Police officer could be demoted after shoplifting $87 in groceries

[u/RepulsivePlankton989]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-police-grocery-shoplifting-guilty-demote-1.6733733

[removed] — view removed post

[u/Saiph_orion]

She was scanning her items when she caught the attention of a loss prevention officer who was watching the store's surveillance video feeds.

The officer saw that Bell "took one item in her right hand and another in her left hand, proceeded to scan the item in her left hand, but not the item in her right hand," according to the agreed statement of facts.

Bell placed both items into her bin and continued, the loss prevention officer noted, until she paid her bill for the items she scanned and headed to the exit.

The loss prevention officer then caught up with her and arrested her in the vestibule between the exit doors. Once she was back inside the store, Bell identified herself as an Ottawa police officer.

The store determined that Bell paid for groceries totalling $87.46, while stealing items worth $87.68, nearly the exact same amount.

---

So, no, an officer didn't have a "senior" moment of forgetting to ring up a bell pepper. She intentionally tried to game the system and got caught.

[u/mrxscarface → u/[deleted]]

My local Walmart is pretty fancy... The self checkout has an AI or something watching you scan. Any suspicious scanning and it immediately calls for assistance, and you can't scan until a worker clears it. Happened to me a few days ago because I scanned something, turned to show my wife (went slightly out of frame), and turned back to put it in the bag. The machine stopped me and showed me a clip for my suspicious scan (which did look a little sus).

Canadian Walmarts really have someone watching self checkout screens all day?

[u/TimeZarg → u/mrxscarface]

Most areas I've seen with self-checkouts have someone in visual range monitoring the whole setup from a computer set up to control it all. That way there's someone on hand to help clear errors or whatever.

The odds that they're gonna actively catch someone stealing are low, it's multiple stations being monitored by one person.

[u/Plantsking → u/TimeZarg]

Actively catching a first time offender is very difficult unless they’re obvious about it, such as having a huge cart or trying a low success scam like a K1 or counterfeits.

Once we know what you look like and your MO it becomes a lot easier to prevent it.

[u/BarryTGash → u/TimeZarg]

Do US self service checkouts not weigh the bagging area to ensure what is scanned tallies, weight-wise, with what is bagged?

[u/RedditUser145 → u/BarryTGash]

Some stores do and some stores don't. We don't have the scales turned on at self-checkout at the grocery store I work at. Those machines have enough errors without having to deal with the "unexpected item in bagging area" BS.

[u/mejelic → u/BarryTGash]

Depends on where you are and how they have it calibrated.

I frequently go between stores in poorer areas and affluent areas. The ones in the poorer areas are crazy sensitive and are not very forgiving if you try to scan and bag too quickly. On the other hand, the stores in the affluent areas don't give a fuck what you throw in the bagging area.

[u/SteakandTrach → u/mejelic]

This is the most American thing I’ve read all day.

[u/TimeZarg → u/BarryTGash]

You can skip bagging up to a certain amount on some self-checkouts, not sure if it applies to all. The grocery store I go to has a skip-bagging limit of three items. Beyond that, the attendant has to clear it to scan further.

You can also just not scan/bag some stuff and try to hide it under the stuff you've actually bought. Unless the attendant is super attentive, they're not gonna notice you've avoided scanning 1-2 packages of steak or something. Now, granted, if the store has a door sensor that triggers when the stolen item passes through, it'll make a sound. . .but whether anyone actually bothers to do anything about it will vary. Not all stores bother with those sensors, either.

[u/friendlyfire69 → u/TimeZarg]

Some places will put security tags on meat. Without a security tag the door doesn't go off.

When I used to have sketchy friends they would go to the rich part of town to steal meat to resell

[u/BonusMop → u/friendlyfire69]

There's a market for used meat?

[u/blchpmnk → u/mrxscarface]

Canadian Walmarts really have someone watching self checkout screens all day?

Judging by the ~3 minutes it took for someone to give me a bag when I pressed the "ask for assistance button", I'm guessing not.

​

They have cameras and scales and it shows you the footage of yourself on screen, but I've never seen it replay it (although I'm not there often).

[u/Im_ready_hbu → u/blchpmnk]

Walmart self checkouts are gonna turn into shoplifting highlight reels with big screen TVs running weekly "Top 10 Most Suspicious" categories like Sportscenter but for shoplifting. Which is ironic because Walmart loves stealing wages from their employees.

[u/straightouttasuburb → u/Im_ready_hbu]

What employees… there is one cashier now watching 50 customers fuck up at scanning…

[u/Midnight2012 → u/straightouttasuburb]

If they didn't want us to fuck up scanning, and they dont trust us, then they shouldn't have forced that responsibility on us in the first place!

[u/KingOfCatProm → u/Midnight2012]

It is called shadow labor and this is the price they need to pay for making the customer do the job.

[u/AbeLincolns_Ghost → u/blchpmnk]

Or they are watching and just don’t want to get up to give you the bag because it’s a minimum wage job and Walmart burns your out

[u/not_kidding_around → u/AbeLincolns_Ghost]

The loss prevention officers are 100% watching.

Bag fetching is not their job and they don't care if you wait an hour for one.

