When Officer Matt Lima responded to a shoplifting incident at a grocery store in Somerset, Massachusetts, five days before Christmas, he knew there was something different about this call.
A Stop & Shop loss prevention associate informed Lima that two women with two young children were accused of putting items in bags at the self-assessment kiosk instead of scanning them, according to a press release from the Police Department of Somerset. The alleged theft was detected after an employee printed a transaction receipt and realized that several items were missing from the store.
Lima pulled one of the women aside to hear his story.
“The woman I talked to explained that she was working, but the children’s mother was not working and had some other family problems going on and that what she took was the Christmas dinner for the children,” Lima told NBC affiliate WJAR.
Lima, who has two young daughters at home, said he knew he needed to do something to help women buy Christmas dinner instead of filing a criminal complaint. “I myself have two girls, similar in age to the two girls who were there, so it kind of impressed me a little,” he said.
After the policeman learned that the stolen groceries had been replaced on the shelves, he bought a $ 250 gift card with his own money so that the family could shop elsewhere at the Stop & Shop and ensure that their pantry was stocked. for the holiday.
“Obviously, this family was in need and I can’t imagine having to make the decision to go to the Stop & Shop and pay only what I can afford – or do I go there and try to take things for Christmas dinner for the kids?” Lima said to WJAR. “They were very grateful, they were a little shocked. I am sure that many people in the same situation would be thinking that the outcome would be different and perhaps they would be arrested or would have to go to court. “
Lima said he could not justify filing criminal charges, as all items were supplies. Instead, women were banned from that location and were allowed to leave.
More than 50 million people, including 17 million children, would likely suffer from food insecurity by the end of 2020, according to Feeding America. The hunger crisis, which was exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, has increased dependence on food banks, where people have been waiting in line for hours for help.
Somerset police chief George McNeil said he was proud of Lima for making the right decision to help the family.
“I would like to personally commend Officer Lima for his actions,” McNeil said in a statement. “Their actions exemplify what it means to protect and serve the members of our community. When faced with a difficult situation in which a family was trying to provide a meal for his children, he made the generous decision not to press charges and instead ensured that they would have a Christmas dinner that they could enjoy. “
