PIETER'S MACBOOK LAPTOP STOLEN FROM BERLIN PARTY

----- Original Message -----
From: Lawrence Blokker
Date: Tuesday, September 7, 2010 12:47 pm
Subject: RE: Piet's laptop
To: 'Johanna M Blokker'

Yans:

In some places the police have the authority to issue an order or a subpoena
or a search warrant to compel a witness to give evidence. The police
in the states have that authority. In Canada only a judge can do it.

Apple computers is a witness in that it can tell the police where Piet's
laptop is, but Apple wants a "subpoena" first.

You have been chosen, by your gutes Aussehen und verbindlichem
Lächeln, to make some inquiries as to what powers the German police have, or just
what does a police officer have to do to get a search warrant in Germany?
If it is simply something the police do, like in the States, then I think Piet
would go to Berlin and try to get them to act. It gets complicated, though,
because even if the police can issue a search warrant to Apple, will Apple
give the police information that is any good to use, and then, when the
police department gets that info, will the police act on it.

I think it is a matter of finding a police detective that might be chatty,
describing Piet's situation and that Apple can locate the stolen item
if asked by the police to do so, and whether the police would act.

If the police say: "Nein, Nein, dieses Verbrechen kleinen
Kartoffeln.", then the RCMP here suggested Piet try a private investigator, and maybe you
could ask the police officer if that is done there and which Privatdetektiv
might be recommended.

Good luck

Lou