The day before the U.S. presidential election, a team from Poland’s TVP Info news channel visited Berkeley, where Democratic nominee Kamala Harris grew up. After a few minutes of talking with Harris’ former neighbor, the crew realized their equipment, left on the sidewalk 10 meters behind them on the other side of the street, had been stolen. A police officer arrived 10 minutes later.
Luckily, the suitcase had a locator, so they found the stolen bag and tripod at a house over one kilometer away. The TVP journalists asked the police officer if they could enter to retrieve their items, but the officer refused, explaining that police need permission in America to enter private property and perform a search and seizure.
Two African American women finally appear after a neighbor called them. The older one claims that she found the equipment and knew it was important, but she had to take a 101-year-old lady to the doctor. Her minor daughter then says that she took the suitcase and tripod from the neighboring street, but the equipment had disappeared more than 1.5 kilometers away.
Asked what would come next, the officer says nothing, as the women could be telling the truth, and no arrests were made.
“Colleagues from local television inform us that in San Francisco and the surrounding area, organized groups steal television equipment. They take it out of cars, sometimes take it at gunpoint, and sell it on the black market. That is why some teams go out into the field only with protection,” said one TVP journalist.