[u/Halfst0p → u/not_kidding_around]

A little tidbit about Target cuz I worked there: suspicious peoples’ photos from surveillance are up in the back room for everyone to see. So if you have stolen something, didn’t get caught, and continue to shop there you might get some funny looks from team members. Thing is though, they legally can’t really do anything. I don’t understand how people are getting “arrested” for stealing groceries. Different laws in different states ?

[u/cringes-orange → u/Halfst0p]

From my understanding Target in my area let’s you steal until you hit felony level. They tally the cost and evidence and then call police after you hit $1000. They will monitor and accumulate the total at all local Target stores too.

[u/TheErrorist → u/cringes-orange]

Well shit I'm about to go steal $998 worth of shit from my local Target!

[u/ILikeLenexa → u/Halfst0p]

Usually you have to steal a certain amount before the state or store cares. Loss prevention will keep a log of your exploits and when you reach the felony threshhold call the cops.

Some stores will pull the CC you paid with if you cheated the self-checkout and then trespass you for a year.

[u/Mirewen15 → u/mrxscarface]

Yes. Usually 1 person who stands there ready to assist if you need it. At Superstore near me that person also gives you bags and enters in the bag charge because of people not ringing in their bags.

[u/JustAnotherMiqote → u/mrxscarface]

My friend works as Walmart security. This is the first I've heard of AI. They actually have people that watch the cameras all day.

I'm going to try and see if I can get this AI thing to pop up lol

[u/biosc1 → u/JustAnotherMiqote]

He didn’t mean AI (ai). He meant Al (AL). Just an old dude watching the cameras.

[u/Lobo2209 → u/biosc1]

Pacino hasn't had a movie star gig in a while now. I don't blame him.

[u/LesserPolymerBeasts → u/Lobo2209]

"I'm reloaded! Okay?"

"Excuse me?"

"The receipt paper roll. I reloaded it. Thanks for shopping at Walmart today."

[u/whileurup → u/JustAnotherMiqote]

Wouldn't it be amazing if they just put these people back as checkers and save all of us the headaches.

[u/JustAnotherMiqote → u/whileurup]

I actually prefer self-checkout. I like not having to talk to anyone and checking out my own stuff.

[u/defcon212 → u/JustAnotherMiqote]

I'm not sure if it's everywhere but the one near me has an automated system that will freeze the transaction if it thinks you missed a scan. I scanned two small items back to back the other day and froze and showed me the replay of the overhead camera and a worker had to come over and override the system.

[u/PutinRiding → u/JustAnotherMiqote]

I just read an article about Walmart using AI now because of people switching barcodes. They will take a barcode sticker off a cheap item and put it on an expensive item to pay and sometimes immediately return the item and get the difference paid out. It said it's AI camera now knows what each product should look like so if you scan a "banana" but it looks like a TV, then it's gonna stop you.

[u/Max_Thunder → u/PutinRiding]

So what you're saying is that the trick is to scan an expensive TV with the bar code of the much cheaper TV that looks very similar.

[u/No-Appearance1145 → u/mrxscarface]

It stopped me because i was holding my wallet after i scanned one item (the only item i had) and it kept replaying the video and i just sighed and waved someone over. I showed my very obvious wallet to them and they sighed too then cleared it

[u/texasdeafdogs → u/mrxscarface]

It also doesn't like if you stand in front of the register for too long without scanning. Found that out while struggling to detangle some items three times in one scanning. May as well go back to the employee having to fix it when you put something too light on the scale too.

[u/Miv333 → u/mrxscarface]

Canadian Walmarts really have someone watching self checkout screens all day?

I used to work at a walmart in the US and it wasn't just AP that watched the screen. Associates could too, both on the computer and the handheld. We could remotely flag a machine to ask for assistance.

[u/jgzman → u/mrxscarface]

I watched a guy at walmart "scan" an entire cart of groceries without the station ever waking up. (It stayed on "scan item to start") I'm, not sure if he covered the bar codes with his finger, or just moved the items vaguely near the scanner, but he transferred everything into bags, then loaded them into his cart, and was gone.

I was honestly impressed by the chutzpah. And I'd never dream of turning anyone in for stealing groceries, or from walmart. Stealing groceries from walmart is nearly an act of grace.

[u/bibblode → u/mrxscarface]

Same here. I was scanning two packs of Italian meatballs and I had scanned one and set it down just to the right of the scanner then scanned the second one and stacked them together to put it into the bag. It flagged that as a potentially missed scan.

[u/PreppyAndrew → u/[deleted]]

The sad thing is a lot of Walmarts are basically forcing you to use self checkout

If you got to wait 20 mins for a person or no wait for self checkout

I've switched over to curb pickup

[u/SmokePenisEveryday → u/PreppyAndrew]

Was just in there the other day. I was staring at 8+ empty registers while the line for selfcheck out was getting so long, people had no idea where it ended.

[u/WrathOfTheTin → u/SmokePenisEveryday]

Yeap. Such a sack of crap that I've completely stopped shopping at Walmart for anything. Every time I've gone checkout has been a 30 minute shit show. Fuck. That.

[u/Tired4dounuts → u/SmokePenisEveryday]

Even the self check out only 4 of them are active out of the 10. So the one person working there can watch you like a hawk.

