The saga of the lost iPhone 5 prototype continues, with the SFPD beginning an internal investigation on the police’s involvement with Apple security in recovering the lost device.
While it was originally thought that Apple security impersonated the police in an attempt to recover the prototype, the SFPD then came out saying that officers did in fact assist Apple in the investigation.
CNET reports:
“Lt. Troy Dangerfield, of the San Francisco Police Department, told CNET today that an internal investigation has begun into determining how officers assisted two Apple security employees in their July search of a home for the handset in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood.”
Two SFPD officers allegedly accompanied an Apple security team to the home of Jose Calderón to then question Sergio Calderón about the location of the lost prototype. Apple supposedly tracked the device to the Calderón’s apartment in Bernal Heights via GPS technology.
SFPD’s official statement:
“After speaking with Apple representatives, we were given information which helped us determine what occurred. It was discovered that Apple employees called Mission Police station directly, wanting assistance in tracking down a lost item. Apple had tracked the lost item to a house located in the 500 block of Anderson Street. Because the address was in the Ingleside Police district Apple employees were referred to Officers in the Ingleside district. Four SFPD Officers accompanied Apple employees to the Anderson street home. The two Apple employees met with the resident and then went into the house to look for the lost item. The Apple employees did not find the lost item and left the house. The Apple employees did not want to make an official report of the lost item.”
According the SFPD’s statement, police officers accompanied Apple security, but the officers never entered the apartment. Instead, Apple security entered and searched the Calderón’s personal belongings after questioning Sergio about the device. CNET’s source says otherwise, stating that “police asked to search the house and told Calderon that if he declined they would return with a search warrant.”
Something fishy is afoot.
