comment: >
  
  Weird way to spell "fired and criminally charged."
context: She was scanning her items when she caught the attention of a loss prevention officer who was watching the store's surveillance video feeds. 
  The officer saw that Bell "took one item in her right hand and another in her left hand, proceeded to scan the item in her left hand, but not the item in her right hand," according to the agreed statement of facts.
  Bell placed both items into her bin and continued, the loss prevention officer noted, until she paid her bill for the items she scanned and headed to the exit.
  The loss prevention officer then caught up with her and arrested her in the vestibule between the exit doors. Once she was back inside the store, Bell identified herself as an Ottawa police officer.
  The store determined that Bell paid for groceries totalling $87.46, while stealing items worth $87.68, nearly the exact same amount.
  
  So, no, an officer didn't have a "senior" moment of forgetting to ring up a bell pepper. She intentionally tried to game the system and got caught. >
  
  I get nervous about this sometimes lol. I have no idea how closely they watch at stores or how much they let go but I'm always thinking I'm gonna fuck up and steal a can of soup or something
  Honestly it's made me go to a real cashier when I have a lot of stuff to get through >
  
  My local Walmart is pretty fancy... The self checkout has an AI or something watching you scan. Any suspicious scanning and it immediately calls for assistance, and you can't scan until a worker clears it. Happened to me a few days ago because I scanned something, turned to show my wife (went slightly out of frame), and turned back to put it in the bag. The machine stopped me and showed me a clip for my suspicious scan (which did look a little sus).
  Canadian Walmarts really have someone watching self checkout screens all day? >
  
  
  Canadian Walmarts really have someone watching self checkout screens all day?
  
  Judging by the \~3 minutes it took for someone to give me a bag when I pressed the "ask for assistance button", I'm guessing not.
  ​
  They have cameras and scales and it shows you the footage of yourself on screen, but I've never seen it replay it (although I'm not there often). >
  
  Walmart self checkouts are gonna turn into shoplifting highlight reels with big screen TVs running weekly "Top 10 Most Suspicious" categories like Sportscenter but for shoplifting. Which is ironic because Walmart loves stealing wages from their employees. >
  
  What employees… there is one cashier now watching 50 customers fuck up at scanning… >
  
  If they didn't want us to fuck up scanning, and they dont trust us, then they shouldn't have forced that responsibility on us in the first place! >
  
  It is called shadow labor and this is the price they need to pay for making the customer do the job. >
  
  well not everybody fit to do it! It is unfair and is taking a jobs away from people who need income... they do this because they worry about the profit level for the one who is on the top and making close to 20,000 an hour... >
  
  The taking away jobs argument is invalid imho. Should we go back to sending telegrams instead of texting because it took jobs from the telegram delivery people? >
  
  A cop from my hometown was busted for stealing $5k from the funding for a private gym in the police station. He had to pay it back, but that's it. He was still a cop. >
  
  Sounds eerily similar to how people of wealth and privilege avoid the consequences for their actions.
  It sends a clear message to us all, they might say they are like us but when it really comes down to it the slogan actually means blue lives matter more. >
  
  It also sends the message: if you’re a shitty person, the safest job to get is being a cop. I don’t know if this is actually true, but handling matters this way definitely sends this message, and can be expected to attract the wrong people to the profession. >
  
  Anecdotally, it’s true.  Before the interwebs and proliferation of police beating videos, just locally in the Northeast, the worst dudes were the ones that became cops. >
  
  It's always been that way. It's a job that attracts people who like power over others. >
  
  In my experience it also attracts people who like to work a system - minimal labor, rules they can bend to their favor, pension after 20 yrs. >
  
  A law enforcement officer who disregards the law to the point that they steal has no place enforcing laws for other people. They shouldn't have a job. >
  
  Yeah.  Demoted? >
  
  "could be" demoted. >
  
  Demoted with pension. >
  
  We are demoting you too "on vacation" for two weeks then back to your old job. >
  
  "Make sure to stock up on grocery supplies during this paid time off" >
  
  I arrested a small town cop at a home depot for stealing two high dollar window alarms, the type that you put on your home windows that ding when the sensor disconnects. A bunch of city cops showed up and phone calls were made. She left without us signing a ticket on her and as far as I know nothing ever happened. >
  
  Should just ban the entire police department from shopping at your Home Depot. I say that, but I know if you did that, they wouldn't show up in any emergency if you had to call them. Cops hold a grudge and WILL be childish when they get caught. >
  
