OLATHE, Kan.- It's the way a lot of people in the Kansas City metro are helping to solve crimes and get their items back.
It's called Stolen KC, and it's growing so much on Facebook, that the organizers now want to form it into a charity.
Tanner Maeder is just one of many victims of theft. Last year, his 1967 Chevy was stolen in broad daylight.
"You see all these people and you hear all these stories about their car being stolen and no one ever finding them and I just figured that was going to be my case," said Maeder.
After calling police, he turned to his friend for help.
That’s where he learned about the Stolen KC Facebook page.
"Within 45 minutes, it showing up somewhere, it's pretty miraculous," said Maeder.
These days, social media is becoming the tool to turn to when you’ve been victimized.
It’s even transforming many of your Facebook friends into crime stoppers.
"It's a channel, there's eyes all over it. Absolutely, if I had something taken from me, immediately that's the first thing I’m going to do is get it out there so as many eyes as fast as possible can look at it," said Daniel Shaver.
The Stolen KC page group was created in 2014. Since then the page's following has exploded.
"We are just under 90,000 right now, we're hoping to hit 100,000 by year's end," said David Brucker, Got Stolen Foundation President.
They’re looking to do more than be a platform for assistance. Currently, they’re in the process of becoming a 501(c)(3).
"We're really excited to possibly be able to take this to the next level and we don't really know what to expect other than that," said Brucker.
The goal is to become somewhat of a "Red Cross for theft victims.”
"We worry about the people who are left without anything, with no way of recovering," said Brucker.
Now, they're in search of strategic partners. For someone looking for their stolen car, the group hopes they would be able to provide a rental.
"Hopefully they have the luck that I had," said Maeder.
The "Got Stolen Foundation," hopes to be an official charity by the end of the year. Brucker said their application could be approved within the next 30 days.
