Amnesty Vs. Arrest: SEPTA's New Experiment
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Social media is a powerful tool that can reach a lot of people.
Enter SEPTA and a unique experiment- which resulted in the return of a cell phone to a rider- without any charges against the person who took it.
Many of us know the feeling of leaving our possession- a phone, purse or other items- on a train or bench, only to return and find they have disappeared.
It happened to Subanshu Singhvi when he boarded a southbound Broad Street Subway train at the Cecil B. Moore Station, only to realize he's left his phone on the bench at the station.
When he returned moments later, it was gone.
But, SEPTA Police say there is a happy ending to this story, thanks to some creative thinking by SEPTA Police Chief Tom Nestel.
Nestel told CBS 3's Walt Hunter, that when his investigators saw video of a fellow passenger pocketing the phone, then boarding a train without notifying a nearby cashier, he tweeted out the passenger's picture.
But instead of an arrest threat, the chief offered amnesty: Return the phone within hours and you won't face a criminal charge of "theft of mislaid property."
Nestle says within hours, a woman, identifying herself as the passenger's sister, brought the phone to the 39th District and it was then returned to a very grateful Singhvi.
Chief Nestel admits he initially faced criticism for his "Amnesty vs. Arrest" decision.
However, he says many critics changed their tunes, calling him back with congratulations after the phone was recovered.
He points out the top priority was recovering the phone and that while the passenger, whose identity CBS is concealing, is getting a "2nd chance", it is illegal for anyone to take another person's property and, in the future, if they're caught, they can expect charges to be filed.
