Teen’s second chance leads to employment
‘I’m just happy’ he got the job, says cop who bought alleged shoplifter clothes for interview
A teen who allegedly tried to steal an outfit because he said he needed it for a job interview earlier this week is officially employed — thanks to a Toronto police officer.
Const. Niran Jeyanesan was called to a Walmart store on Aug. 6 for a routine shoplifting call: an 18-yearold had reportedly tried to steal a dress shirt, a tie and a pair of socks.
The teenager told Jeyanesan he wanted to work to help his family because his father had fallen ill and lost his job, but didn’t have the proper clothes for an upcoming interview.
Rather than charging him with theft, Jeyanesan decided to buy the outfit for him instead.
“I had spoken to my investigating team and all the investigators were on board with it, our staff sergeant was,” Jeyanesan said. “I think they all believed that this was the right thing to do for this person.”
Jeyanesan gave his cellphone number to the teenager, telling him he wanted to know how the interview went.
On Friday night, he got a call from the teenager who had good news.
“He confirmed that he had got the job. I’m just happy,” Jeyanesan said. “Happy that this person actually went and did what he said he was going to do and followed through with it and that he was determined to get that position, and he did. That’s all him. So the second chance truly works.”
Jeyanesan said he believes cases like this are a sign that policing is changing for the better in Toronto.
“Certainly, in terms of taking care (with) every investigation and finding a best-case scenario, especially talking to people and hearing their part of the story and so forth, that has for sure improved . . .
“We spend a lot of money incarcerating people and putting them through the court system, so if we can actually divert that process into something positive, why not?”
He said the teenager was “very excited” on the phone and was looking forward to starting his new job.
“We don’t usually see the results right off the bat in policing and for this, it (was) different,” Jeyanesan said. “When he said he got the job, I asked him, ‘Hey, did you wear that shirt and tie?’ And he said, ‘Yes, I did. And thank you.’ ”