Compassionate police
 

I just saw this story on WMUR's website.Great to see good deeds returned in spades.Hats off to the officer and Cumberland Farms!Although I don't agree with stealing,I thought this story showed the good side of people.

Officer's Kindness Leads To Act Of Generosity
Laconia Officer Paid For Sandwiches Stolen By Hungry Man
POSTED: 10:39 am EST March 4, 2009


LACONIA, N.H. -- A Laconia police officer's act of kindness initially helped a shoplifter, but now it will help more of New Hampshire's homeless and hungry.

In January, Officer Jeffrey Wholley was called to a Cumberland Farms store after a man stole four sandwiches. When the man said he had been hungry, Wholley returned, paid for the food and asked the store to give the man a break. No charges were filed.

Friday, Cumberland Farms President Ari Haseotes will donate $1,000 to the Laconia Police Relief Fund and $2,500 to the New Hampshire Food Bank to recognize Wholley's compassion. The store also will serve lunch for the Salvation Army.

Laconia has a program called Problem Oriented Policing, which acknowledges that many crimes can be rooted in desperation from hunger and homelessness.

nice
 

"Law cannot foresee every possible circumstance"
Tried and true.....

Officer Jeffrey Wholley sounds like a reasonable and compassionate man. I'm glad that has been recognised for his kindness.

I continue to be extremely impressed with the Laconia Police Department, from the Chief on down, in almost everything they do. They are making decisions that make sense to me.

I am very happy to have them around and I feel my tax dollars are going to good use when they pay the salaries of these officers and leaders.

Thanks also to Cumberland Farms for adding value to this situation. You have my gas business and my convience business for the foreseeable future.

R2B

Well said!
 

Couldn't agree more. In my line of work, (medical supplies) I'm seeing more and more of my customers giving supplies to people that need them and have no insurance to cover the cost of products. Lost jobs, lost insurance and stuck waiting for State Aid.

Our company is sending out more and more "free samples" to our customers that are trying to help the down and out folks that live all around us.

Good work Officer Wholley, good work Cumberland Farms. I'll become a customer! Well, a customer of CF... I really don't want to be a customer of the Laconia Police. :eek:

My congratulations to Officer Wholley and Cumberland Farms. Very nice to hear stories like this in these times.:)

Great Thread
 

This is a great story. Especially when most of the threads in here about Law Enforcement types are highly negative such as the threads on N.H.M.P. (justified or not). What it boils down to is that the police aren't just supposed to just be "busting" people, but they are actually there to "help" people. Sometimes "helping" people involves non-traditional methods, such as those employed by Officer Wholley. Not many cops take the time to look at the whole picture. Kudos to Officer Wholley and Cumby's. I try not to have dealings with Laconia P.D. :rolleye1:, but I know where i'm taking my convenience store business in the future.;)

"Laconia has a program called Problem Oriented Policing, which acknowledges that many crimes can be rooted in desperation from hunger and homelessness."

Better get ready to implement that policing policy a whole lot more in the near future!

Rewarding bad behavior. Devil's advocate...
 

I'm going to be the one on this thread that everyone detests. Why am I the only person to see something wrong with this?

In short a police officer rewarded a man who was caught committing larceny (and the President of C.M. donated $X to Y which is great and not the concern of my post). He was also found to have a warrant for his arrest for jumping bail on a different crime.

Although I see the spirit of his intentions, he absolutely should not have paid for this man's stolen food, THEN let him off. What if Mr. Wholley isn't around when this guy steals--and you can bet he will steal again--something from my shop down the street? Maybe Laconia should establish a food bank that this man could have gone to? Wait, they have one.

This especially bothers me given threads like this-click.

I don't mean to be "that guy" but come on. This is a bit ridiculous.

WINNIPESAUKEE,

there's a big difference between someone who is stealing sandwiches and someone who is stealing flat screen t.v.'s

Try to imagine having no job and no money. Humans need to eat to survive. I'm not saying the man was justified stealing anything, stealing is WRONG !!!. But stealing for something to eat is survival, basic human instinct. Breaking into someone's house and stealing flat screen t.v.'s, computers, etc. is just greed, a whole different animal indeed. In general, if you're stealing T.V.'s and computers, it is to hawk for drugs, not survival. Try to look at the big picture.

Exactly. I work for a social services organization now, and some of the stories -- and I use that term loosely, perhaps situations would be a better word -- are just absolutely heartwrenching. Yes, there are food pantries and soup kitchens out there, but they are feeling the squeeze also, donations are down and need is up, and I see it on a daily basis. I consider myself very lucky to have a job, my family and I have our home and clothing and heat, we can pay our bills no problem............... My level of compassion has risen considerably, and I wish I could help more than what I do now. There are people who have never, ever, ever had to ask for help before and a lot of them are taking a serious hit to their self respect, never having been in this position before. I've been in that position myself, and believe me, it can be very demeaning with the attitude of others seeing someone using WIC vouchers or food stamps or anything along those lines. I never imagined I would be looked down upon by someone because I was, as a last resort, asking for assistance and then using that assistance -- and this was about 12 years ago, when the economy was roaring along and my husband and I found ourselves unexpectedly in a real time of need.

Had I the option this would have been sent to "ALL", this is not addressed to SAUGUS BOATER in particular, and sorry for the ramble, it's just a subject near and dear to my heart.

As far as SB's comment: Breaking into someone's house and stealing flat screen t.v.'s, computers, etc. is just greed, a whole different animal indeed. -- Absolutely! Not to mention, in my experience of my home being invaded, a need for drug money -- and the "perpetrator" was being driven around by her attorney........... but that's another story!