Got threatened with a gun today...

[adamb100]

My iPod touch had an app that allowed me to send free text messages. I reinstalled that app on my new iPod touch and saw he sent text messages to his friends. I can see what he sent, there numbers and everything. Gonna report this to the detective too.

[Bikeage77]

that's huge! now you got something you can work with...does it have a GPS locator set up? i don't have a touch, but I know they're apps for that.

[pitchleague]

this is like watching the 3rd storyline part of an episode of CSI:Milwaukee.

 

Can't wait to see how it turns out.

[homer]

that's huge! now you got something you can work with...does it have a GPS locator set up? i don't have a touch, but I know they're apps for that.

Ha ha! What a dummy. I love it when crooks get busted for doing stupid stuff.

 

I'm really glad you reported it. Not so much to get your iPod back (sorry about that) but more because it might get this punk locked up and off the streets so he can't do it to someone else.

[logan82]

I love it when crooks get busted for doing stupid stuff.

 

Like stealing an X-box and using Xbox live. They can track that.

[Flood Pants]

I actually live a few blocks from this intersection. I'm very sorry to hear that happened. We Bay Viewers take a lot of pride in having a safe neighborhood. I hate when knuckleheads like this kid hurt that image.

 

Despite that, though, I wouldn't be scared to come back to that intersection. I can assure you that it's very safe.

[adamb100]

Here's a txt he sent...

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn281/adamb100/73f3af62.jpg

[RightFieldCoder]

paul253 wrote:

---

Just don't expect the MPD to actually do anything, except write traffic and parking tickets.

 

I'm guessing you've gotten a few parking tickets and traffic tickets before and now seem to think that that's all they do? If it makes you feel better, the DPW are the ones who write the vast majority of the parking tickets, not MPD. Of the top of my head, I can remember 4 MPD cops that have been shot in the past year +. I'm sorry but I just really despise people that say crap like this. You obviously have no idea what the job entails.

FWIW, I have never been pulled over for speeding. And the only parking tickets I've gotten were in Madison (which I payed because I deserved them. They didn't get me the other ~20 times I parked without a sticker). I base this on every time I've had to report something to the MPD. Other police districts that I've reported crimes to actually did work to try and help me. The local suburban PD did more work on my SO's debit card number being used out of state than the MPD did when one of my employee's windshield was bashed in and her stereo taken.

I don't dislike police. I respect them very much. I dislike the system the MPD runs. Just like I don't dislike teachers, but dislike MPS and the teacher's union.

 

[And That]

If I can intuit anything from those text messages, it's that he's communicating with someone in Finland. Babii's last name is probably Tirkkonen or something.

 

Sorry, lame joke.

 

Seriously, though, I hope they get the douche who stole your iPod, and more importantly, that you get it back.

[Diskono]

I'm guessing you've gotten a few parking tickets and traffic tickets before and now seem to think that that's all they do? If it makes you feel better, the DPW are the ones who write the vast majority of the parking tickets, not MPD. Of the top of my head, I can remember 4 MPD cops that have been shot in the past year +. I'm sorry but I just really despise people that say crap like this. You obviously have no idea what the job entails.

Does getting shot at a couple of times automatically make them good at their jobs or something? It makes it a dangerous job, sure, but we already know that. Anyway, its pretty harsh to "despise" people who have a negative perception of the police department. The perception is VERY widespread, and there's probably a good reason for it. Instead of telling all of these people that they're wrong, how about listening to the concerns and trying to fix the problems?

[temke]

My iPod touch had an app that allowed me to send free text messages. I reinstalled that app on my new iPod touch and saw he sent text messages to his friends. I can see what he sent, there numbers and everything. Gonna report this to the detective too.

dont get your hopes up with MPD. we had our house broken into last fall while we were out of town. thieves stold an ipod, a wii, and a laptop among other things.

 

i have (had?) log me in installed on the computer...which allows for remote access to the computer as long as it was connected to the internet. i was able to find the IP address they were gaining internet access from and was even physically able to watch them use my computer over the internet.

 

went to MPD with this info and they did nothing...

 

EDIT: side note, the south division website lists a yearbook club, so that answers that question.

[Funketown]

If the text mentioned how he stole that phone, it would be Failblog material. Hopefully they can get it back for you, and man would that kid feel like (a bigger) idiot.

