Mandarin Monday: How to Contact the Police When Your Valuables Are Stolen

You can never predict when something will get stolen. As I recently had the misfortune of discovering when I absently mindedly left my laptop in the front basket of a Mobike. When I ran back to retrieve it, it was already too late.

I called the nearest police station in Dongcheng district at midnight for help. Surprisingly they immediately picked up the phone and asked me to come in to report the theft and get the paperwork done. I cycled to the nearest police station, and after some simple questions, the officer responsible for reviewing security footage helped me. We were able to narrow down the footage to the specific time, in which I thought it was stolen. After a few tense minutes of carefully combing through the footage, we found the thief. Unfortunately, there was not much they could do just from seeing the person’s face. Many people mistakenly assume that China has advanced facial recognition for crimes like this, but from my personal experience, it can be used only for extreme cases.

I might not have been able to retrieve my laptop, but maybe my story could be of some help for those of you who might need some help from the police. Here are some words and phrases you might need to use when contacting the police if you find yourself in a similar situation.

Reporting a crime at the police station

While police do not deal directly with all crimes, you still need to call the police on 110 or go to the station and report the theft immediately. At the station, they will take your report and help in emergency situations, which also significantly increases the likelihood of getting your stuff back. Probably the biggest worry for foreigners about approaching the police is whether they will be able to speak English, though many of China's large cities, they should have an English-language option via 110. But if you still have concerns about the language barrier, you may need to ask a Chinese friend for help.

Here's some useful vocabulary and model phrases to help you along:

Hello Sir, I would like to report a stolen item.
你好，我想要报一个盗窃案。
NǏhǎo, wǒ xiǎngyào bào yígè dàoqièàn.

My  _______ was stolen.
我的 ______ 被偷了。
Wǒ de ______ bèi tōu le.

It was stolen on Monday at 11pm near Dongsishitiao.
是在周一11点在东四十条附近被偷的。
Shì zài zhōuyī shíyī diǎn zài dōngsìshítiáo fùjìn bèi tōu de.

My name is  _______ .
我的名字是  _______ 。
Wǒ de míngzì shì  _______ .

I’m from  _______ .
我是 _______ 国人。
Wǒ shì  _______ guó rén.

My passport number is  _______ .
我的护照号码是  _______ 。
Wǒ de hùzhào hàomǎ shì  _______ .

My phone number is _______ .
我的电话号码是  _______ 。
Wǒ de diànhuà hàomǎ shì  _______ .

Ask to check the security footage

You might not be able to check the security footage with the police officer, but you can try to describe what happened in as much detail as possible, to help them find the person or persons involved.

Could you please look at the security footage to find the person?
请问你能查看监控录像找到那个人吗？
Qǐngwèn nǐ néng chákàn jiānkòng lùxiàng zhǎodào nàgè rén mā?

It was stolen on Monday at 11pm at  _______.
是在周一11点在  _______ 被偷的。
Shì zài zhōuyī shíyī diǎn zài  _______ bèi tōu de.

After the report

After reporting the crime, don’t panic, and don’t expect the police to find it immediately. All you can do is be patient.

What will happen when the person is found?
如果找到这个人，你们会怎么处理？
Rúguǒ zhǎodào zhègèrén, nǐmén huì zěnme chùlǐ?

How will I be informed? 
你们会怎么通知我呢？
Nǐmén huì zěnme tōngzhī wǒ nē?

When should I expect to find out?
大概什么时候能给结果？
Dàgài shénmē shíhòu néng gěi jiéguǒ?

Following the filing of our report, the police gave us login details for an online account that can be used to track the case. From there, it's just a matter of waiting patiently and hoping for the best.

READ: You’re in Trouble and Don’t Speak Mandarin: What Now?

This article originally appeared on our sister site beijingkids.

Photo: springwise.com