[traceroute66]

> most police departments won't pay the slightest bit of attention to your reports

Its sort of a combination of two reasons.

First in many cities, police departments are underfunded. And so running around looking for your stolen phone or whatever minor item is low on their to-do list compared to say, stopping the local drug-gangs from shooting their brains out.

Second, for minor thefts most insurance companies just need a quick box-tick "police crime report number" before paying out. So if the police know they can get you off their backs just by quickly giving you a report number, well....

[Schmerika]

> compared to say, stopping the local drug-gangs from shoting their brains out

I'm guessing people have that impression from TV, but it doesn't seem to match reality.

> the data suggests that officers spend relatively little time responding to major violent crimes: 4%, 3.7% and 4.1% in the three locations, respectively.

- https://www.freethink.com/society/how-police-spend-their-tim...

[ryandrake]

Which raises the obvious question: If they're not responding to either violent crimes or nonviolent crimes, what are they doing all day?

[jq-r]

Just like that excellent Yes Minister episode about hospitals - I imagine they have more then enough internal busywork so they have no time for their customers. Which the older am I the more this seems true.

[prmoustache]

Anecdotal evidence but they spend a significant amount of time at the burger joint next to my place, while blocking the bicycle lane instead of parking legally.

[reaperducer]

If they're not responding to either violent crimes or nonviolent crimes, what are they doing all day?

According to a police administrator I once knew, filling out all the endless paperwork that makes the studies possible so people can complain about what little time cops spend fighting crime.

[eloisant]

The only times were cops were useful to me was to fill a theft report that I needed for an insurance claim.

[justin66]

Donuts don't just eat themselves.

[b00ty4breakfast]

administration; paperwork et al. Don't you just like the modern technical bureaucratic apparatus?

[edm0nd]

>stopping the local drug-gangs from shooting their brains out.

Thats a good thing tho, its the problem(s) solving themselves.

[ghaff]

And it's probably under your deductible anyway. And replacing various cards is your deal with your credit card etc. companies. Relatively few of us carry around a lot of cash.