"We all make mistakes": People love how this clothing store is handling a recent theft
A store in BC is going public with a recent theft and it is getting a lot of love for the classy way management is handling it.
“Our very clear security cameras witnessed two young ladies stealing some items from our store today,” the owners of Therapy Clothing & Co posted on Instagram earlier this week.
The Maple Ridge clothing store says the thieves pocketed about $100 worth of accessories but instead of sharing that surveillance video far and wide, staff posted a generic image with an appeal instead.
“We all make mistakes, so we are hoping you may want to make this situation right! Please return these items by Friday and we will not take any further action. Thank you!”
That gesture led to several positive reactions online, from many who commended the store for opting to be compassionate in this situation.
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“[Love] that you are giving them a second chance at doing the right thing. Hopefully, they see this and take it!” one person wrote on the post.
“You guys are handling this so well! What an inspiration ❤️,” another person wrote.
It’s not easy to do, especially as the thefts like these cost the store time and money.
“We’re a small business. So of course, all those little things add up over the years,” co-owner Lynsey Pashley told Daily Hive Friday.
Her business, like many others, is still feeling the financial impacts of the pandemic, and dealing with high inflation, so every dollar counts.
But, unlike lots of other store owners, she isn’t capitalizing on the growing use of social media sites like TikTok for vigilantism.
A number of local businesses have been exposing their own frustrations with alleged thieves by sharing photos or surveillance videos to thousands of eyeballs online.
However, sharing photos publicly without knowing the full story can be harmful to a person’s reputation, and could even violate privacy rules, especially if they are a minor.
That’s something Pashley says she takes very seriously.
“We didn’t want to blast their face around the community. If maybe this is the first time they’ve ever decided to rebel or do something like this and maybe just giving them that grace would give them the opportunity to make it right and rethink,” she said.
“I just believe everyone deserves a second chance… I’m hoping to kind of go with this the way that I would want someone to treat my own child or treat someone else who maybe you know, needs a moment of reflection and hope that it inspires them to maybe make a good choice moving forward,” she said.
If they come forward to apologize and return the items, she says she won’t take legal action.
If they don’t, she will escalate the search to identify them.
“My plan is to just send it over to the school and then we’ve got pretty clear identification on them and then we hope that maybe their school counselor can talk to them and just kind of set them maybe on a clearer path,” she said.