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Tue Oct 22, 2013, 05:09 PM

7962 (11,841 posts)

FLA cop gives admitted shoplifter $100 to buy groceries

Source: aol.com

The central mission of police work is to uphold the law. But police officers are also human beings, and so can find themselves confronted with situations that force them to ask the question -- should I really just look the other way? As south Florida outlet WSVN reported, Florida police officer Vicki Thomas recently found herself dealing with that very dilemma when she discovered a woman was shoplifting from a supermarket simply because she couldn't afford to buy food for her children.

Thomas did arrest Jessica Robles on a theft misdemeanor charge, but opted against booking her and taking her to jail. Instead, she gave her a notice to appear in court. And then Thomas handed her $100 so she could buy more groceries.

Read more: http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/10/22/florida-cop-gives-shoplifter-grocery-money/?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000058

A good deed from a cop; a welcome change from what we usually read.

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25 replies	Author	Time	Post
FLA cop gives admitted shoplifter $100 to buy groceries (Original post)	7962	Oct 2013	OP
compare and contrast with the cop that arrested a woman for scrounging money from a fountain..	frylock	Oct 2013	#1
Ah this was a Florida cop, move on, nothing to bash here.	Rebellious Republican	Oct 2013	#2
Aw, c'mon.	Jackpine Radical	Oct 2013	#8
I hope so JP, it does get old.	Rebellious Republican	Oct 2013	#9
Florida authorities make it so easy though	Bradical79	Oct 2013	#22
Yep, it makes you want to .....	Rebellious Republican	Oct 2013	#25
I hope the court system will show her compassion too	Skittles	Oct 2013	#3
KNR for humanity.	DirkGently	Oct 2013	#4
There should be more stringent laws for people that can afford to buy...	tecelote	Oct 2013	#5
Cops should have more discretion to not arrest	DirkGently	Oct 2013	#6
Wouldn't that be wonderful?	tblue	Oct 2013	#7
That would make sense	Gormy Cuss	Oct 2013	#10
Bottom Dollar employee fired for..............	mrmpa	Oct 2013	#17
Police already have that discretion; but ...	1StrongBlackMan	Oct 2013	#18
there is discretion but it is severly curtailed when there is a victim	loli phabay	Oct 2013	#23
A female cop. Maybe we should make them all female. -nt-	DireStrike	Oct 2013	#11
I noticed that, too.	calimary	Oct 2013	#14
K&R	Katashi_itto	Oct 2013	#12
K&R	ReRe	Oct 2013	#13
Thanks for this. I hope and pray there are still 'good' cops out there.	joanbarnes	Oct 2013	#15
Good on her.	darkangel218	Oct 2013	#16
I needed this. Thanks	Tigress DEM	Oct 2013	#19
It is a sad world we live in when people can't afford to buy food ...	olddad56	Oct 2013	#20
Her kindness and compassion is a gift to her community.	Lunabelle	Oct 2013	#21
Yes, it is a welcome change.	Enthusiast	Oct 2013	#24

Response to 7962 (Original post)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 05:12 PM

frylock (34,825 posts)

1. compare and contrast with the cop that arrested a woman for scrounging money from a fountain..

last week so that she could eat. $2.47 I believe was the grand total. good on this cop for having a heart.

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Response to 7962 (Original post)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 05:16 PM

Rebellious Republican (5,029 posts)

2. Ah this was a Florida cop, move on, nothing to bash here.

Doubt this thread thread will get much traction, no fun if you can not bash Florida or the south.

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Response to Rebellious Republican (Reply #2)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 06:44 PM

Jackpine Radical (45,274 posts)

8. Aw, c'mon.

I think we're all capable of celebrating bright spots, wherever they occur.

I can't pretend there is no regional prejudice around here, but I think there is a growing awareness that it's not cool.

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Response to Jackpine Radical (Reply #8)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 06:51 PM

Rebellious Republican (5,029 posts)

9. I hope so JP, it does get old.

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Response to Rebellious Republican (Reply #2)

Wed Oct 23, 2013, 11:07 AM

Bradical79 (4,490 posts)

22. Florida authorities make it so easy though

I'm glad at least one police officer is able to make the news for doing the right thing, though not sure giving money to a hungry person can make up for the beatings, killings, and rampant political corruption over the years that gives Florida authorities a bad rep around here.