[u/jumpmed → u/[deleted]]

When I worked grocery in college our store had an acceptable loss rate of 4% for the self-check. There were only 4 self-check lanes and about 30 regular ones (usually around 10 staffed during normal days). We assumed there was negligible loss from the regular cashiers, a certain percent was assumed from standard shoplifting (based on numbers from before the self-checks were installed), and damaged or expired items taken off the shelves by grocery clerks were accounted for. The remainder of losses were assumed to be from the self-check lanes. Most of the time it was around 1-2%, which was perfectly acceptable to the company considering the cost savings.

[u/IntricateSunlight → u/[deleted]]

I always go to a real cashier at the grocery store when I have a lot of items and honestly sometimes the line is shorter than the self checkout. I only really use self checkout if I only have a small amount of items

[u/iownakeytar → u/IntricateSunlight]

Wish that were true where I live. There are usually only 2 registers with cashiers open, but 8 self-chekouts at each of the two entrances.

[u/met1culous → u/Saiph_orion]

I used to work self checkout at Walmart. Almost HALF of the customers that came through "forgot" to scan something.

Had a dude bring a birthday card and a chainsaw through self check one time. "forgot" to scan the chainsaw. Uh huh. You saw your total of $2.50 and thought "that looks about right" lol.

[u/Teresa_Count → u/met1culous]

How did it work when people got caught? Give them an opportunity to pay for the item or else loss prevention gets involved?

[u/Uruz2012gotdeleted → u/Teresa_Count]

That's the usual move unless it's egregious like this "I'm only going to scan half my items." thing this lady did. One item is like having something in your pocket and two bulkier items but no cart. Sort of understandable if you forgot to ring up that pair of sunglasses if you also got dog food and a 12 pack.

[u/tumello → u/Uruz2012gotdeleted]

I have legitimately grabbed my bags and started to walk out without paying. Just spaced out and started walking off. It wasn't malicious, I would have been embarrassed if they "caught" me. Thankfully I realized before I got too far away and paid it.

[u/Sobah_Freeloadah → u/met1culous]

I'm sorry but my local stores have one cashier and 15 self checkouts. All packed. Why are they surprised people are doing this?

[u/MycoTech → u/Sobah_Freeloadah]

The current losses from it are less than paying cashier wages, so they don't care.

[u/oldcoldbellybadness → u/MycoTech]

Ie, those of you not doing it are suckers

[u/Uuugggg → u/oldcoldbellybadness]

If they don't need to employ as many people as before, prices should be lower. But somehow they're higher. So they're stealing from us, really.

[u/met1culous → u/Sobah_Freeloadah]

They're not.

[u/calypsopub → u/met1culous]

It never fails to amuse me that you can buy a chainsaw and a greeting card in the same store

[u/carlitospig → u/Saiph_orion]

What I don’t understand is that my self checkouts near me are all weighted so it’s basically impossible to pull this off unless you’re putting the extra groceries on the ground or something.

[u/sawyouoverthere → u/carlitospig]

WalMart doesn't seem to be, from the few times I have shopped there Neither does superstore. Other places note the reuseable bag as an "unexpected object" or complain if I lift something up to rebag it as "item removed"

[u/carlitospig → u/sawyouoverthere]

Ugh, it’s the worst. Or if you scan too quickly and suddenly there’s a loud alarm and you feel totally guilty even though you were just being too efficient.

[u/sawyouoverthere → u/carlitospig]

I just shrug. It’s the machine, not me.

[u/Stopikingonme → u/carlitospig]

I had a scanned item (two pack of ketchup) that popped out of the plastic neck holder and hit the ground. I picked up the dropped ketchup and put both ketchups on the scale. It flagged my purchase and the attendant had to come over and hit a bunch of keys that brought up a video of what happens then authorized the purchase. So the software recognized a single item was scanned and for a split second the item split into two objects was then weighted as correct but still flagged it as possibly fraudulent activity.

The self check from the article must not have any kind of built in loss prevention other than a guy camera watching all the transactions?? That’s crazy!

This was a Krogers owned store if anyone is curious.

[u/SuzanoSho → u/carlitospig]

They are the bane of my existence. The bagging area is always too small and if I take a bag of groceries off to place it in my cart because I need to make some damn ROOM, the thing thinks I stole something.

[u/herbalhippie → u/Saiph_orion]

I got to be friends with the woman running a bank of self-checkouts at our store about 5 years ago. The holiday season before she retired on disability I was checking out and talking to her, this was a couple days before Thanksgiving. She excused herself and went across to where a large family group was checking out.

Later on she told me that while she was talking to me, she had been listening to the 'bleeps and bloops' coming from the machine, watching what they were piling up on the weighing platform and putting directly in their cart after scanning and realized it wasn't adding up. Sure enough, they were not scanning a lot of their items. She went over and said "Oh excuse me but I think you guys may have missed this and this and thisandthisandthisandthis." She said they were visibly pissed off but too bad.

This was a very nice-looking, well dressed family too. A mom and four kids looked to be in their late teens/early 20s. You could kind of tell something weird was going on by the way the kids spread themselves out around the scanner and bagging area.

