Police Allegedly Tell Robbed Woman To Check eBay For Stolen Goods Due To Budget Cuts

When someone brings an item into a pawn shop or posts it on eBay, it could have come from anywhere. Sometimes, resale services unwittingly sell things that were stolen by the person who brought them in, a criminal looking for a quick buck.

A woman in England claimed her local police force sent her on an eBay hunt for her stolen goods rather than do any investigative work themselves, the Daily Mail reported. Caithy Walker’s digital marketing office was raided by thieves for the second time in a little more than a month, but when she reported the damages to police, she said she was told they could not help due to budget cuts.

According to Walker, police in Whitefield, Greater Manchester, told her there was nothing they could do about her burglary because they lack manpower. The thieves reportedly took around £20,000 worth of equipment, but officers apparently told her to just check eBay or a local Cash Converters pawn shop to see if the goods were being fenced in those venues.

Compounding her frustration was the fact that she had fairly clear surveillance footage of one of the robbers, which even included snippets of his voice. Even still, she was reportedly told there was nothing to be done with the footage.

There did appear to be some truth to the claim that police forces lack money, per The Guardian. In August, the publication reported that London police might have to reconsider which cases warrant in-person visits and which do not due to the lack of funds.

Likewise, it seems to be true that stolen items do show up on places like eBay from time to time. The popular auction website claims it works with local law enforcement if people report that something for sale on eBay was stolen from them.