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I think the police officer is in the wrong here, but imo the problems started because Walmart called the police. I have a friend who has worked in lost preventi

I think the police officer is in the wrong here, but imo the problems started because Walmart called the police. I have a friend who has worked in lost prevention at 2 different national chain stores, and both of them (at the time at least) had a policy that anyone stealing less than $40 of merchandise was pretty much left to go without much confrontation, or perhaps without any confrontation whatsoever. This story is an excellent example of why that policy is in place. If Walmart had let her go she would have stolen less than $14 worth of things. Even had it been malicious and intentional, so what. I can't imagine Walmart would decide, in retrospect, that this was worth less than $14.

thisarticle 6y ago
I think you may underestimate how petty Walmart is.
lucian1900 6y ago
The police exist primarily to protect private (not personal) property. Walmart used the police as designed, it’s not always strike breaking.
- airhead969 6y ago
  Protect & Serve (the corporations and the rich from those desperate, starving, filthy plebs trying to survive by stealing)
airhead969 6y ago
It's not mutex: it's a failure chain where blame can be spread around to the reporting employee, the police, and some to the alleged 5-finger discounter (who is disabled and probably didn't understand) too. Perhaps the bigger issues are massive income inequality, lack of healthcare and mental healthcare (taking money from the poor again), and a lack of comprehensive social services / livable benefits to get struggling people by. It wasn't always like this. Heck, shouldn't someone have volunteered to pay for this sweet, confused lady's stuff rather than throw her in jail? What has the world come to, impersonal, expedient, automatic brutality? Judge Dredd summarily executing disabled people for making a mistake seems like the next logical conclusion.. oh wait, that already happens.
valdiorn 6y ago
The problem is that, once that policy becomes known, bad actors will abuse it, and go in multiple times, steal $13.99 of products, in the knowledge they won't get stopped.

thisarticle 6y ago

I think you may underestimate how petty Walmart is.

lucian1900 6y ago

The police exist primarily to protect private (not personal) property. Walmart used the police as designed, it’s not always strike breaking.

airhead969 6y ago
Protect & Serve (the corporations and the rich from those desperate, starving, filthy plebs trying to survive by stealing)

airhead969 6y ago

It's not mutex: it's a failure chain where blame can be spread around to the reporting employee, the police, and some to the alleged 5-finger discounter (who is disabled and probably didn't understand) too. Perhaps the bigger issues are massive income inequality, lack of healthcare and mental healthcare (taking money from the poor again), and a lack of comprehensive social services / livable benefits to get struggling people by. It wasn't always like this. Heck, shouldn't someone have volunteered to pay for this sweet, confused lady's stuff rather than throw her in jail? What has the world come to, impersonal, expedient, automatic brutality? Judge Dredd summarily executing disabled people for making a mistake seems like the next logical conclusion.. oh wait, that already happens.

valdiorn 6y ago

The problem is that, once that policy becomes known, bad actors will abuse it, and go in multiple times, steal $13.99 of products, in the knowledge they won't get stopped.