[u/PutinRiding → u/herbalhippie]

Man, I busted this lady that only scanned like 4 cheap items and had about 20 in her bag. I told her she missed scanning almost everything and she blamed her poor teenage son that wasn't even near the machine and said he messed up. He just looked at me with a blank look as this was probably a regular thing with his mom. What a coward to blame your kid for your trashy behavior. I took her bag away and she said "I still want those 4 items I paid for". I gave those to her and then booted her.

[u/Mr-Klaus → u/Saiph_orion]

The store determined that Bell paid for groceries totalling $87.46, while stealing items worth $87.68, nearly the exact same amount.

I gotta say, I'm quite impressed. Takes a lot of practice to be that accurate with your thieving.

[u/thatonionsmell → u/Saiph_orion]

Yea. That’s only for me and all my non cop friends lol

[u/_Wrongthink_ → u/Saiph_orion]

Maybe she she just forgot to ring up $87 worth of bell peppers. Easy mistake to make.

[u/arseniobillingham21 → u/Saiph_orion]

This is what the cashier did in “Employee of the Month” to win the ring off.

https://youtu.be/dwwhiwarRsQ

[u/therealdeathangel22 → u/Saiph_orion]

I used to constantly do this when I was a homeless drug addict, except every time the total of things taken would have been double what was paid for(on food stamps no less) lol and then for the really pricey things that were too big to do this with I would just go and grab a 15-cent packet of Kool-Aid and hold it over the barcode so it looked like I scanned the item but I really just scanned Kool-Aid...... Never failed me

[u/TigerDude33 → u/therealdeathangel22]

Well in Ottawa you might be demoted for that to junior addict

[u/Corteran]

A cop from my hometown was busted for stealing $5k from the funding for a private gym in the police station. He had to pay it back, but that's it. He was still a cop.

[u/Mission-Two1325 → u/Corteran]

Sounds eerily similar to how people of wealth and privilege avoid the consequences for their actions.

It sends a clear message to us all, they might say they are like us but when it really comes down to it the slogan actually means blue lives matter more.

[u/manjar → u/Mission-Two1325]

It also sends the message: if you’re a shitty person, the safest job to get is being a cop. I don’t know if this is actually true, but handling matters this way definitely sends this message, and can be expected to attract the wrong people to the profession.

[u/DorothyParkerFan → u/manjar]

Anecdotally, it’s true. Before the interwebs and proliferation of police beating videos, just locally in the Northeast, the worst dudes were the ones that became cops.

[u/russmbiz → u/DorothyParkerFan]

It's always been that way. It's a job that attracts people who like power over others.

[u/DorothyParkerFan → u/russmbiz]

In my experience it also attracts people who like to work a system - minimal labor, rules they can bend to their favor, pension after 20 yrs.

[u/CMKeggz → u/manjar]

Unfortunately I think this is. I know a straight up child rapist who tried to become a cop. The only reason I can come up with was for protection.

[u/ratsareniceanimals → u/Mission-Two1325]

I recently learned that it's codified into state laws that blue lives literally matter more - police unions went state by state to pass enhanced bill of rights for officers in the 70s..

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/08/29/police-bill-of-rights-officers-discipline-maryland/

[u/c4r_guy → u/ratsareniceanimals]

god damn....that article explains a lot about how policing got where it is today.

[u/Warren_is_dead → u/Mission-Two1325]

Animal farm. We live in Animal Farm.

[u/conundrumbombs → u/Warren_is_dead]

All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.

[u/anger_is_my_meat → u/conundrumbombs]

Give it long enough and we'll all enjoy that trickle down equality!

[u/equality-_-7-2521 → u/Mission-Two1325]

Police are the attack dogs of the wealthy.

They're not actually here to enforce the law. They're here to protect private property rights.

That's why they'll shoot a poor person for destroying property, but let a rich child molester turn himself in at the station to avoid a perp walk.

[u/AMeanCow → u/equality-_-7-2521]

If this were not the case, any crime that resulted in paying a fine would be based on a sliding scale to account for different levels of wealth and income and it would be codified into law.

[u/Haunting-Ad788 → u/Mission-Two1325]

Police exist to protect the interests of capital so it makes sense they get similar protections to the wealthy.

[u/llama_empanada → u/Corteran]

My high school’s resource officer, Officer Hand (grade-A prick who would creep on the girls and tried to act “cool” around the football players; we all called him Officer Handjob), was arrested the last day of my senior year 1997 for robbing several banks in the area. Rumor was he was caught because he used his wife’s car for the robberies. His wife, btw, was also a cop. He’s still in prison lol. Fucking dumbass.

https://www.fracturedfairfax.com/Jeffrey_R._Hand.html

[u/AMeanCow → u/llama_empanada]

See? The only thing that will get law enforcement thrown in prison is if they touch money belonging to the wealthy.

All things are permissible except touching the money.

[u/DeerDiarrhea → u/Corteran]

Probably knew where the bodies were buried, both literally and figuratively.

[u/EvidentlyEmpirical → u/Corteran]

That is such bullshit.

Cops should get the maximum sentence by default for such crimes.

[u/ImNotEazy → u/Corteran]

An Alabama sheriff stole enough money from the prisoners food funds to buy a beach house. Hence why I’ve heard stories of people eating rotten food in prison.

