The Big Wednesday Debate.

[NoMercy]

Here's the scenario:

An 86-year-old, partially sighted woman, who claims to have a dodgy ticker (well she would, wouldn't she!), goes into a shop and steals an item from the store. The shopkeeper has had his/her suspicions about the old lady for some time, and when the elderly woman is finally apprehended for stealing, the shopkeeper calls the police. The police arrive and formally arrest the old woman and take her down the station, as they would any other person caught shoplifting.

Is it right to treat a person of that age just like any other thief?

Or should she have been made to pay for the item and allowed to walk away?

[B00]

Errr no, lock her up, will save a fortune in retirement home costs.

[boxtops]

This actually happened to my mum in her eighties, we didn't find out about until months afterwards, she wouldn't tell us. She had a walking aid with a bag at the front and put some coffee in the bag absentmindedly (as one does), and didn't get it out at the till when she paid for other things. The manager called her into the back room, he didn't call the police but he told her she was banned from the shop - hard, when it was the only supermarket in that small village, and she didn't drive.

[NoMercy]

If it's a genuine mistake, Boxy, no one can grumble about that.

[steg]

a thief is a thief...... amputation of the hand is the only way

[NoMercy]

I take it you are not being serious with regards to amputation, Steggy-poos.

Do you stand by your "thief is a thief" statement, though?

[boxtops]

I believe it was, NoM, but the rat manager was having none of it. Fortunately he left a few months later so Mum could do her own shopping again after that.

[B00]

Boxtops, i think thats lenient in all honesty!

How many theives woud try that escuse if they thought they could get away with it?

I'm not saying your mum was theving by the way, but you can't have one rule for one and none for t'other.

[boxtops]

B00, I can't help but agree, even though I was angry when I heard about it those years ago. The village was full of little old ladies with trolleys, mum was probably the last straw!
I don't think you can have an age limit on stealing, certainly.

[wolf63]

Todays thugs and scum are tomorrows pensioners.

It is easy to look at an oldie and think that they are 'sweet old ladies' but some of them are evil old moos.

If the police do nothing she could continue on her crime spree for years to come. I don't know the answer - is she sane? is this a one-off crime? is she so poor that she needs to steal?

[B00]

Pheww, I expected you to go mental at what I wrote Boxtops, lol.

Glad you didn't :-)

[NoMercy]

The thing is, if the customer has been a good customer for years, then common sense should tell you that it was probably the result of a senior moment. If you've had your suspicions about a customer for years, it's a completely different ballgame.

[yogi-bear]

Hiya NoM,

"Is it right to treat a person of that age just like any other thief?"

Yes, it is in a way as a thief is a thief, but common sense must prevail when all taken into acount...........her age, partial sight, dodgy ticker etc........what happens if whilst being arrested she suffers a heart attack or stroke?.........dont think the police would really want to prosecute or arrest/cause distress to a woman of that age and would try, if the shopkeeper insisted on her being arrested, to drop charges and just ban her from ever coming in the shop again, otherwise she will face the threat of prosecution.

Or should she have been made to pay for the item and allowed to walk away?

That would probably be the best course of action in this case, but she will be given a stern talking too by the police that if it ever happens again, they wont be so lenient with her.

Common sense must prevail in this scenario imo. :0)

[steg]

if the shop had its suspicions about her, she most likely is a thief as she probably has stolen before,.... amputation would stop a lot of thieving imo

[NoMercy]

I used to have an elderly woman and her daughter come into my shop with their trolley. They weren't nicking stuff off the shelves, they were sneaking into the stock room and nicking the multipacks. They were two of the town's most prolific thieves and each had a record as long as your arm.

[boxtops]

B00 - that's OK! ;-)

NoM yes, that crossed my mind. It would depend on the evidence the store manager's been massing up - mind you, it could have applied to my mum, too - I have no way of knowing now that this might not have been the first absent-minded moment.....

[kammalla]

If it was a first offense I would say let her pay/take back item and be done with it. but it sounds like a repeat offender, thus she should be subject to the same laws as everyone else. How would you feel if it was a partially sighted 26yr old male? or somebody with a missing limb? everyone should be accountable for their actions with the same law.

Personally speaking the only ones I would accept being treated differently are for those people with a proven mental disability that affects their behaviour. Everyone else regardless of age that has no psychological difficulties should be treated the same.

[joeluke]

So people who commit crimes stop being classed as criminals when they reach old age do they?

"Awwww, she's 86, didn't know she was doing it bless her!

Of course not, she should be treated exactly the same as anyone else who shoplifts

[yogi-bear]

Changed my opinion now thanks to joeluke...........anyone seen the end of Braveheart?............... but three times as worse :0)

[joeluke]

So at what age should we start feeling sorry for criminals and let them off with just a ticking off then?

[sandyRoe]

I thought the police don't bother about shoplifters now, whatever age they are.