[Bikeage77]

can you text him from a different phone, to the tune of "wuz hanen, we still chillin at ur crib?" then use a name like "trell, tay, or dre" if he asks you who it is...

 

that text will at least get you a reply...

[paul253]

I base this on every time I've had to report something to the MPD.

 

So since you aren't satisfied with the way they handled your incident, you come to the conclusion that the reason they aren't doing more is because they are too busy writing parking and speeding tickets? This isn't based on anything personal though since you've never actually received one of those tickets, it's just a baseless assumption? I know that you don't really mean what you said, but then why say it?

 

Other police districts that I've reported crimes to actually did work to

try and help me. The local suburban PD did more work on my SO's debit

card number being used out of state than the MPD did when one of my

employee's windshield was bashed in and her stereo taken.

 

You are upset they didn't find the person who stole her stereo? I hate to be blunt, but get over it. First off, do you have any idea how common that type of crime is? And second, do you know how difficult it is to catch and charge someone for doing it? What exactly did you expect MPD to do? Take fingerprints? I'd bet she probably has about 10 sets of fingerprints on her car at any given time. And even if the cops do pull a print, what does it prove? It proves that they touched the car, nothing more. You're comparing a big city department's reaction to a property crime to a suburban department's reaction to an ID theft. I don't think that's a very fair comparison. And for what it's worth, I had my car broken into in Shorewood a few years ago. They didn't take fingerprints. They didn't find the guy, as far a I know they didn't do anything. Reports for crimes like that are done more so so the victim can make an insurance claim.

Does getting shot at a couple of times automatically make them good

at their jobs or something? It makes it a dangerous job, sure, but we

already know that. Anyway, its pretty harsh to "despise" people who

have a negative perception of the police department. The perception is

VERY widespread, and there's probably a good reason for it. Instead of

telling all of these people that they're wrong, how about listening to

the concerns and trying to fix the problems?

 

 

I said shot, not shot at. 4 officers got shot. But you're right, it doesn't mean they are doing a good job. I never actually said they are doing a good job. All I said is that I hate people who say things like "all they do is write parking tickets". That perception may be widespread, but it couldn't be anymore wrong, which I backed by saying the DPW, not MPD, writes the majority of tickets. And the reason it is widespread is because people keep repeating it even though it's wrong. Other perceptions, like police violence, are widespread as well because of all the national headlines, like the Jude case. But when you look at the actual number, you're talking about less than 1% of Milwaukee cops that are doing anything wrong. So the reason I despise people who say crap like that is because it is such a broad, lazy, and wrong thing to complain about. How someone can say that and then claim they still respect cops is beyond me. "Oh yeah I respect them, just as long as they are doing what I want them to do."

[dadofandrew]

I agree, I'd send him a text, and if he bites, ask him to meet you at a corner with the $20 you owe him. If he shows, call the cops and have them meet you there.

 

It'd be like a private eye show.

[Teatoe993]

[BrewCrewForever]

A little off topic, but you can text message from an iPod Touch? That is awesome.

[adamb100]

Yeah theres an app on the app store called textfree. You even get a phone number too.

[Schlitz001]

So since you aren't satisfied with the way they handled your incident, you come to the conclusion that the reason they aren't doing more is because they are too busy writing parking and speeding tickets? This isn't based on anything personal though since you've never actually received one of those tickets, it's just a baseless assumption? I know that you don't really mean what you said, but then why say it?

My uncle is a cop for the Milwaukee Police Department and for the past 3-4 years his entire job has consisted largely of writing tickets for people who park illegally in handicap parking spots. He told me about how proud he was of the money he was making for the city and how much he loves the feeling of catching someone doing this. So the precedence isn't entirely merit less, but it is only 1(!) person and he has worked numerous types of shifts in his 15+ year tenure with the Milwaukee Police.

 

I'm sorry for your loss, but I (me personally) wouldn't dwell to much on the stolen iPod. The only way that this guy will likely be caught is if you find him and turn him in. You'll know to be more careful next time. I've had stuff stolen from me as well and the only time I actually caught someone was when I turned around and saw someone holding my wallet. I said, "That's mine" and snatched it back as he walked away.

[BrewCrewForever]

Yeah theres an app on the app store called textfree. You even get a phone number too.

