Early Tuesday afternoon, Eichlers Judaica on 50th Street and 13th Avenue was bustling with customers, with dozens of people in the store preparing for the upcoming yom tov. Amidst all the activity, a salesperson, going back and forth for the shoppers, noticed a woman lurking in the same corner every time he returned. His suspicions aroused, he kept his eye on her, as other customers milled around. He quickly realized that every time the area around the woman cleared out, she would attempt to sneak items into her bag. The employee notified his manager, who immediately alerted Shomrim. Several members arrived within moments and positioned themselves at the exits, to prevent the shoplifter from escaping the scene.
Shomrim contacted the NYPD, and officers showed up straightaway. After refusing to answer any questions, the police did a quick search, and discovered an assortment of goods from Eichlers and other local stores in her handbag. The woman was arrested and charged with shoplifting.
(Eli Gefen – YWN / BP Shomrim)
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One Response
Since the woman chose of all places Eichlers to steal from, I’m presuming she got there because she’s a Jew. How do the Shomrim differentiate between those cases that are handled with discretion or resolved in bais din vs. informing on community members to government authorities?