The $40,000 Rolex reported stolen in Anchorage/APD, Facebook
The Anchorage Police Department is reporting a tourist visiting the 49th state from the Midwest picked up a female companion in the state’s largest city and ended up paying, with a $40,000 Rolex, albeit unwittingly.
The Department did not reply to a request for information on the case, but on its Facebook page Wednesday it posted a photo of the stolen property and this story to go with the photo:
“If someone walks up to you in a bar, restaurant, wherever – and flashes a smile or bats their eyelashes at you – do NOT invite them back to your hotel room for a… romantic encounter. Because when you leave them unattended while you use the bathroom, that person will disappear with your $40,000 Rolex watch. And they’ll leave behind a business card with a phony name and number on it with a tagline that reads ‘Adventures of Fun.’
“Well yeah – for them. Not so much for you.
“Don’t believe us? We have a particular gentleman tourist from the mid-west (sic) whose adventure didn’t end in fun.”
Where APD got the $40,000 valuation is unclear. Still, even at a cost of $17,028, the loss of the watch would make for a costly date.
The Facebook post did not say whether APD has a suspect in the case. The post did offer a somewhat backhanded warning tourists to be careful in Alaska and suggested they not drive too slow.
“Use your inside voice, play well with others, and remember we’re all in this together,” the Post said after offering “a couple of suggestions for activities tourists should NOT participate in. For one, do not rent a motorhome and then drive under the speed limit on the Seward Highway. This makes us locals very cranky – especially if the fish are running.”
Although the current Facebook post suggests the theft happened this summer in Anchorage, it is not certain that is the case given that it went up as part of they agency’s “What Not To Do Wednesday” campaign.
When queried about a different WNTDW post this winter, APD Communications Director MJ Thim explained that APD doesn’t verify the information used for the Facebook posts.
“We are asking them (police officers) to help us out with the type of public safety tip for WNTDW, like please don’t drink and drive,” he wrote.
“We then ask for any antidotes or stories they have to help illustrate that point from their years in the field. As I am sure you can attest to, it doesn’t matter how many times we can generically say ‘please don’t drink and drive,’ sometimes it doesn’t get across. We are hoping with putting some real life to the message we can engage our audience.
“There is a reason these are only social media posts. We wouldn’t put something like this out over Nixle or in a press release.”
Categories: News
Rewrite:
I think the moral of the story here is to Always pee with Rolex on.
I think the the motto of the story here is: Always pee with the Rolex on.
I’ve always thought that the WNTDW posts come across as condescending lectures from someone who “thinks” they’re exceptionally witty…
Matt: given the lack of response from APD; the lack of a police report; the APD attitude about how accuracy isn’t to be expected in social media; and the very similar stories from elsewhere a couple of folks have sent me, i’m beginning to wonder if the incident even ever happened in Anchorage.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-seductress-arrest-broward-20160205-story.html
That does seem to be a fair question at this point. It’s unfortunate when the potential for more “likes” and shares dictates what a public service department chooses to post on their social media account. I’ve had the grumpy old man reaction to the recent “viral” lip-sync videos by various police departments, including multiple Alaskan ones: “How many hours did employees put into the filming and production of this…?” To be fair, perhaps they’ve been making them off the clock.
Here’s your sign! A woman that will sell sex will lie, cheat, and steal with alacrity. Buyer beware.
Art, you sound as if you have some experience in such. What did you lose?
Actually, we don’t really know that this woman was selling sex and further we’ve only gotten the APD’s version of the event from the tourist. May be another side to this story, too.
Yeah…like its a bunch of BS propaganda…?
Could be. But for what purpose? To sell Rolex watches?
Haven’t heard yet how many Paul Manafort owned but it seems these guys wearing them are chick magnets. Heheh!
Comrade Commie Bill Yankee is an ass bigger than Comrade Michael Moore.
I must be doing something right Burt, to be getting under your thin skin!
Stories like this help keep public debate away from police shootings throughout the state.