Bait Packages left in Mall Food Court

[my5cents]

Yes, theft by finding is a criminal offense.

https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#245552

Do we really want our "over worked" RCMP doing this type of sting ?

The article outlines how the Surrey RCMP had placed shopping bags in the food court, as though they had been left and forgotten by a customer. When someone took the shopping bag and didn't turn it in to someone in authority, like lost and found they were charged with theft. During the one week operation, 3 were caught, 7 turned the bags over to authorities.

I was at Costco last Monday and the cart I grabbed in the parking lot had a bottle of Tide detergent in the bottom rack. Yes, someone had forgotten to remove it when they loaded their purchases into their car.

I would never even consider taking something that wasn't mine, if a clerk gives me too much change I point it out, that's just me.

I chose the cart and entered Costco. I handed the bottle (worth about $24) over to the staff at the entrance, they put such items in their lost and found.

Would it be OK for the RCMP to have placed the Tide in the bottom of the basket waiting for me to put it in my car ???

[GordonH]

Drive mall security crazy by constantly calling about unattended packages.

[Urbane]

Interesting thread, my5cents, and I'm somewhat conflicted. The bait package strategy doesn't sit well with me but when I mentioned it to my wife she liked the idea. And we almost always agree on pretty well everything. She asked me if I liked the bait car strategy and I said that I did. Somehow that seems different though but perhaps she has a point.

Anyway, if I saw a package unattended in a mall I would leave it alone although I might point it out to a security guard if one were around. It can get complicated though. Example: What if you found a $10 bill on the floor of the mall? Turn it in? Keep it? Ignore it? How about in the parking lot? As I say, it gets complicated.

[my5cents]

Interesting thread, my5cents, and I'm somewhat conflicted. The bait package strategy doesn't sit well with me but when I mentioned it to my wife she liked the idea. And we almost always agree on pretty well everything. She asked me if I liked the bait car strategy and I said that I did. Somehow that seems different though but perhaps she has a point.

Anyway, if I saw a package unattended in a mall I would leave it alone although I might point it out to a security guard if one were around. It can get complicated though. Example: What if you found a $10 bill on the floor of the mall? Turn it in? Keep it? Ignore it? How about in the parking lot? As I say, it gets complicated.

Exactly my point Urbane. I don't think someone stealing a car, or even shop lifting can be compared to "finding" a parcel or a shopping bag left in a mall.

Yes it's illegal, but should the Surrey RCMP, (especially) who over their heads in murders, have a squad policing abandoned packages ????

Like you said should our police drop cash on the sidewalk and see who turns it over ???

[dirtybiker]

Guess my kidlet is a thief.
And right under the parents noses even.
I've never seen anyone find coins on the floors and grounds quite like it before.

Everywhere we go they get spotted and retrieved..

Little thief !

[Veovis]

Exactly my point Urbane. I don't think someone stealing a car, or even shop lifting can be compared to "finding" a parcel or a shopping bag left in a mall.

Yes it's illegal, but should the Surrey RCMP, (especially) who over their heads in murders, have a squad policing abandoned packages ????

Like you said should our police drop cash on the sidewalk and see who turns it over ???

Bait car is one thing, bait "looser weepers finders keepers" really seems to bait people that find a simple overlook and loss vs taking things from someones vehicle in the parking lot. I'm not saying its right just understandable. Many take what is "forgotten" not as it is "stolen"

[dirtybiker]

Find a wallet, return it, watch someone drop a 5 spot or 10, return it.
find keys, or packages, hand them in.

Find a loose 5 or 10 floating down the gutter...it's yours...

Pretty simple really.

[OKkayak]

This is a joke, right? What an amazing waste of time, money and resources.

[Merry]

I agree; the amount of time and money that must have gone into the planning and execution of this activity is outrageous, when one considers the fact that the police no longer attend the home of a simple break and enter - citing lack of police time. They tell you to file a report and hope for the best.

So how come they're prepared to devote their scarce resources to trying to catch petty criminals helping themselves to forgotten packages? It makes absolutely no sense.

[Fancy]

Better the police involved doing something active to catch repeat criminals than sitting at a desk.

[LTD]

I would call the bomb squad and evacuate the mall

[OKkayak]

Better the police involved doing something active to catch repeat criminals than sitting at a desk.

Wonder how long they sat around at a desk planning this and then sat around in the food court waiting for someone to grab a bag?

5 days for 3 people that will end up getting a slap on the wrist for a petty crime. Awesome

[Bsuds]

I think I read that all 3 of these people were known to police.

It's too bad out justice system couldn't grow some gonads and put repeat offenders like these away for a long time!

I get frustrated reading about people with multiple offences let out and continue their crime spree's.

[Fancy]

Trust people to complain about police trying something different.

[OKkayak]

Trust people to complain about police trying something different.

Seeing that our taxes fund it. Seeing that the cops keep saying that they're understaffed. Seeing that it's a petty crime. Complain away