The Case of the Missing Flashlight

This story is in response to one we published on August 17th called MJPS: Lost, Missing, Stolen & Misplaced

On November 11th 2017 at approximately 1 a.m. I pulled into the Mac's Convenience Store at Coteau and 9th SW to see if there coffee had gotten any better and noticed a large black flashlight sitting on top of the blue propane tank cage just to the right of the doors. I went inside and grabbed my coffee and when it was my turn at the till looked over and noticed the flashlight was still sitting there so I asked the cashier if that was there flashlight and he said "no, it wasn't."

Knowing this was an expensive flashlight and that somebody for sure would want it back I picked it up and figured this this would make a good Facebook post for lost and found.

Even though that post was shared and liked many times it failed to generate the expected outcome and I HAD that flashlight in my possession up until this past Saturday August 25th when I went to the police station to turn it in.

When I went inside the main doors realizing it was Saturday they had the inside doors locked and you could only communicate to a person through a speaker box. There were two people in there already having discussions with the police dispatcher so for privacy reasons I stepped outside to wait. While standing there waiting I decided to look at this flashlight a little closer and check out what kind of batteries it uses. Looking at the batteries it was nothing out of the ordinary just a standard rechargeable battery pack but written in black felt marker on the underside of the cap was a number.

The other people inside finished and left so I went inside and pressed the button and told the dispatcher that I had read an article and blah blah blah and I'm here to turn in an officer's flashlight. She buzzed me in and told me to have a seat and that an officer would be out shortly to retrieve the flashlight. It wasn't but a few minutes later and an officer came out with a somewhat puzzled look on his face and asked me where I found it. I told him where and when and how I had come to be in possession of the flashlight and what methods I had taken to try and find its rightful owner. I mentioned that while I was waiting outside I had taken the battery cap off and noticed a number written on the inside. He said, looking at me with a big smile, "that's my badge number. This is my flashlight. I thought I'd never see this ever again. Thank you very much." More thank-yous and smiles and handshakes and yada yada yada and we're both on our way back to work. And in all the excitement I forgot to get the officer's name.

Timothy Robinson, Moose Jaw