34 Comments

• thanks

  to shomrim and NYPD

• If I had a daughter

  …………….

• Invitation

  Leaving the umbrellas outside is an invitation for some to steal. The shop owner shares in the blame. Does he even have a permit to leave merchandise outside?

  • so nice

    to#3 its not his fault its to make ppl see he sells umbrelsas

  • Milhouse

    Why would he need a permit?

  • Permit

    Because in NYC you need a permit just to burp.

  • reply to # 4

    Sterling Electronics should put the Umbrellas behind their window

• to 1

  yes very much

• Thats ridiculous #3

  The generation of today need to learn to be decent people . And that starts from when they are young! so ALL parent Black, White, Yellow or Green.It is up to YOU to teach YOUR children!

  • Not Ridiculous

    Irrespective of the fact that they should know better, you don’t need to tempt people by leaving the stuff outside unattended.

  • Milhouse

    You can be sure they’ve taken the risk of theft into account, and the increased sales make it worth the occasional loss. That doesn’t mean they share responsibility for the crime.

• osama

  is that my daughter? she def looks like that

  • to#7

    Ignorant. Hashem is watching you.

• Shimon Shak

  How do you know it wasn’t a joke and she really wasn’t scared ?? It’s a shame how people are reacting :(

  • Oh come on!!!

    Look at the picture where she’s leaning on the umbrella. She doesn’t look at all terrified. She’s a THIEF. This is summer in CH, people. Wait till it gets hot.

• Sam

  Simchah that is the only exercise you do,you should thank them shoplifters, they getting you back in shape on low budget,just put out the very cheap umberlas :)

• MAZAL TOV

  These arrests are happening on a daily basis and that is a good sign…excellent…and there’s no groups of people trying to stop the cops from doing their job… excellent… Tonite also, I saw a chosid call the cops to explain an incident at Kingston Carroll… So yes, they are responding in professional manner lately.

  • just a thought

    How about more police presence on Kingston? And every other block as well.

• Nope

  Number 6:
  Leaving an umbrella stand outside is not an invitation to steal but an invitation for people to impulse buy when it’s raining outside.

  The store wouldn’t sell any umbrellas if they were inside.

  Leaving them outside tempts you to steal as well?
  It’s called running a business and in any normal city that would be OK but here in NYC you blame the owner for trying to sell umbrellas.

• NopeAgain

  One more point. If that’s the case number 6 please tell all grocery stores to bring the fruits & vegetables inside ASAP. Unattended? I think if it was unattended you wouldn’t be reading this article right now.

• Surprised

  Really? arrested? for stealing an umbrella? the value of it was 6.99$!!!!! I think she should have been, i dont know. but i do not think she should have been arrested!

  • really?

    What exactly should be the dollar amount up to which one can steal without punishment? (Rest assured the thief didn’t spend the night in jail – but an arrest and therefore a record of the crime is absolutely appropriate)

• all you "Lawyers" commenting

  well if it was a joke ? , now she knows her future is not a comedian

• TO #3

  YOU ARE BASICALLY SAYING WE SHOULD ADOPT THE PREHOLOCAUST LIFESTYLE. THIS IS MEANT TO BE A FREE COUNTRY AND ONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LEAVE HIS THINGS IN FRONT OF HIS STORE OR HOME AND NOT HAVE TO FEAR. PUT THE BLAME WHERE IT BELONGS! LET THE CULPRIT PAY FOR THEIR CRIMES N O T T H E I N N O C E N T HARD WORKING UPRIGHT CITIZEN!

  • Ari

    Your comment is also naive to think one could leave something out in the open and no one is going to be tempted. You should try putting money out in public view and see how many people are willing to take it.

  • Milhouse

    Putting money out is not normal. Putting merchandise out is perfectly normal and expected. And yes, people will be tempted to steal. So what? They have a duty to resist that temptation, and if they don’t they’re thieves and will be arrested and charged, just as if the merchandise had been inside.

• Mendel

  These kids should write the store owner a thank you card for teaching them a lesson in following law before they commit a crime which will ruin their lives!

• Self Righteous Much?

  C’mon guys.

  You mean not a single one of the posters here ever engaged in a teenage prank? None of you ever did anything stupid in your life?

  How would you feel if you had your entire life ruined with a criminal record for every stupid mistake you ever made?

  Or is it simply that you guys feel we need to have two different standards of justice — one for “us” and a much harsher one for “them”. After all, aren’t “they” all just a bunch of of thugs and criminals?

  And why can’t “they” be just like “us”? Can’t “they” see how much better we are then “them”?

  Wake up guys, this is not 1950s Alabama.

  • Your a Closet Racisit

    THERE IS NO ‘US’ AND ‘THEM’!

    You sir/ma’am are a closet racists to imply that two sets of standards exist.

    Yes the thief is a teen and yes, maybe, it was a prank, but a crime is a crime is a crime is a crime is a crime, no matter how you paint it.

    She TOOK something from SOMEONE that was not hers to TAKE, which constitutes a CRIME.

    You wanna be a kid and pull pranks then go tie your friends shoelaces together. Dont go to a business establishment and take something which is not yours.

    Paint it any way you like, but those same reservations you are feeling for the 6.99 item you should be feeling for the fact that a CRIME was committed and the amount does not matter.

• Self Righteous Much?

  I would still rather be a ” Closet Racisit” (whatever that might be) than an open bigot and racist like you.

• crown heights resident

  Leaving Unguarded Merchandise in front of your store is an an invitation to thieves to steal

  • Milhouse

    So? Does that make the stealing any less wrong?

• Fed Up

  To the cry baby perp, stealing is not a joke! Furthermore, no one wants to hear your sob story that you were afraid of the store owner, who chased you for stealing an umbrella from his store. Next time think twice before playing a “joke” because it can and should lead to serious consequences.

• our responsibility to instill values in all the children

  If you allow a child at a young age to take a small candy from the store and you don’t make an issue about it and walk the child back to the store and make them pay for it- then you aren’t raising morally responsible human beings.
  If you allow a teenager to steal “just an umbrella” – what kind of message are you sending her or the other teens or even the adults that think they have a right to take what they want – joke or no joke.
  The person working for a living suffers, as does everyone else.
  Parents who encourage a mentality of “we are the underprivileged and we are suffering and it is everyone else’s fault,” well that makes for excusing the act of thievery big and small.
  It takes character to do the right thing and not look the other way and it takes character to build character in our children who are the next generation of adults that will be raising future generations.
  Yes, a person has to own up to their mistakes and they should learn from them.
  Years ago people who damaged things would have to work off a broken window or clean an area for a week etc. these things taught and built character. Charging a teen for stealing isn’t enough.
  They got to that point where they didn’t fear the act or the repercussions so they will attempt it again.
  Attaching a punishment like making them responsible to help clean up a park , painting or fixing etc. would be effective.
  Aren’t there anyYMCA’s or big brother organizations to keep these teens preoccupied constructively?
  They are after all bored and looking for something to do – lets give them something constructive that will build respect and character and encourage them to stay away from theft and damaging others properties.