[u/misogichan → u/Corteran]

Yes, these "diversion programs" they used in Canada to offer her an alternative punishment to avoid criminals charges are not just a Canadian problem. The police need to get their house in order because they not only look like hypocrits but like a gang. One willing to betray their ethics to protect their own.

[u/CleverJail → u/misogichan]

I feel like an officer should not be doing this, but diversion programs are not the problem. Not everyone needs to face jail time for criminal charges. Personally, I was arrested for drug possession and was fortunate enough to be diverted. I had to pay a $1,000 fine and attend an anti-drug course. They tried to steal my car, but a judge made them give it back. I’m pretty sure if I had done time that it would be worse for me and worse for society. I’m thankful that our screwy justice system at least has some sanity in these diversion programs.

[u/creggieb → u/CleverJail]

Doesn't that make drug laws a problem. I too had diversion, and it was for a bullshit drug charge. Yes it got me outta legal trouble, but I honestly don't respect prohibition laws, and feel that removing them would have removed the need for the diversion program

[u/Uruz2012gotdeleted → u/CleverJail]

If it's just to "divert" you then what makes it just to put someone else in jail for the same exact crime? Seems like an easy way for the system to hide discrimination behind a mask of mercy.

[u/BullyBumble → u/Corteran]

This was in Canada.

[u/ambermage → u/Corteran]

I worked the warehouse for Circuit City, and one day, one of the managers asked me to cover the front door for loss prevention. I told him I would after I went to the restroom. When I got to the front and was there for less than 15 minutes before he told me to go back.

The next day, I was called in for a meeting with the General Manager, and they showed me a video of the manager who told me to cover the front, taking products out of the back door. I was terminated after they conducted an "investigation" and said I wasn't trained in loss prevention and should have been there to stop him from stealing out the back door. 🤔

[u/decomposition_]

A law enforcement officer who disregards the law to the point that they steal has no place enforcing laws for other people. They shouldn't have a job.

[u/RenaissanceManLite → u/decomposition_]

Yeah. Demoted?

[u/marty_macbusiness → u/RenaissanceManLite]

"could be" demoted.

[u/iamjackspatience → u/marty_macbusiness]

Demoted with pension.

[u/5050Clown → u/iamjackspatience]

We are demoting you too "on vacation" for two weeks then back to your old job.

[u/Thief_of_Sanity → u/5050Clown]

"Make sure to stock up on grocery supplies during this paid time off"

[u/morph113 → u/5050Clown]

We are demoting you to a new job with higher salary.

[u/Honalana → u/marty_macbusiness]

could be temporarily demoted.

“An Ottawa police officer caught shoplifting half her groceries has pleaded guilty to misconduct after being criminally charged with theft and could be temporarily demoted.”

[u/capontransfix → u/Honalana]

If you see someone shoplifting food, no you didn't. Unless you see a pig shoplifting, in which case an example must be made.

[u/IlluminatedPickle → u/marty_macbusiness]

Could be temporarily demoted.

[u/CoffeeTownSteve → u/IlluminatedPickle]

"Local officials are tracking media coverage closely, hoping to determine how much heat they're likely facing before publicly committing to any particular course of action."

[u/Flomo420 → u/CoffeeTownSteve]

ding ding ding

If there's no public backlash, literally nothing would have happened to her

[u/notapunk → u/marty_macbusiness]

We are just going to put you on paid leave so you can think about what you've done.

[u/AcesCharles2 → u/RenaissanceManLite]

Demoted? Doug, kick him off the tour!

[u/gingerfawx → u/decomposition_]

By way of contrast, I'm offering two cases from the UK:

the first in which a constable was nearly fired for the theft of biscuits, but was eventually cleared after a disciplinary hearing (the original Bisquit-gate)

the second in which a constable was actually fired for putting only 10p into the charity box for two packets of Jaffa Cakes instead of the £ 1 he owed, although it was primarily the fact he lied about it that did him in. "He was found guilty of gross misconduct and given an instant dismissal." (Biscuit-gate 2.0, now with more repercussions)

That's what I call consequences and taking police integrity seriously.

[u/LostWoodsInTheField → u/gingerfawx]

I watch a couple British auditors (AB shoutout!) and the interactions are very different. And the policies compared to what policies in the US are is completely different. Love watching AB completely taking them off course with 'take your sunglasses off' 'stop chewing gum' 'it's in your policy' and the officers never being able to get a single useful piece of conversation out of him because its now a 30 minute conversation about how the officer was rude.

[u/Low_Effective_7605 → u/decomposition_]

More than that, cops have literally killed people for less. People are in jail for less.

[u/cultish_alibi → u/Low_Effective_7605]

They've killed people for nothing.

[u/simonsays9001 → u/Low_Effective_7605]

Imagine spending significant time behind bars for inhaling smoke from or possessing a plant.

[u/jigsaw1024 → u/simonsays9001]

Or eating a mushroom.

Or drinking some tea.

[u/bobdaripper → u/decomposition_]

I think its telling that cops have to steal groceries like the rest of us, do they not make enough already?

[u/Beer-Wall → u/decomposition_]

I just read a story about a police sergeant in my state who hasn't paid his rent in almost 20 years despite making a 6 figure salary. When the news went to ask him about it he said his private finances were none of anybody's business. I beg to differ that an officer with tens of thousands of dollars of debt is a security risk.

