if you own a food store and saw someone shoplifting,would you call the cops even if the person was destitute?

Question

if you own a small grocery store and saw a regular customer shoplift $25 in groceries and she is a single mother of 3 would you call the cops even though you are certain it isn't the first time you witnessed it? I FOUND THIS ? ON AN EMODE VALUES TEST AND FIGURED I SHOULD POST IT!

Answer 1

I wouldn't call the police, but I would confront the woman AND her kids and explain especially to the kids that stealing is wrong and that their mom should teach them that, but she was doing it because she loved her kids and has to take care of them. I would also explain to the mother that there are other resources available and we live in a country with a surplus of food, and give her a list of resources like United Way that can help her find places that offer assistance. I would let her keep the food THAT time, but let her work in exchange for it. And I'd tell her AFTER that if it happens again, I'd have to call the police. Stealing is still stealing after all, and there's ALWAYS other ways of getting basic necessities. That's what non profit organizations, like United Way, and soup kitchens and shelters, and food stamps are for.

Answer 2

If I were the owner/manager I'd probably have an automatic door lock on the door which button I'd press and then go talk to her. I'm not pretentious so gently I'd ask if she was going to pay for that item as I'd walk her to the register, or if she needed to know of other ways to get what she needed. If she hesitated I'd suggest that the churches have food banks, the county has food stamps, etc. and see which way she takes the conversation.

Naturally if this was a question on a test of sorts you'd be expected to say you'd call the cops, as that's the responsible thing to do (and to get the job), and turning the person in does show your values.

I come from an older generation though where people would buy food on store credit, have it delivered to their home, and they'd pay once a month (when they got their check). Churches would help out and pay part of the groceries if need be. but nevertheless, people would have a running total of groceries bought there. Today they just have credit cards.

Answer 3

Hell yeah I call the police. It's not a question about a second chance since you've witnessed this before. As for her being a single mom of 3, that was her choice. Maybe she should've stopped having kids if she couldn't afford to feed them and concentrated on getting a job. She keeps stealing from a small grocery store like mine, where profit margins are slim at best, and all of a sudden I'm out of business and destitute. Difference being I'd get another job somewhere as opposed to stealing groceries.

Answer 4

No, I wouldn't call the police. And I wouldn't just give the food away; I would give her the opportunity to work for a couple hours, and take the food home with her. I would tell her, if she actually was a regular customer, that she didn't have to steal, there is always a way to find a mutually benefical arrangement, if both parties put values and humanity over laws and rules.

I don't think it's a crime to steal food to feed your children. I think it's a crime that we live in a world that has enough weapons to kill everything on the planet in a few hours, and yet people are still stealing food to feed their children.

But I'm biased. :P

Answer 5

If I owned a small grocery store and saw a regular customer shoplift. My security guard would probably stop her. I would press charges because the broad's probably a crack hoe. If she doesn't work, she gets food stamps so she has hundreds of dollars in food stamps for three kids. She would be doing pretty good in the fridge department. Her fridge and cabinets should be pretty full. In that case, her thievery is not justified. So she has to learn a lesson. I will also bar her from the store, tighten up security and go from there. If I catch her kids stealing, they gotta learn a lesson. Poor single mothers usually can get food stamps, there is no excuse. Drugs are not an excuse.

Steal and pay the price.

Answer 6

Well it really depends.
You can look at it in one way and that is that you are not the person's judge, only God is and if God controls destiny then He will decide if that person should get away with it or if it would better suit them to be caught and pay the penalty.
At the same time if you own the store you have to watch out for your investment.
I think that if it is a regular cust. that has given you a lot of honest past business then it is up to you to evaluate if you want to let that person off the hook this time, especially because of their situation. Some people deserve mercy. At the same time you shouldn't have to lie, cheat or steal to get what you need.
At times it seems like you do because you are desperate and their seems like no other way but you should really evaluate why you would end up in a situation like that and do something about it to change it so you don't end up in that same situation in the future.

Answer 7

No. I would stop her and pull her to the side, tell her that I noticed that she was shoplifting and that it is against the law and if she is doing it here then I am sure that she is doing it somewhere else. Ask her if she is just having financial problems and that is why she can't pay for the groceries and if she tells me yes then I would give her all the groceries she needed for the month, ask her if she needed a job or if she wanted a second one, and give her 60- 80 % discounts (depending on how bad off she was) until she got on her feet again. Every one has to eat. I would rather feed her and her children then send her to jail. Then where are the children going to go?

Answer 8

I would tell her that if she needed the groceries, she could work at the store part time. I would then tell her I what I would pay her an hour, and give her the choice to take the money or use it for groceries instead.

If she didn't want to work for the store, then I would tell her I had to call the police on her. Just because she has 3 kids to take care of doesn't make it an excuse to steal.

Answer 9

No! I once saw a neighbour of mine shop lift jars of baby food. I was shocked and asked her why do it. She told me hre husband had deserted her (Which i already knew) Also had left taking all her money. He'd left her penniless (I didn't know that). She had a baby and my idea was that baby had to be fed so i gave her £20 off my purse (All i had part from the money i needed for my shopping) And told her to pay for her baby food because, was she to get caught shop lifting then her children might well end up in care. A few weeks later, she slipped a thank you card through my letter box, saying she was grateful to me for helping her out and indeed i was right! She could have caught and found herself in a lot of bother so thanked me and gave me back the £20.

I couldn't have told anyone in the store, it was betwen us and she was so desperate! I wouldn't have felt right reporting her and leaving her children to goodness knows what could have happened.

Answer 10

I would offer her a part time job doing something...anything aroung the store. Assure her that is she wants something bad enough that she must work for it like the rest of us.

Isn't there something sh can do for you that will not jeopardize your business? I'm not saying make her a checker, but in the back shop, cleaning...sweeping...cleaning the bathrooms?

You will be doing a good thing and she will trust you! We need more people like you to remind others that there are some good folks left in this world!

Good Luck!