  Back when I worked at 7/11 the cops stopped responding to any calls made because we wouldnt give them free coffee (company rule).  I was 19 at the time and worked 5:30am-1:30pm by myself.  I guess I should be grateful women weren't 'allowed' to work the graveyard shift. >
  
  coffee is like a couple bucks. What a bunch of turds. >
  
  Mothefuckers lie about their overtime and collect ridiculous stacks of taxpayer cash and then refuse to do their job if they have to spend any of it on anything.    
  Knew a cop who was earning $125k and he got upset if you brought it up while he was trying to engage in cameraderie with people who were actually struggling financially. Piece of shit wanted the sympathy his poor friends were getting while earning ten times their wage as a bachelor with no kids. >
  
  I think it was queen city news that did a multi-part story on police officers stacking over time. They figured out when they were suppose to work and would secretly follow the officers around video taping them. Sometimes they wouldn't leave their home all day, other times they went and worked a second job as a security guard. >
  
  The fact that an officer faces demotion for this -- not firing -- is everything that is wrong with policing. >
  
  I find its just crazy. I am sure if this was anywhere else that officer would be out of a job so fast. >
  
  In the US, this officer may not have even been demoted. It feels like an enforcer of the law should be held to a higher standard of conduct than a non-enforcer of the law. >
  
  Hell in the US an officer can kill someone without justification and just go about their day. If they shoplifted no one would bat an eye. >
  
  If they shoplifted nobody would confront them because they don't want to get shot. >
  
  If they were confronted in the states, the cop would shoot the cashier and claim they feared for their life >
  
  They don't even need to make the claim anymore, someone agitated a police officer, that person needs to suffer consequences.
  That's the current state of American police. >
  
  Demoted? How about fired? >
  
  And maybe some jail? >
  
  You want to send someone to jail for stealing $87 worth of groceries? >
  
  It's a peak reddit moment, go on and on about criminal justice reform, while at the same time wanting to cage people over $87. >
  
  Yeah its fascinating how quickly values and opinions can go out the window. >
  
  "See? We're not here just to protect property!" -police >
  
  Police Unions exist to protect police >
  
  What the fuck.
  If your job is to uphold the law, and you break the law.  You should lose your job.  Seems like a no brainier to me...
  Then again, if you're too smart they won't even let you be a cop, so I guess it makes sense. >
  
  I got permanently banned from all Cenovus (oil company) sites because I was security and they found a shattered bong in a garbage bag jammed into back of trunk. No actual weed. But they dealt with me stricter than they do with cops actually breaking the law. >
  
  “Could be”
  Listen, if you’re a struggling single parent, you do you.
  If you’re a god damn law enforcement officer… Christ… >
  
  Meanwhile in the neighboring U.S. ... Cancer patient gets 10 months in jail for shoplifting $110 in groceries. Man receives 17 months for stealing loaf of bread and a few other food items from an H&R Block break room. And of course, Man who spent 36 years in prison for stealing $50 from a bakery. >
  
  Wait, so Jean Valjean spending 19 years as a prison slave for stealing a loaf a bread was pretty plausible? >
  
  Hey, hey! He was sentenced to five years for stealing bread. And 14 for escape attempts. :P >
  
  He broke a window pane! >
  
  What do they mean "could"? Shouldn't it be automatic firing. If I stole something,  the cops would arrest me, I'd be prosecuted and lose my job. Why should it be any different for a cop? >
  
  
  Why should it be any different for a cop?
  
  It should be different - punishment for cops who violate the law should be much harsher. >
  
  I do agree. >
  
  Demoted lol - that’ll show them - fire them ffs >
  
  "Firefighter could face demotion for setting grocery store on fire." >
  
  Fascinating how many people are referring to the officer as if she was a man.
  (Eta: for those who still haven’t opened the article, and are replying foolishness-I’m fascinated simply because it shows they didn’t even read the first sentence of the article) >
  
  Well many people also are treating this like american police too people don't read just comment >
  
  The link says CBC and Canada and Ottawa. Didn’t even have to click to know it’s Canadian >
  
  Reddit is really weird in it’s positions.  If you go into almost any major thread about Walmart or a similar store and the conversation turns to shoplifting, it’s almost universally applauded.  Hundreds of thousands of people here think that shoplifting should be encouraged because retail profits are obscene.
  Have it include a cop, and now it’s universally that cops should be moral and all about how cops have a standard to uphold.
  No comment, just an interesting observation. >
  
  I think the general idea is that we should hold cops to a higher standard. We want our cops to be especially noble and honest because of the importance of their job. Obviously we know that tons of them are worthless sacks, but the desire for them to be better remains. >
  
  I hate cops as much as the next person, but if someone is struggling enough that they have to steal groceries I take no issue with them. Doesn't matter that they're supposed to "uphold the law"; people need to eat. 
  The type of person that cheers for someone who stole basic groceries to be demoted or go to jail is an evil person I'd never want to associate with. Plain and simple. The individual is more important than the company, full stop. >
  
