It is quite sad and somewhat embarrassing that the Gazette has resorted to the public shaming of shoppers who are accused of leaving a grocery store without paying. I hope that the individuals whose pictures were published in the most recent police beat section were not first-time "offenders," or that the police have a strong case for theft.
For the record, it is not a criminal offence to mistakenly leave a store without paying for an item, and these individuals have a very low probability of being convicted of a criminal offence even if they are arrested and charged.
Are we now to fear that if we forget to unload an item from a shopping cart, that our pictures will be plastered all over St. Albert?
Please stop wasting paper! if, however, you must continue to waste paper with these petty crime beat articles, at least provide some background from the investigation that suggests that a theft occurred and not merely inadvertence.
J. Janis, St. Albert
