Cop buys shirt, tie for alleged thief who was taking them for job interview Alberta hopes program will reduce family violence in immigrant communities
MICHELLE MCQUIGGE
THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — A Toronto police officer who purchased a shirt and tie for an alleged shoplifter after learning the young man needed the clothing items for an upcoming job interview said Tuesday that he wanted to show kindness to someone who had fallen on hard times.
Const. Niran Jeyanesan said he wasn’t rewarding the behaviour of a hardened criminal when he made the purchase, but rather using his discretion as an officer in deciding that this case merited credit card charges rather than criminal ones.
“He was very remorseful, very ashamed,” Jeyanesan said of the teen. “... I could see that this is truly a mistake and this person wanted a chance at life.”
Jeyanesan said the case unfolded on Sunday night when he and his partner were called to a Walmart in the city’s north end in response to a report of shoplifting.
Such calls are routine, but Jeyanesan said the details of this incident quickly caught his attention.
The would-be thief had attempted to steal a long-sleeved shirt, a tie and a pair of socks, he said, adding such items are not common targets for shoplifters.
Jeyanesan said the unusual merchandise prompted him to try and dig deeper and find out the reasons behind the teen’s actions.
The story he heard was of a young man in a time of crisis, he said.
His family had recently lost their home after his father — the principle bread-winner — fell seriously ill, he said, adding the 18-year-old felt mounting pressure to fill the financial void and help provide for his parents and younger siblings.
Jeyanesan said the teen had secured a job interview for a “service industry position,” but did not have professional-looking clothes to wear.
Astheinterviewdateapproached, he resorted to shoplifting out of desperation and a lack of awareness of other options available to him.
“We try to get everybody’s story when we attend calls. Everyone has their own battles that they’re fighting,” he said. “It doesn’t excuse them, but behind every action there’s a reason why this person is doing it.”
Before police transported the teen back to the station for some additional questioning, Jeyanesan decided he would acquire some suitable clothes for the teen.
He went back into the store to try and select something himself, but didn’t know the teen’s size. He eventually asked the manager to hand over the original shirt and tie, which he purchased for about $40. He opted not to acquire the socks.
Jeyanesan did not present the clothes to the teen himself, but rather left them with the other belongings he had surrendered when entering the police station.
The teen found his interview outfit waiting for him when he recovered his possessions and walked out of the police station without any charges.
Toronto police spokesman Mark Pugash praised Jeyanesan’s compassionate approach to the situation, calling it an intelligent use of his officer’s discretion.
“He understood the importance of what happened, that this could easily be seen as a crossroads in this young man’s life, and took the very commendable decision to assist in the way he did,” Pugash said.
Jeyanesan said he has not been in touch with the teen since Sunday. Not even to find out the results of the job interview, which was set to take place on Tuesday.
JOHN COTTER
THE CANADIAN PRESS
EDMONTON — Alberta hopes to reduce domestic violence in immigrant communities by teaching men and boys not to take their frustrations of living in a new country out on the women and girls in their families.
The province is renewing funding for agencies that use “cultural navigators” — respected community leaders — to deliver the message that family violence is not acceptable.
“Some may struggle with learning a new language, underemployment and the pressure of adopting a new country,” Community Services Minister Irfan Sabir said Tuesday.
“All of these factors can lead to incidents of family violence.”
Alberta’s family violence rate is the third highest in the country according to the latest figures from Statistics Canada. A report released in February notes seven out of ten victims of family violence reported to police across Canada in 2015 were young girls or women.
Sabir said immigrants are less likely to report such incidents.
He said the goal of the program is to help newcomers adjust to life in their new country and encourage healthy relationships.
The program funding announced Tuesday is aimed at people in the Syrian, Eritrean, Filipino, Somali, Sudanese, Congo, Ivory Coast and Chad communities in and around Edmonton.
Jan Fox, executive director of the REACH Edmonton Council for Safe Communities, said some newcomers are overwhelmed when they first come to Canada. There can be confusion about gender roles, family finances and LGBTQ issues, she said.
“If you are going through all of those stresses, it just creates a much greater risk,” said Fox, a former warden of the federal Edmonton Institution for Women.
The basic message to the boys and men is that we need to be very respectful. We need to always resolve our conflicts by sitting down to talk, but not using force.”
Joseph Luri
“In some cultures, it may be really important that men and women talk about these issues separately. The cultural navigators know those kind of things — what is going to give a mom a feeling of safety, how can she talk about it.”
One of the agencies in the program focuses on increasing awareness about sexual health and sexual violence, including helping victims get the mental health services they need.
Fox said preventing domestic violence reduces calls to police, helps families get out of poverty and can improve how children perform in school.
Joseph Luri, team leader for preventing domestic violence involving men and boys at the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers, said it can be taboo to talk about the issue in some communities.
Luri, formerly of Sudan, said some men believe they have the right to use violence to discipline their wife or children. The program uses community elders to deliver the message that family violence is not acceptable in Canada.
“The basic message to the boys and men is that we need to be very respectful,” he said. “We need to always resolve our conflicts by sitting down to talk, but not using force.”
Alberta announced a similar program to help Calgary’s South Asian community last November.