I tracked thieves stealing my car in the US. Then I saw firsthand what police can – and can't – do next

That afternoon, I joined a growing category of San Francisco crime victims: Those who report a theft while simultaneously tracking what was stolen through location-based technologies such as Bluetooth and GPS. — Image by senivpetro on Freepik

As a crime reporter in San Francisco, I should have known better than to park my car under an overpass near the Hall of Justice, a nice stroller visible in the back seat.

And it couldn't have hurt to check that I didn't drop my keys onto the ground next to the vehicle as I scrambled to pay the meter and run to a court hearing.