[u/xSinityx → u/decomposition_]

It you can't follow the law you can't enforce it. 👏👏👏👏

[u/incognito_ginger → u/decomposition_]

Isn't it telling though? He steals food he's a criminal. But what he can get away with while on the clock is what makes everyone look at this as odd.

EDIT: I am not referring to the article just positing on the appearances of qualified immunity. I have a bad opinion of cops in general but I'm from the US and this didn't even happen there.

[u/dontaskme5746 → u/incognito_ginger]

Sure, but you could at least click on the article.

[u/Chose_a_usersname → u/dontaskme5746]

Umm this is reddit, I only read the title

[u/Icolan → u/decomposition_]

Should be demoted to citizen or inmate.

[u/RoboQwop405]

I arrested a small town cop at a home depot for stealing two high dollar window alarms, the type that you put on your home windows that ding when the sensor disconnects. A bunch of city cops showed up and phone calls were made. She left without us signing a ticket on her and as far as I know nothing ever happened.

[u/Handy_Dude → u/RoboQwop405]

Should just ban the entire police department from shopping at your Home Depot. I say that, but I know if you did that, they wouldn't show up in any emergency if you had to call them. Cops hold a grudge and WILL be childish when they get caught.

[u/Mirewen15 → u/Handy_Dude]

Back when I worked at 7/11 the cops stopped responding to any calls made because we wouldnt give them free coffee (company rule). I was 19 at the time and worked 5:30am-1:30pm by myself. I guess I should be grateful women weren't 'allowed' to work the graveyard shift.

[u/ISO_8601 → u/Mirewen15]

I was working at Dunkin' Donuts as a 17yo. Rang a cop up for a coffee. He said he should get it for free. I was never told about that by my boss so I stood firm and charged that cop. The gall thinking he didn't have to pay. POS Florida cop back in the 90s.

[u/Mirewen15 → u/ISO_8601]

This was also in the 90's! Later on when I got a job at a restaurant in the same area, they would come in at 10:50pm when we closed at 11:00pm demanding we make fresh coffee just for them and staying until well past midnight. I do not miss those times.

[u/OhioIsGreat → u/Mirewen15]

coffee is like a couple bucks. What a bunch of turds.

[u/CitizenKing → u/OhioIsGreat]

Mothefuckers lie about their overtime and collect ridiculous stacks of taxpayer cash and then refuse to do their job if they have to spend any of it on anything.

Knew a cop who was earning $125k and he got upset if you brought it up while he was trying to engage in cameraderie with people who were actually struggling financially. Piece of shit wanted the sympathy his poor friends were getting while earning ten times their wage as a bachelor with no kids.

[u/LostWoodsInTheField → u/CitizenKing]

I think it was queen city news that did a multi-part story on police officers stacking over time. They figured out when they were suppose to work and would secretly follow the officers around video taping them. Sometimes they wouldn't leave their home all day, other times they went and worked a second job as a security guard.

[u/ChaunceTime → u/CitizenKing]

Sounds like my uncle (who was a former cop), but if anyone is financially struggling they just need to pull themselves up by the bootstraps and stop being so lazy. It’s only okay if he complains about things being expensive when he’s literally a millionaire.

[u/elpajaroquemamais → u/OhioIsGreat]

They feel like they deserve free shit and discounts.

[u/LostWoodsInTheField → u/Handy_Dude]

Should just ban the entire police department from shopping at your Home Depot.

Due to a recent string of thefts by particular demographics we will be implementing policies that ban these demographics from entering our stores without direct permission from a manager. If permission to enter is granted they must be escorted by loss prevention at all times. We apologize for the inconvenience this might cause those who are part of these demographics but have not committed these crimes, but care must be taken to protect not only our products but our workers.

Demographics that are banned as of <date>:

police officers of <town>

city counsel members

Anyone with 3 or more children who's names all start with the same letter.

[u/LifeIsVanilla → u/Handy_Dude]

The fucked up thing is how nobody even realizes they're holding a grudge... unless there's a fire or medical emergency, in which case the real heroes will let you know offhand.

[u/eldormilon → u/Handy_Dude]

These days I'm not sure if you want cops on the scene in case of an emergency. They may make it worse.

[u/RapedByPlushies → u/Handy_Dude]

Just like the mafia then?

[u/EmperorAcinonyx → u/RapedByPlushies]

I'd wager the average mafioso has better trigger discipline than the average cop.

How often do you see a headline like "Tony Pizza shoots rival capo dead in broad daylight"?

[u/ArbutusPhD → u/RoboQwop405]

Can’t you post known shoplifters on a wall of trust

[u/RoboQwop405 → u/ArbutusPhD]

A lot of places don’t allow photo postings for liability but it was also back in 2014

[u/tcutinthecut → u/RoboQwop405]

Lol that's literally how the mob operates

[u/MeasureTheCrater]

The fact that an officer faces demotion for this -- not firing -- is everything that is wrong with policing.

[u/NessyComeHome → u/MeasureTheCrater]

It's worse than that... temporary demotion. So after a specified period of punishment, will get her old role back.

