General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsA CNY man was wanted for shoplifting hygiene products. A stranger got him out of trouble
Oneida, N.Y. When college student Darien Fox woke up Wednesday morning he saw a social media post on his phone about a man wanted for stealing hygiene products.
Police were asking for help identifying the man who stole a razor, a toothbrush, body wash, an energy drink and a Hostess Hoho from the Byrne Dairy on Lenox Avenue in Oneida on Monday evening.
Several people, including Fox, commented on the post that they would like to pay for the items the man had stolen, police said. Fox, who said he did not know the man, also sent a private message to the Oneida police Facebook account.
I just said I would pay for it, Fox, a 22-year-old Oneida resident, told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. Just tell me a time and place. Theres no need to put this man in jail or fine him for something that everyone needs. You could tell he was struggling.
Foxs offer to pay for the items was accepted by the manager of the store and Oneida police dropped the case against the man who was not identified.
https://www.syracuse.com/news/2021/11/a-cny-man-was-wanted-for-shoplifting-hygiene-products-a-stranger-got-him-out-of-trouble.html
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,040 posts)He may have needed them for a job interview.
Guaranteed basic income and/or guaranteed basic housing has worked everywhere it has been tried, as far as I know. Despite some grifters and backsliders, on net, for society, for the community, ... there is a net reduction in harm, need for medical attention, need for policing, need for interventions of various kinds, all adding up to net reduction in costs, plus all the net societal benefits.
LuckyCharms
(17,458 posts)left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)Cops don't show up for shoplifters.
cinematicdiversions
(1,969 posts)I would hate to think what the quality of life in my neck of the woods would be if shoplifting was decriminalized.
I understand Albuquerque is a very poor and crime ridden city so they simply may not be able to afford to enforce the law.
Elessar Zappa
(14,047 posts)minor shoplifting violations (say under $25). Its not just Albuquerque. BTW, Albuquerque isnt even in the top 50 of Americas poorest cities while cities such as Minneapolis and Boston are. Be careful with your assumptions.
Rhiannon12866
(206,016 posts)They listed items - besides food - that people need that are rarely thought of which food stamps don't cover - and those are personal hygiene products like toothpaste, deodorant and feminine hygiene products. There were more, but you get the idea...
tulipsandroses
(5,127 posts)I stocked up on some items recently when Walgreens had a buy one get half off sale recently. I will drop some of those items off.
Joinfortmill
(14,456 posts)tulipsandroses
(5,127 posts)We need more of that in society. We should be ashamed as a society that people feel forced to steal basic necessities.
The store owner and cop that arrested the guy for a few cents he owed on a soda ,should take a lesson on humanity from this young man.
bucolic_frolic
(43,287 posts)If NY would just pass a law to enable private citizens to sue suspected shoplifters for $10,000 per item, this guy would be rich!
Instead, what a loser!!
greenjar_01
(6,477 posts)What in heaven's name?
LuckyCharms
(17,458 posts)My first and lasting reaction to this story is "Someone in the United States of America has to steal products to meet basic hygiene needs".
Intuitively, we all know this is true considering the number of homeless people that we have.
The fact that a man paid for the items is a good thing of course, but it should not have to be this way. I'm actually surprised that the person who stole the items was not locked up anyway, because that seems to be the way things are in the US these days.
So what I am saying here is that you are 100% correct...this is a devastating indictment of our society.