It’s another one of those stories.
You know, the type that we cover here that seems like “deja vu all over again.”
In this case, it is yet another photographer being robbed in San Francisco. Long-time readers of this blog know that the city has a less-than-stellar reputation when it comes to the theft of camera equipment and gear.
What makes this story stand out from the myriad of others that we have covered is that the victim has traced the location of his $USD 24,000 equipment but the police response is probably not only less to be desired but also somewhat shocking.
ABC 7 News reports that photographer Justin Schuck rented a Tesla, stored his uninsured gear in the trunk of the car, and briefly went to run an errand while in Oakland when, upon return, he noticed the back of the rental smashed in and his gear gone. This follows a familiar pattern that we have covered here.
According to Schuck, he tracked the gear as it was stolen and told the police it was on its way to San Francisco. The police official told Schuck that the location was a “known fencing operation” which is quite wild when you consider it. Any footage of the incident was either recorded over (in the case of a nearby YMCA) or wasn’t logged to start (in the case of Hertz’s dash cam on the rental).
While all of that works itself out one way or the other, Schuck, who is a graduate student in film, has started a GoFundMe with a link to that available on the ABC 7 News page.
So, be safe out there, folks, and be sure to insure your gear if possible.
Let us know any thoughts you might have on this theft and police response in the comments.
And don’t forget to check out our other photography news at this link.
