San Francisco resident Darcie Bell found herself at the center of controversy [1] after her rented U-Haul truck, containing all her belongings, was stolen.
Bell turned to social media for help, but her plea went viral for an unexpected reason: her history of advocating to defund the police.
On December 5, Bell posted on X, formerly Twitter, asking for assistance in locating the stolen vehicle. “If you see a 26-foot U-Haul truck with the Arizona plate AL50003, would you let me know? It had like everything I own on it,” she wrote.
Hey guys. If you see a 26 foot uhaul truck with the Arizona plate AL50003- would you let me know because it had like everything I own on it.
It was stolen near Noe and Market and fun fact: @uhaul [2] doesn’t put gps on their trucks and thieves apparently know this.
— Jerque Cousteau (@neo_antiquarian) December 7, 2024 [3]
The post quickly gained attention but not the support she had anticipated.
Instead, critics seized on Bell’s long-standing anti-police stance.
Bell, who posts under the name Jerque Cousteau and describes herself as a proponent of defunding law enforcement, faced sharp backlash for seeking assistance in recovering the stolen truck.
“Anti-police activist begs the police to help,” the X account Bay State of Mind mocked in a widely shared post.
Anti Police activist begs the police to help her after she was robbed of her U-Haul containing everything she owns in San Francisco 💀 pic.twitter.com/85gaEmqdVM [4]
— BAY AREA STATE OF MIND (@YayAreaNews) December 7, 2024 [5]
Tom Wolf, an addiction recovery advocate with nearly 30,000 followers, highlighted Bell’s perceived hypocrisy by posting screenshots of her past anti-police rhetoric alongside her recent plea for help. “Shot. Chaser,” Wolf captioned the post, referencing her contradictory positions.
Shot. Chaser. pic.twitter.com/41YKDNSFGa [6]
— T Wolf 🌁 (@Twolfrecovery) December 8, 2024 [7]
Bell did not take the criticism lying down. In an interview with The New York Post, she expressed frustration over the lack of immediate action from law enforcement.
“I haven’t found my stuff! The cops didn’t do anything!” she said. Bell added that U-Haul required her to file a police report, which she complied with, but expressed frustration over the lack of results. “There are cameras all over this city. They haven’t done anything. I just want my stuff back!”
Despite the backlash, Bell maintained her defund-the-police stance, insisting she had not directly called law enforcement herself. “I literally never called the cops,” she wrote in one of her responses on X.
She also doubled down by reposting calls to defund law enforcement in the wake of the incident.
The U-Haul company urged Bell to cooperate with law enforcement in retrieving its vehicle. “Please be sure to contact us back to provide the police report to the Equipment Recovery department,” the company stated via its customer support account.
Hello. We, sincerely, apologize for what has occurred to you and your belongings. If you haven’t already, please be sure to contact the local authorities to report this matter. Please be sure to contact us back to provide the police report to the Equipment Recovery department 1/2
— U-Haul Cares (@UHaul_Cares) December 7, 2024 [8]
The stolen truck reportedly contained all of Bell’s possessions, adding to the emotional weight of the situation as the holiday season approaches.
Critics online continued to mock Bell’s predicament. “Look at these good, Christian ‘victim advocates’ celebrating my kids losing their belongings at Christmas,” she wrote in a fiery response to her detractors.
Look at these good, Christian “victim advocates” celebrating my kids losing their belongings at Christmas.
Too bad Tom’s kids will grow up knowing that the Christmases he wasn’t there, their mom had a restraining order and he was pawning their PlayStations for smack. pic.twitter.com/ODvBGiRm6k [9]— Jerque Cousteau (@neo_antiquarian) December 8, 2024 [10]
The incident has sparked a larger conversation about the practical implications of anti-police rhetoric in urban centers like San Francisco, where crime and public safety concerns have become significant political flashpoints.
As of this report, Bell’s stolen U-Haul has not been recovered, and her possessions remain missing.
The situation has drawn national attention, illustrating the ongoing debate over law enforcement policies in cities grappling with rising crime rates.