In Durango (here in Colorado), police are telling a liquor store owner to give shoplifters the boot, the shoe, and any other footwear he’s acquired from shoplifters.
You see, Gabe Fidanque was tired of losing $1,000 worth of merchandise every month, so he started telling shoplifters he caught in the act of stealing from him that they had two choices: Give him one of their shoes or he’d call the police.
Well, a handful of them gave up a shoe. But Durango police have told Fidanque to stop the practice, or he could find himself facing felony robbery charges.
Felony robbery charges???? Yep, felony charges for taking footwear from the people who were blatantly stealing from HIM! Shoplifting, in contrast, is a misdemeanor. Now what kind of twisted logic is that? A person stealing from a hard-working, honest person is charged with a misdemeanor, while said hard-working, honest person is charged with a felony for making them leave their shoe! Unbelievable.
Authorities ordered Fidanque to return the shoes to their owners - if he can find them. He says his method of keeping shoplifters out was working, because people were too humiliated to return and ask for their shoe back. Frankly, I don’t see the problem.
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