[u/brucebrowde → u/NessyComeHome]

It's worst than that - it's potential temporary demotion. If I may be cynical a bit more, it's likely no demotion at all.

[u/[deleted] → u/MeasureTheCrater]

[removed] — view removed comment

[u/incendo → u/[deleted]]

In the US, this officer may not have even been demoted. It feels like an enforcer of the law should be held to a higher standard of conduct than a non-enforcer of the law.

[u/fenrslfr → u/incendo]

Hell in the US an officer can kill someone without justification and just go about their day. If they shoplifted no one would bat an eye.

[u/waltwalt → u/fenrslfr]

If they shoplifted nobody would confront them because they don't want to get shot.

[u/LurkmasterP → u/incendo]

If we could only hold them to exactly the same standard of conduct as a normal citizen, that would be a huge step up. Pathetically.

[u/ILikeChangingMyMind → u/[deleted]]

That's not really true. Most businesses wouldn't even know that you got caught shoplifting, unless your jail sentence made you serve enough prison/community service time that you couldn't cover it with your PTO.

... and they certainly couldn't fire you for something they don't even know about!

I still 100% think this cop (and all law-breaking cops) should be fired immediately, but it's because they should be held to a higher standard, not because normal people automatically lose their jobs by committing misdimeanors.

[u/Narf234 → u/MeasureTheCrater]

The fact that an officer faces demotion for this -- not ARRESTED-- is everything that is wrong with policing.

[u/misogichan → u/Narf234]

To be fair, if this is your first offense and you were stealing less than $100 you might not be charged anyway. Prosecutors and the court system don't have infinite time to go after everyone, and if the grocery store faces a lot of shoplifters everyday they may not want to deal with being witnesses in a trial for a first time offender.

That said, in any normal job you getting arrested for doing the opposite of what you're paid to do would definitely see you fired. It is also suspicious they have an actual program set up with alternative punishments for police to avoid criminal charges.

[u/ElysianBlight → u/misogichan]

In the finance industry they often fire people for finding out they have bad debt, too much debt, etc.

In the teaching industry they will often fire you for being in public drinking or behaving in a sexual manner.

Even without being arrested or doing anything strictly illegal, if you set an example that is contrary to the ideals of your industry your industry sees you as a liability.

Unless you are a cop for some reason.

[u/Tballz9]

Demoted? How about fired?

[u/scrapper → u/Tballz9]

Even worse, “temporarily demoted”.

[u/jrhoffa → u/scrapper]

could be.

[u/PatacusX → u/Tballz9]

There was a guy I worked with once that got fired because he stole a bag of chips from target while wearing his work shirt, and someone from target told our management.

[u/johnny_memetic]

"See? We're not here just to protect property!" -police

[u/TheThirdStrike]

What the fuck.

If your job is to uphold the law, and you break the law. You should lose your job. Seems like a no brainier to me...

Then again, if you're too smart they won't even let you be a cop, so I guess it makes sense.

[u/Apokolypse09 → u/TheThirdStrike]

I got permanently banned from all Cenovus (oil company) sites because I was security and they found a shattered bong in a garbage bag jammed into back of trunk. No actual weed. But they dealt with me stricter than they do with cops actually breaking the law.

[u/elle23nc]

Meanwhile in the neighboring U.S. ... Cancer patient gets 10 months in jail for shoplifting $110 in groceries. Man receives 17 months for stealing loaf of bread and a few other food items from an H&R Block break room. And of course, Man who spent 36 years in prison for stealing $50 from a bakery.

[u/Palteos → u/elle23nc]

Wait, so Jean Valjean spending 19 years as a prison slave for stealing a loaf a bread was pretty plausible?

[u/DirkDeadeye → u/Palteos]

Hey, hey! He was sentenced to five years for stealing bread. And 14 for escape attempts. :P

[u/ExasperatedEE → u/DirkDeadeye]

He broke a window pane!

[u/ExasperatedEE → u/elle23nc]

I was ready to outraged over the cancer patient but...

She made off with makeup, hair dye, a candle and a “Super Skinny Serum” product, the paper reported.

Those aren't groceries. They're not even neccesities. And it says she has a prior record of shoplifting.

[u/elle23nc → u/ExasperatedEE]

Fair. She could be a klepto. Or she could be medically bankrupt trying to mitigate the physical aspects of late-stage cancer treatment. Could be both.

[u/pipinngreppin → u/elle23nc]

My buddy’s grandpa had cancer and started getting loopy toward the end. He got caught trying to steal something from Home Depot. He ended up going to court for it a couple of times. Of course, he died before the final court date.

[u/elle23nc → u/pipinngreppin]

There must also be a time for some people where it's like, "I have nothing to lose." Also, though, American healthcare will bankrupt you, and late stage cancer care will reasonably encourage a desire to use beauty products, which is what she took from the grocery store.

[u/Evinceo → u/elle23nc]

Bread guy is slightly more complicated:

He had a crush on one of the employees and I thought he was threatening

He stole the items from a break room, a place the public presumably wasn't supposed to be. Not shoplifting. The manager apparently wanted a restraining order.

If someone had a crush on me and snuck into my house or place of work and stole something minor, I think I'd be freaked out regardless of the value of the stolen item.

[u/papercrane → u/elle23nc]

In fairness those are all examples from America, while this case is in Canada.

