You’re under arrest, if you please

David Chen is the owner of a produce market called Lucky Moose Market, in Toronto’s downtown Chinatown. One Anthony Bennett, who has been habitually stealing from merchants in the area, paid the Lucky Moose a visit and made off with a tray of flowers. When Bennett returned an hour or so later for a second round of thievery, the owner and two employees apprehended him, tied him up and then called police.

Instead of getting a citizen’s medal, Chen was charged with kidnapping, assault and carrying a concealed weapon, to wit, a box cutter. All of this happened a few months ago but notwithstanding the passing of time, the Crown prosecutors have been relentless in their pursuit of David Chen.  They are suggesting that Chen had no right to take the steps he did as one hour later he was not in hot pursuit of the thief whose earlier crime was by now ancient history.

We don’t know what the Crown will do eventually but I have some suggestions for merchants and others who may be tempted to take similar foolish steps to defend themselves against criminals who terrorize their businesses.

David Chen should have reasoned with Bennett.  He could have said to him, 

I say old boy, aren’t you the guy who made off with a rack of flowers from my shop about an hour ago?  Please come in.  I’ll call the police to come and arrest you. I am not forcing you to enter so do not take this as extortion.  In fact if you do come in I’ll make you a fresh cup of Ginseng tea. And my wife just finished baking these delicious almond cookies.  Oh, and please don’t worry about this box cutter.  I was just pruning some flowers.  Is it OK for me to continue doing my work while you have your tea?  I don’t want you to think that, heaven forbid, I might turn this tool into a weapon against you. You do understand, do you not, my good sir. 

Now if you do not wish to come in while we wait for the police, that is OK too.  You can just tell me the next time you plan to come to my market and to steal from me and I shall notify the police in advance and ask them to wait here.  That is if it is convenient for you.  

If it is not convenient, how about giving me your address.  I can just pass that information on to the police and insist that they attend at your residence when it suits you, maybe in between other crimes. After all Anthony, I mean Mr Bennett, I would not want to interfere with your livelihood.

And I do thank you for showing such interest in my merchandise.

Maybe this approach would have saved David Chen lots of grief. Then again, if Chen would have given police Bennett’s address, I am certain, judging how this whole misadventure has been unfolding, that they would have charged him with violating some type of breach of privacy laws.

We all know they would have thought of something.