A combination of factors, including efforts to defund law enforcement agencies and an increase in the crime rate across many communities, has resulted in citizens finding it difficult to obtain the assistance they need from local police officers.
As Kansas City looks to solve its problem of long 911 hold times, a question has been raised:
Is the Kansas City Police Department paying enough to solve the staffing problem it says is behind the long wait times?https://t.co/XldGai7caP pic.twitter.com/Al45EN0mEs
— The Kansas City Star (@KCStar) March 24, 2024
This was the case in Denver, Colorado, recently when Holly Kaufman’s vehicle was stolen. According to reports, the distraught mother contacted a police dispatcher after discovering her Mazda SUV was missing, but was informed that no officer was available to investigate the theft.
Instead of idly waiting for the police to come, Kaufman said she decided to take matters into her own hands despite a warning she received from the dispatcher.
“She is like, ‘Ma’am, you are going to put yourself in danger,’” Kaufman recalled being told. “She said they don’t have anyone on duty to help me right now, so I said, ‘OK, this is the address I’m going to be at. I’m going to be there in five minutes and you can either meet me or I’ll be getting my car.’”
Using a vehicle tracker installed by the manufacturer, which allowed her to not only locate the vehicle but also shut off its engine and sound the alarms, she was able to locate the SUV in about 15 minutes without the help of law enforcement.
Kaufman found her vehicle parked at a local supermarket and, aside from beer, a pipe and receipts left inside, said it appeared undamaged. That was a departure from a previous experience, she said.
“In the past, I’ve had a vehicle stolen and they rip out your whole car, tear everything up, try to live in it and put drugs in it,” she said.
This time, Kaufman said she could not afford to put her faith in authorities and saw no alternative to tracking down her own vehicle.
“I’m a working mom and it’s hard nowadays to make car payments,” she said. “This is a car that I carry my 4-year-old son in, so I’m like, ‘This is not happening in my car.’”
Despite the positive outcome, Kaufman said that the experience left her feeling “super violated” by the criminals and the flawed system that has allowed such crime to flourish.
“I’m not advising people to do what I did, but at some point something needs to change,” she concluded.