Pretty cool, I'm still rocking my 30 GB video iPod. I have been thinking about getting a Touch for awhile now. Didn't know you could get an app that does that.

[DHonks]

The texting software has made it so that teachers can't let students use ipods, unless for educational purposes. Initially with mp3 players and huge class sizes, it made sense to let kids listen to their ipods to drown out noise during a test. But once texting/IM software came along on the ipod touches several years ago, it killed the whole concept of helping them ignore others

[Patrick425]

The texting software has made it so that teachers can't let students use ipods, unless for educational purposes. Initially with mp3 players and huge class sizes, it made sense to let kids listen to their ipods to drown out noise during a test. But once texting/IM software came along on the ipod touches several years ago, it killed the whole concept of helping them ignore others

Not to get completely off topic, but it seems that allowing students to listen to ipods during tests could open up various possibilities for cheating.

[DHonks]

The texting software has made it so that teachers can't let students use ipods, unless for educational purposes. Initially with mp3 players and huge class sizes, it made sense to let kids listen to their ipods to drown out noise during a test. But once texting/IM software came along on the ipod touches several years ago, it killed the whole concept of helping them ignore others

Not to get completely off topic, but it seems that allowing students to listen to ipods during tests could open up various possibilities for cheating.

Yes and no. Really, we want them to study, and I never found a student actually take the time to record an entire semester's worth of information, neatly organized, on an ipod. If I did, I probably would have given them a high five for actually studying like the average kid did a mere 10 years ago. Actually, beyond the ipod texting/AIMing issue, another problem is that smart phones often double as mp3 players now, so that also eliminates the ability to use them. I'll only let a kid pull out their mp3 player if it's old-school, with no communication capabilities. And it needs to remain visible at all times. If I see hands in laps, I assume they're cheating and take the test from them. The last major issue is that now kids can take photos of a test and email it to others in later periods. I haven't seen it done yet, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened.

 

Back to the point...Adam, good luck with things. This person needs to be caught and dealt with. Someone brought up race, and while I thought about that, I have to say that I generally use skin-color as a descriptor. Stereotyping can be bad, but simply describing people's features is not really an issue. Although to be honest, in this example I think we would have all expected the student to be African-American or Hispanic, given the much higher rates of poverty among those ethnicities in the Milwaukee area. It's a poverty issue that happens to correlate with ethnicies.

[Diskono]

I said shot, not shot at. 4 officers got shot. But you're right, it doesn't mean they are doing a good job. I never actually said they are doing a good job. All I said is that I hate people who say things like "all they do is write parking tickets". That perception may be widespread, but it couldn't be anymore wrong, which I backed by saying the DPW, not MPD, writes the majority of tickets. And the reason it is widespread is because people keep repeating it even though it's wrong. Other perceptions, like police violence, are widespread as well because of all the national headlines, like the Jude case. But when you look at the actual number, you're talking about less than 1% of Milwaukee cops that are doing anything wrong. So the reason I despise people who say crap like that is because it is such a broad, lazy, and wrong thing to complain about. How someone can say that and then claim they still respect cops is beyond me. "Oh yeah I respect them, just as long as they are doing what I want them to do."

I can't find any statistics on MPD parking tickets issued, so I'm not really sure if its wrong or not. Regardless, I don't think that was the point - I think what he was getting at was that MPD spends too much time dealing with relatively unimportant things, and not issues that citizens care about. Replace parking tickets with jaywalking, expired license plates, harassing people for having the wrong color skin, whatever - it doesn't really matter. Again, we're talking about public perception here - if MPD did a better job of simply acting like they care (as opposed to being the Big Lebowski cop), we might not be having this discussion. Even if its just a call back to say "unfortunately, we haven't been able to find anything". People appreciate that sort of thing, it makes them feel like they're not just talking to a wall when they report crimes. I don't know if you're affiliated with MPD or not, but if so, the angry/defensive attitude isn't helping.

 

I live in Madison, but even out here, it's common "knowledge" that Milwaukee cops only care about parking tickets and jaywalking. So either that's true, or MPD is bad at public relations. Either way, it's their own fault, not the general public's. Hating people for having an opinion isn't cool.

[homer]

Actually, Milwaukee cops have better things to do than parking tickets and jaywalking. Like murder.