  She makes at minimum $90,000/ year as a Senior Constable in Ottawa Police Services and was surely in lockstep to make $105,000 by next year. I can’t see how she would be struggling. You don’t even have to go to university for the job, and her 2 year Police foundations course would have cost $10,000 max so I’m not considering student loan debt into this struggle, either. If she is struggling elsewhere she should have contacted her EAP (employee assistance program) to get some guidance. She is unionized, too. I can’t see how a police officer at OPS could possibly need to scam for groceries. >
  
  Thank you for posting this. I was torn since I figured she was making minimum wage and maybe really needed those groceries. $90k plus should not need to steal $90 worth of groceries unless they are like slammed with debt or something >
  
  Could be? There's your problem right there. >
  
  I work in insurance.  Not only would I lose my job but probably my license were I convicted of this.  Big or small, once your integrity is in question it is really hard to obtain a fiduciary bond. >
  
  You think if I shoplifted $87 in groceries I would be demoted? Or would I be fucking arrested and lose my job? >
  
  Men have been murdered by police for less >
  
  could be demoted???
  you have got to be kidding me.  Apparently not being a criminal is not a minimum job requirement. >
  
  No one knows why she only walked out with two cartons of eggs >
  
  Weird. If you were poor and not a cop you’d at least be facing criminal charges and not just a slightly worse job posting. >
  
  Did you read the story?  She was criminally charged and it was diverted, which would be typical for an offence like this in Canada. >
  
  This thread is very frustrating. >
  
  Hung up on "demotion" and moral principles of police work and not that a full time working person needs to resort to stealing half their groceries to feed their fucking family. She wasn't stealing a TV you idiots, it was food. F o o d.
  Maybe she's just a klepto, or maybe she is a drug addict or gambler or somehow pissed her salary away. Or maybe, the cost of living and one bad stroke of luck (like a car accident) absolutely pushed her family to the brink because that's the kind of world both America and Canada lives in and now stealing is her only option to make rent.
  Reddit sees the word "cop" and goes fucking feral, pathetic, the lot of you. >
  
  Any idea what her salary is? Was this a crime of want or need? If i saw someone stealing food as a police officer, doctor or firefighter i wouldnt say shit. >
  
  Probably 80 - 100K $CAD >
  
  The whole point of the diversion program is to give people a second chance. Because it will be wiped from her record she gets a break with the discipline as well. This is Canada. I doubt many Canadians are calling for her head just because she is a cop. >
  
  “Could”. 
  But won’t. System working as intended. >
  
  If "law enforcement" breaks the law they shouldn't be able to enforce them ever again! Why do we not have a national "do not hire as LEO" list for food cops? We should do that too! >
  
  "Demoted"- should be fired at the bare minimum >
  
  If I did this my nursing license would be revoked and I’d have to find a new career with nothing more than a “good luck”. >
  
  I don’t understand why her theft was discovered only because a prevention loss officer saw her fail to scan items on video surveillance - don’t self-checkout systems weigh the items on the bagging side and detect unscanned items that way automatically? >
  
  The second one was likely not going into the weight sensor area. That’s why she was scanning one and taking two. The unscanned left one goes into the bag as the right hand scans a different one. Then you put the right one in a bag not on the sensor part. 
  It would stand up to casual observation but not a receipt check. That’s why the receipts were nearly identical. This person had done this before likely and this was intentional. >
  
  I feel like the fact that a cop feels they have to steal groceries is a bad sign for things to come for everyone. 
  Granted I don't know the individual situation and there are always bad actors in every occupation. If she stole just because then she should be fired not demoted. 
  but if it's theft due to honest struggle it's very scary for everyone.  If even law enforcement isn't paid enough to uphold the law things will degrade very quickly. >
  
  Yeah, I don't understand why everyone is automatically assuming that this person is doing fine financially and just stole for the lulz.
  it's not like they were fencing stereo equipment, it was maybe a bag (or half a bag, in some places) worth of food. 
  But it's reddit, everyone assumes they know the person's situation and condemn based on a combination of scarce info and their own frame of reference/  life circumstances. >
  
  
  everyone assumes they know the person's situation 
  
  I mean, they do know the lower limits on their income at least.  Because they're an employed police officer. >
  
