People who steal 2

[Barrettone]

I was just reading the first "stealing" thread, when a call comes in at 11:30pm. It is the local PD, and they need me to go down to our heavy equipment garage, because they just observed someone stealing a bunch of (HEAVY) scrap from our yarding area with two pick-up trucks. I get down there only to find out that it is a former employee of mine (from 2 years ago) that I had to let go due to slow times here in construction in Michigan. I asked him why he did it, and he said he needed the money to feed his family. I truly don't think he was lying, as I could see it in his eyes. I feel kinda bad for the guy because I know he has a wife and a little girl (with virtually NO JOBS available in Metro Detroit), but here he is stealing from my family with two of his cohorts. We work real hard to get what we have, and despite the bleak economic conditions, I am finding myself more upset than ever. When this guy worked for me, I gave him everything I could (start-up cash for a place to live, temporary transportation and some extra hours to try and get ahead), but things went south, and I had to scale back. Now I am looking at his truck getting impounded with a baby seat on the passenger side, and it just makes me so sad. What kind of life is that kid gonna have with a dad who is getting charged with MULTIPLE felonies (the stuff they tried to take was worth over $3000). What a desperate situation folks are in around here. This guy is/was in my church too...what a shame. I know we have to have law and order, but it doesn't stop desperate people from doing desperate things when they gotta put food on the table.

This sucks.

[CSEMARTIN]

the bleak economic conditions

Tell me about it. The dumbest thing I've ever done in my life was to buy a house in Michigan. I've been paying two mortgages, property taxes, utilities, etc. since May with no end in site. We have our house in Saginaw listed for 5K less than it will take to break even (not including realtor fees). And nobody is looking!!

When I was the Chief Trauma Resident there, I was surprised at all the crime that didn't get reported on the news. There isn't enough time to report it all on t.v. Things are bad in Michigan. I like Michigan, and I miss my friends, but I'm glad to be out of that hell hole.

[Brian Payne]

To a certain extent I can understand you feeling sorry for this man. Then I think back to the 19 years I paid over $950.00/mo. in child support. I paid it gladly because it was worth every penny to ensure my boys had a good home. But it made things very tough when the income I took home was well under the national poverty level. (this worked out to be 60% of my take home pay).

I took two extra jobs to help make ends meet, often times working 90 to 100 hrs. per week. Those extra jobs were peeling the bark off of logs for log home building (using a large draw knife), and cleaning hog barns in a large hog operation. The barn cleaning was done with hand implements, not skid loaders or anything like that.

I firmly believe there are jobs out there if someone were ambitious enough to look. The jobs may not be what you would like to be doing, but that is another story. Sometimes the path of least resistance is more appealing.

Sometime I think challenges are thrown at us in our life to test us and allow us the opportunity to become a better person. We all face these challenges at one time or another. We all don't turn to doing this sort of thing. I have been a cop for 28 years thus far, so take my jaundiced opinion for what it is worth.

[PaulW]

I live by a simple priciple "What's right is right, what's wrong is wrong". He was wrong, bottom line. He made the choice not you. Do not feel bad for this guy. Sometimes we must fall in order to get back up. Hopefully he'll learn a lesson from this.

[Miranda]

a pile of ifs for you.

If... his first offence, he will get away lightly.

If ...you can take it, press the charges

because...

If... he does it again

the next time he needs to be punished.

If... I was hungry and wanted to feed a family

and felt I had no other options

I'd steal from a grocery store's dumpster.

he has options (darned few, I agree...)

I know you feel bad and I would too.

miranda

[GentlemanJim]

I would bet the farm...that if this man had come to you saying his family had no food...You would have fed them.

His excuse is worthless.!!!!!

Any man worthy of being called a man..will find a way to take care of his family..any job...dirty job...low paying job it would not matter.

he could also pack the car and go where he could get a job...an honorable man would find a way.!!!

My sympathy lies with you!...the honest man who did his best to help...and who was wronged!

Jim

[MichiganShootist]

That sucks big time Jeff... But it shouldn't be on your shoulders.

A number of years ago I had a VERY trusted employee-- who I had promoted and supported to get funding for night school... she was stealing from the company (to the tune of $3K a week).....

When all the facts were in.. we found out she was giving the money to her drug user ex-husband.. because he had threatened to kidnap her 2 year old baby if she didn't raise him some cash.

Hey man... there is a lot of crap going on... you just had some "splashed" on you.

But it's not your crap!!!!!!

BTW Doc Martin.... Saginaw is a hell hole... Not Michigan:)

Edited September 27, 2007 by MichiganShootist

[Jaxshooter]

I have been in the same position many times with my delivery drivers who have an income. I have always told them if they need something for thier family just ask for it but don't steal from me. It is unfortunate that it comes to this but you can't just let it slide. If you do your family won't be able to eat.

[SiG Lady]

My volunteer work at the local county Jail puts me in touch with both the Pastoral staff, the Education staff and the managers of the whole rehab program... of which I'm a part (Librarian). I sometimes have direct (and often indirect) contact with inmates and see--on one hand--that these guys and gals are human and have human needs, but--on the other hand--they made a bad decision along the way and got busted... and have to take responsibility for that. We've seen some success stories (re-educated, GED earning, literacy improvments (books!), job skills acquisition, yet we see a few stragglers who re-offend, too.

But we NEED TO REMAIN DETACHED about these people because they DID break the law somehow. And it must've been worthy of incarceration because we're very short of jail beds at the moment, and those that ARE 'inside' must've really done something worthy of it. I don't so much "feel sorry for" any of them, I just try and UNDERSTAND what their stories are and provide what they need to learn things and occupy their time PRODUCTIVELY. Bottom line, though, their crimes need justice.

The guy in Barrettone's poste was stealing valuable goods. That's a crime. He's not the ONLY one out-of-work or doing-without or suffering from lack of money. I'm ALL of those three things but I don't go out stealing stuff.

[Nemo]

Jeff, that sucks big time! I have purchased groceries for people in need and bought lunch to homeless people. And they didn't even asked nicely. My point is that he could've called you and ask you for some of that scrap, but he chose to steal from you.

Now not related to the events subject of Jeff's thread...

My wife babysits for a young couple of friends. He came to me last week to tell me that he got a great deal on 4 new tires for his car from a guy that works at one of those big franchise tire shops. He also offered that if I wanted tires for my little Honda CR-V (badly needed right now) he can get them for me for $40 each. I tried to explain to him that I couldn't accept a deal like that because I won't sponsor that type of activity, that the owner of the shop has a family too and his employees are stealing from him and finally, that buying stolen merchandise is not an example I want to give my two sons. The not-so-funny part of the story is that this kid friend of ours replied "I didn't steal the tires myself". He didn't seem to understand.

It's not cool when we get our property stolen but some seem to think it's ok to buy stolen goods. It is the same.

[iainmcphersn]

I just wonder what his two buddies had to say for themselves... I hate the situation but he dealt it.