Yes, it can...but that doesn't mean we don't do it anyway. 

Yesterday I called in what appeared to be either an abandoned or stolen car in a parking lot, judging by the missing rear plate, and how long it had appeared to have been sitting there, collecting silt and treefall matter from having been parked under a large tree for so long.  The officer I spoke to dialed in the plate, and found it wasn't on the stolen list, so I was transferred to another department that dealt with nuisance car situations.

After that, they said that it would probably be towed away if the owner could not be found, so I was done.  Like I said, kinda ho-hum, but it's those moments when you care, and take the time to report something like this, that can make a big difference for someone.

When I was much younger, someone stole my classic 1966 Volkswagen Bug, white with red interior, the kind of thing that you never see anymore, right from out of my driveway at night.  By the time the San Jose Police located my little buggy, it was left beat-up and trashed in, you guessed it, a parking lot.  If only someone had seen them park it, and caught them before they fire-bombed it to try and cover up the evidence, I might still have that car today.

On an historic note, BTW, they didn't destroy all the evidence...and I got my day in court, and got to look them in the eye as the judge pronounced the culprits "Guilty!".

So, if you see an abandoned car, take a moment, and call it in.  Takes 5 minutes of your day, and you could help solve a crime.

In Seeing Justice Done,
~The Eye~