  If I steal $87 from the grocery store, cops show up, I go to jail until trial or until I make bail, likely lose my job, have to pay restitution, have a criminal record which keeps me from getting a new job, and I may have to spend additional time in jail.
  If my employer shorts my check by $87, I have to report it and wait for someone to look into it.  I also have to deal with the repercussions of being short, whether it's paying a bill late or going a few days without eating, being unable to put gas in the car, etc.  Eventually, I might get the $87 I was shorted.  I also may not.  Ultimately, the police will not show up to arrest the employer for theft, the employer won't go to jail, won't incur criminal charges, won't lose their home or job, or suffer any sort of meaningful consequence for their theft.
  If a cop steals $87 in groceries, they may get demoted.
  All three cases involve exactly the same crime: theft of $87.  The cop gets a light slap on the wrist, if anything.  The employer is mildly inconvenienced, at best.  Me, who is neither an owner or a law enforcement officer, would have my life mostly ruined. >
  
  This is in Canada, you're not going to jail for stealing groceries regardless of who you are. >
  
  That does make me feel better, overall. >
  
  $87!!! Where is the violent crimes Scorpio unit? They weren't there using excessive deadly force? >
  
  When I do it, I'm feeding my family.  When you do it, I get to kill you. >
  
  You mean he gets to keep his job? >
  
  He should have just killed a brown person and took their groceries. Woulda got a paid vacation. >
  
  Grocery prices are so high even the police are stealing. >
  
  You mean fired and arrested just like any poor person. >
  
  She MIGHT face consequences. Close call. >
  
  Honestly relatable, we all struggle Duo to the rising cost of living. >
  
  Yeah in my opinion the real story here is that police are paid such that they would be motivated to steal groceries. 
  How could we expect to attract competent talent in policing with that low pay? You can’t. The only way you would apply for the job at that pay rate is if you’re desperate or if you’re attracted to the power so you don’t care about the pay. 
  I expect our issues with violent and oppressive policing to continue as long as the various police departments can’t afford to hire decent folk. And can’t attract enough talent to be able to fire those who need it as well. >
  
  Weird. The last time an article about grocery theft was posted, the majority of people claimed it was justified and everyone should steal because inflation is unfair. Now I see a change of heart. >
  
  It’s Reddit, not any less prone to the hive mind or biases that other medias have. So for everyone just be mindful and make your own judgements. It’s easier to let others decide for us what to think but stop and ask why. >
  
  Love how people are saying he should be fired but had it been LITERALLY ANYONE ELSE, you guys would be supporting it and talking about price gouging lol >
  
  If they wouldn’t have been a cop it would have been a non story that 99.99% of redditors would never have seen or heard. >
  
  Or they would’ve been praised for fighting the system or smth >
  
  Reddit for the last 3 years re shoplifting:
  Fuck the billionaire grocery companies!!!! Power to the people!!
  Reddit when cops do something they approve of:
  You fucking monsters >
  
  That seems like a pretty severe punishment for taking one carton of eggs. >
  
  Never going to fault someone for stealing food.
  If it were something entirely unnecessary like gadgets or games, maybe, but stealing food from a Walmart is almost more moral than not stealing it. Places like Walmart buy and sell so much food that a lot of it just gets wasted and thrown away. If you steal it and eat it yourself, you are probably saving something from being tossed.
  I will fault the hypocrisy of doing it while being an LEO, though. That's kinda not cool. >
  
  
  Gatineau police responded to the scene and told Bell it would be a Quebec prosecutor's decision whether any criminal charges were laid.
  
  Why would that be the case if everyone is supposed to be equal under the law? 
  Just goes to show how fucked up our society is... >
  
  Um, isn't always up to the prosecutor whether any criminal charges are laid? Isn't that you know the prosecutors job? >
  
  Inflation making people do crazy things >
  
  Demoted to someone who fits the description >
  
  Paid administrative leave which is supposed to be a punishment. >
  
  could be? Like, you don't know? >
  
  It’s rough out there for a lot of us right now, but I think this was someone who thought they could beat the system because they’re part of the system. 
  The risk she took was calculated but never underestimate the ability of LP to catch you shoplifting at big box stores! If they let you go, it’s not because they didn’t see, they’re building a case against you so they can hit you with that felony charge when you shoplift a few more times. >
  
  They can beat the crap out of and kill people with impuinity but infringing on capitalism will not go unpunished >
  
  I’m glad the police draw the line somewhere. Thought they had no morals at all. /s >
  
  Demoted?! For crimes?? Lets not be too hasty now. >
  
  Oh Canada! You're adorable! Cops in the news for shoplifting, not hunting citizens for sport and taking ears as trophies like here in America! >
  
  He stole 2 bananas and an egg? >
  
  Demoted to not a police officer? Charged with theft? >
  
  Isn't that just civil asset forfeiture? >
  
  Story time. In college I worked for the summer in classes for out of towners. Someone stole a video camera. I was interviewed and the officer heavily insinuated I was part of it. I was livid at his behavior. Later he was caught stealing batteries at the Safeway. He bailed town not soon after. Fuck that guy.