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Response to Bradical79 (Reply #22)

Wed Oct 23, 2013, 05:04 PM

Rebellious Republican (5,029 posts)

25. Yep, it makes you want to .....

get up move to one of the other 49 Utopian states where everyone lives on sugar mountain.

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Response to 7962 (Original post)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 05:17 PM

Skittles (142,892 posts)

3. I hope the court system will show her compassion too

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Response to 7962 (Original post)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 05:19 PM

DirkGently (12,151 posts)

4. KNR for humanity.

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Response to DirkGently (Reply #4)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 05:26 PM

tecelote (5,007 posts)

5. There should be more stringent laws for people that can afford to buy...

...versus those too poor to have many alternatives.

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Response to tecelote (Reply #5)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 05:44 PM

DirkGently (12,151 posts)

6. Cops should have more discretion to not arrest

in such situations. Tie them in with store owners with excess / expired goods and food banks.

No one should be starving in this country (nor any others, but here we have so much food).

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Response to DirkGently (Reply #6)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 06:34 PM

tblue (16,350 posts)

7. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

No one should need to steal food. But, since many do, they should be given leniency and assistance as much as possible. It's not justice to treat them the same as just other thug.

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Response to DirkGently (Reply #6)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 06:53 PM

Gormy Cuss (30,884 posts)

10. That would make sense

and popular with cops who are not interested in punishing those down on their luck.

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Response to DirkGently (Reply #6)

Wed Oct 23, 2013, 12:08 AM

mrmpa (4,033 posts)

17. Bottom Dollar employee fired for..............

removing corn from the dumpster. I know a man who is head of security for Bottom Dollar who told me this story & who did the firing. Even though the corn was disposed of by Bottom Dollar, they viewed his act as theft. He tried to explain that he was taking it home to his family because he didn't have enough money to buy fresh produce. His pay rate minimum wage.

Discretion, discretion, people just don't get it.

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Response to DirkGently (Reply #6)

Wed Oct 23, 2013, 12:12 AM

1StrongBlackMan (31,849 posts)

18. Police already have that discretion; but ...

it never (rarely) seems to be exercised with people of color or the poor.

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Response to 1StrongBlackMan (Reply #18)

Wed Oct 23, 2013, 11:45 AM

loli phabay (5,580 posts)

23. there is discretion but it is severly curtailed when there is a victim

The only discretion available here was releasing on a summons rather than taking to jail.

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Response to 7962 (Original post)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 06:54 PM

DireStrike (6,452 posts)

11. A female cop. Maybe we should make them all female. -nt-

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Response to DireStrike (Reply #11)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 07:54 PM

calimary (68,369 posts)

14. I noticed that, too.

Made me think of the women in the Senate. Twenty of them. Mostly Dems. But they ALL get together every month for dinner hosted by their senior member Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). They stay in communication even when the men are out waving their dicks around and making spectacles of themselves. One in particular whose nickname goes with the word "Carnival."

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Response to 7962 (Original post)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 07:21 PM

Katashi_itto (10,175 posts)

12. K&R

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Response to 7962 (Original post)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 07:44 PM

ReRe (10,597 posts)

13. K&R

Everybody... whoever you are, wherever you are, keep paying it forward!

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Response to 7962 (Original post)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 08:41 PM

joanbarnes (1,669 posts)

15. Thanks for this. I hope and pray there are still 'good' cops out there.

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Response to 7962 (Original post)

Tue Oct 22, 2013, 08:53 PM

darkangel218 (13,985 posts)

16. Good on her.

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Response to 7962 (Original post)

Wed Oct 23, 2013, 01:47 AM

Tigress DEM (7,887 posts)

19. I needed this. Thanks

A good deed from a cop; a welcome change from what we usually read.

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Response to 7962 (Original post)

Wed Oct 23, 2013, 01:52 AM

olddad56 (5,732 posts)

20. It is a sad world we live in when people can't afford to buy food ...

but corporate billionaires can afford to buy politicians.

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Response to 7962 (Original post)

Wed Oct 23, 2013, 04:35 AM

Lunabelle (454 posts)

21. Her kindness and compassion is a gift to her community.

This cop is here to protect and serve. Exactly what her neighborhood needs. More cops like this.

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Response to 7962 (Original post)

Wed Oct 23, 2013, 03:04 PM

Enthusiast (50,983 posts)

24. Yes, it is a welcome change.

I'm sure some asshole cop will more than make up for it.

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