[u/[deleted] → u/papercrane]

There’s a lot of that in this sub.

[u/JiubLives → u/elle23nc]

Without clicking, I'm betting each of those was a "you've committed multiple felonies. If you fuck up at all, you're going to prison."

Still bullshit to end up in prison for shoplifting groceries.

Edit: the 17 month sentence didn't allude to priors. However, fuck the person who called cops multiple times about this guy. Cops show up, do the job right, telling the caller the man is not a danger.

He steals something. They call cops again, and he's arrested. As soon as there's public backlash, the caller backpedals saying it was out of their hands (once they'd called the cops), and they didn't want him arrested (despite calling cops multiple times). Fuck that caller.

[u/sawyouoverthere → u/JiubLives]

Three strikes law is pretty shitty though for small things, and for groceries.

[u/[deleted] → u/sawyouoverthere]

I was reading a case a number of years ago out of CA. Guy shoplifts a DVD and gets caught. Normally a misdemeanor but since he had a couple felonies it upgraded it to a felony. That then became his third strike and was looking at life.

[u/lostnomad360]

What do they mean "could"? Shouldn't it be automatic firing. If I stole something, the cops would arrest me, I'd be prosecuted and lose my job. Why should it be any different for a cop?

[u/me2300 → u/lostnomad360]

Why should it be any different for a cop?

It should be different - punishment for cops who violate the law should be much harsher.

[u/lostnomad360 → u/me2300]

I do agree.

[u/Irarix]

“Could be”

Listen, if you’re a struggling single parent, you do you.

If you’re a god damn law enforcement officer… Christ…

[u/sawyouoverthere]

Fascinating how many people are referring to the officer as if she was a man.

(Eta: for those who still haven’t opened the article, and are replying foolishness-I’m fascinated simply because it shows they didn’t even read the first sentence of the article)

[u/Advice2Anyone → u/sawyouoverthere]

Well many people also are treating this like american police too people don't read just comment

[u/sawyouoverthere → u/Advice2Anyone]

The link says CBC and Canada and Ottawa. Didn’t even have to click to know it’s Canadian

[u/bluemitersaw → u/sawyouoverthere]

Wait, you expect me to read the article before commenting??? Well that's just preposterous!!!

[u/bkornblith]

Demoted lol - that’ll show them - fire them ffs

[u/Shouldvegotafalcon]

"Firefighter could face demotion for setting grocery store on fire."

[u/[deleted]]

[removed] — view removed comment

[u/marklein → u/[deleted]]

I think the general idea is that we should hold cops to a higher standard. We want our cops to be especially noble and honest because of the importance of their job. Obviously we know that tons of them are worthless sacks, but the desire for them to be better remains.

[u/Oldcadillac → u/[deleted]]

One aspect of it is that cops are very well paid across Canada, there is no economic justification for a cop to be blatantly stealing groceries, gives Sheriff of Nottingham vibes.

[u/BrokenCankle → u/[deleted]]

It just depends on which camp shows up first and gets voted up the most, and then the vast majority just jump on the hate bandwagon. People love to hate things. So if the most popular thing to hate is cops then that's totally fine and overrides any other hate or consistency.

But also, they are not mutually exclusive, right? People can be bothered that a cop wasn't properly punished for a crime AND not feel bad at all for whatever store this was, can't they? Like I don't hate cops but I think they should be accountable. If I had been arrested for this same crime, then so should she. If cops are expected to uphold the law, then they should follow it, right? I mean, fuck Walmart, nobody's crying for them, go ahead and steal extra potatoes if it makes you feel better. I just think cops need accountability, and at the very LEAST, we deserve cops to be held to the standards of average people, if not higher standards.

[u/ElwoodJD]

Weird. If you were poor and not a cop you’d at least be facing criminal charges and not just a slightly worse job posting.

[u/niceoutside2022]

could be demoted???

you have got to be kidding me. Apparently not being a criminal is not a minimum job requirement.

[u/thetaborn]

No one knows why she only walked out with two cartons of eggs

[u/ArmsofAChad]

I feel like the fact that a cop feels they have to steal groceries is a bad sign for things to come for everyone.

Granted I don't know the individual situation and there are always bad actors in every occupation. If she stole just because then she should be fired not demoted.

but if it's theft due to honest struggle it's very scary for everyone. If even law enforcement isn't paid enough to uphold the law things will degrade very quickly.

[u/Grouchy_Occasion2292 → u/ArmsofAChad]

Yeah I'm pretty concerned about it. It's not a good sign for our continuing survival if people are stealing because of need.

[u/East_Requirement7375 → u/ArmsofAChad]

Law enforcement in Canada is definitely paid enough to buy groceries.

[u/joftheinternet]

This thread is very frustrating.

[u/scrapper]

I don’t understand why her theft was discovered only because a prevention loss officer saw her fail to scan items on video surveillance - don’t self-checkout systems weigh the items on the bagging side and detect unscanned items that way automatically?

[u/zwaaa]

Could be? There's your problem right there.

[u/DieTheVillain]

You think if I shoplifted $87 in groceries I would be demoted? Or would I be fucking arrested and lose my job?

[u/theskyguardian]

Men have been murdered by police for less