Originally Posted by crossfirefrank
So I called Kohl's today, yes they have video camera's. no I can't view them. I have to file a police report and police can review it so I go to file a report. The officer tells me I'm wasting my time that even if they see the person doing it they have no way of knowing who it is. I said maybe you can get his plate number when they are driving away and his reply was well you can file the report but it might be a while before we can get to Kohl's to review the tape and the odds of us identify him is about 1% so why waste your time and ours. I just left disgusted. Called the insurance company and they just agreed.
We're not talking a "C-note scratch" that can be buffed out with a little elbow grease. We're talking over $3,000 in damages. I know there are certain priorities that the cops are more concerned with that fall under serious felonies, but they cannot ignore the fact this is not minor damage.
Was it your hometown Police you are dealing with? Any friends on the department? If you don't mind risking being classified as a pain in the butt, I would ask politely to have it thoroughly investigated. Ask to speak with a supervisor about it. If you do not get satisfaction from the supervisor, then ask to speak to the Chief. If the Chief blows you off, then speak with the Mayor or Board of Selectmen. The squeaky wheel gets the oil. Play up the amount of damage to your car and the fact that this may have happend to other people and never reported. Lord knows how many other people may be victimized in their community. If the perpetrator of this crime figures he'll never get caught, he will just keep ruining people's property at will.
You had better act fast because Kohl's may reuse their tapes and what may be your evidence will be lost forever is a week or two. Ask to speak with the manager with the hope he can at least make a copy or preserve the tape that may show who damaged your car. If the manager blows you off, write to the CEO of Kohls and express your dissatisfaction with how uncooperative their people were in trying to help you prevent such a dastardly deed from happening in the future. Tell them you just can't turn your back on a problem that potentially effects everyone of their customers who parks in that lot.
The above sounds like a lot of crap, but if you want results you must be willing to pursue the goal of possibly catching the person who damaged your car and prevent him from committing similar acts in the future.
Bob