emphasized that the lack of criminal proceedings did not mean the search for the phone was abandoned. However, they noted difficulties responding quickly when a phone is located in a residential building after a delay.
Katrīna’s phone was tracked to pawnshops in central Riga, and traveled by train to Ogre and Lielvārde before appearing at a psychiatric hospital in Rīga. She reported this information to the police, but was told she needed to provide a photograph of the person with the phone for them to assist.
Phone Recovered at Mental Health Center
The National Mental Health Center was contacted by LTV’s “4. studija” regarding the phone’s location. According to Sandra Pūce, the chairwoman of the hospital board, the phone was found with a patient in the acute ward.
Pūce stated that the patient admitted to taking the phone because her own phone had been taken away previously. The facility immediately contacted the police to ensure the recovery of the possibly stolen phone was done legally, requiring the patient’s consent for a search of belongings.
Police Advice for Phone Theft
The State Police advises anyone experiencing phone theft to immediately call 112 or file a report. They also recommend informing the police immediately if the phone’s location is visible through an application. Reporting the theft if the property is found in a pawnshop is also advised.
Police also noted that phone thefts are becoming less common, with thieves increasingly targeting contactless bank cards often carried with phones.
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