On 11-20-14, an employee at a fast-food restaurant on the 100 block of Hickey Boulevard inadvertently left their iPhone in the bathroom. A short time later, a customer entered the bathroom, located the phone, stole it, and left the restaurant. The suspect’s image was caught on surveillance camera video in the restaurant. The Police Department was unable to identify the suspect, so we turned to social media and the Police Department’s website for help. The picture of the suspect was posted and we asked for the public’s help. During the next two weeks, the Department received three separate tips identifying the suspect by name and where she worked. A short time later, police investigators were able to positively identify the suspect, an 18 year-old female, and recover the stolen phone (which was then returned to the victim).
Public, residential, and business surveillance video is increasingly being used by the Police Department to help solve crimes and identify suspects. The Police Department has a “Do you Know Me” section on the Department’s website at ]1ttp://WW\v.ssf.net/ l 664/Do-You-Know-Me where we post photos and/or videos of suspects we are asking for assistance in identifying. In addition, the Department uses Facebook and/or Twitter to send out these photos and videos to the public. Members of the public are encouraged to partner with the Police Department in making our community safer by helping to identify these suspects. Anyone can contact the Police Department with information via the main number at 650-877- 8900, by e-mail to tips(a),ssf.nct, or via the anonymous tip line at 650-952-2244 .