The Chilliwack Progress from Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada • Page 24

24 THE CIIILUWACK PROGRESS, May 14. 1969 flaL y(tooL Probation Officer Cites Shop-lift Referral Benefits ure By LLOYD MACKEY tion "why do parents allow The probation officer ex ed fruit and feeds on the eggs and young of poultry and wild birds. These undesirable hab "I tried we always gave the boy as much money as (From Canadian Forestry Association of B.C.) NOT SO BLACK The common crow has a bad reputation among farmers, but he is not really as black as he has been painted. The chief charges levied against him are that he pulls sprouting corn, injures corn in the silk, destroys cultivat- their children downtown for so many hours at a time." In one store, most of the thefts reported were in small items such as fishing tackle, and jewelery. Older teens like to pick up transistor radios.

More eight to 12 years olds are caught than teens, but the reason is that generally teens have had time to "learn their trade." pressed hope that more stores would become involved in the referral program. Benefits he cited from the system include: Word "gets around" among young people as to which stores co-operate with the probation office. The officer can often find the root cause for the offense, and can make parents aware that their child is its, however, are offset by his dedicated war on noxious insects, mice and destructive rodents. Totalling up the debits and credits, it is generally conceded that the crow is a friend rather than an enemy of the farmer. Kent Aviation Ltd.

Manager of a clothing Store uhirh Hruc nrtf rvartirl- shoplifting. nu cuia, uu auviLc the referral program the probation office can h. mnct of lifted from his store were taken by professional shoplifters moving through the valley. He said he had never caught anyone in the act Manager of another store selling clothes said teens had often been involved in clothing thefts but recently security had been tightened up by refer a child to a community resource such as mental health. Some businesses do not refer to the probation office, he said, possibly because they fear losing parents of the shop-lifters as customers.

An executive of one of the participants, a chain store, told The Progress, staff of the store had learned much CHARTED FLIGHTS CHILLIWACK IN 3 AND 5 PASSENGER PLANES instituting a "check system" from seeing the probation of- for people trying on clothes TO TIME PASS. 5 PASS. HOPE IS min. $15 00 $35.00 VICTORIA 30 min. $45.00 60.00 SEATTLE 45 min.

$74.00 $104.00 POWELL RIVER 45 min. $75.00 $100.00 CAMPBELL RIVER 45 min. 97.00 $130.00 Travel at Your Convenience and Save Hours of Travel Time. COMPARE THE RATES Price includes one way or return within short FREE waiting time period. TELEPHONE 795-534 RON KENNETT, probation officer, talks over shoplifting with a father.

Mr. Kennett and the city's other probation officer David Bahr work with a number of local merchants in attempting to cut down on the amount of shoplifting ficers in action. tne change rooms. The spokesman said ques- In citing further reasons tioning by the officer is han- why young shopiift died very well, with both probation officer Kennett firmness and kindness. ta)ked about emotional prob- Besides involvement in the lems which crop up often He referral system, this particular said tne youn chain store stepped up its in- ster comes from an unstable ternal security system this home) where there js of year.

On a busy day, four or closeness between parents five security officers will be and children, on the floor, and recently, convex mirrors were install- He said "often there is a ed, for viewing a wide area of father who works away from the ore at once. home, or a 'technical one- The spokesman said it was parent home (for example, a Luiuiiiiucu uy young people in me inuuwacK area. female dominated familvV we could. Even then, he often seemed to have much less than his friends have." It was the mother of a teen-age boy speaking. She was talking to Ron Kennett, senior proba tion officer in Chilliwack, after he came to her with her son who had been report-ed by a local store for shoplifting.

Except for minor details, the story was repeated several dozen times over the past year. Invariably, the background in Chilliwack shoplifting by young people pointed to some form of deprivation. "A broken home, alcoholism, tensions in the home, can all be factors in leading a teener to begin shoplifting," said Mr. Kennett Last year, the probation office began working with some local merchants in helping them to cope with young shoplifters. Thefts were on the rise, and a number of businessmen felt they were not getting to the root of the problem.

Since inception of the plan, mechants have turned 83 young people reported shoplifting over to the probation office. Mr. Kennett told The Progress the apprehendees do not get their names on an official police record when reported to his office. He added "not one of the 83 has been reported for a repeat offense." Procedure followed by the participating merchants is to call the probation office when a shoplifter is picked up. The officer, either Mr.

Kennett or David Bahr, goes to the store, chats with the girl or boy, then takes the offender to his parents. Mr. Kennett said parents almost always appreciate the visit, although often they find it difficult at first to believe that their youngster was shoplifting, even when the teener confirms it. He said parents often also appreciate that the visit is not from the police, and that their son or daughter does not incur a police record from the offense. Mr.

Kennett said he had only encountered one hostile parent in his experience, but hostility turned to co-operation when the young person admitted the theft to the mother. He said "some parents treat the matter very lightly." Commenting on his remarks that deprivation was a factor in most shoplifting by youngsters, Mr. Kennett said the offender was not always financially deprived. Neglect of training in values, or in attention were also factors. "Alcoholic parents, fathers who take time off work when they are not really sick, and parents who steal items which belong, in their office or plant create images for their children.

Such parents negatively influence the value systems their children establish," he said. difficult to estimate how much shoplifting by young offenders was done as part of a group, and how much from working alone. "Many kids says 'let's beat the system' and some are trying to 'make the grade' with their friends" said the executive. Often the offender breaks down after firm denial, when they feel the police or probation officer may be called in. The representative of the chain store posed the ques- He concluded, "the probation office and merchants do not work alone.

Conferences with other community agents are held at least once a month, where help from another agency can be sought on behalf of teeners with special problems." Some of the other groups involved in the monthly conferences include welfare, public health, mental health and school Mi ill i if fit NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS Due to the Holiday Weekend These ADVERTISING DEADLINES will be in elect: NEWS-ADVERTISER MAY 20th ISSUE THURSDAY NOON Display Classified Real Estate iLi ilftxh We make you 5 happier. CHILLIWACK PROGRESS MAY 21st ISSUE SPACE RESERVATIONS BY FRIDAY, MAY 16th IN 18 JOIN THE co-op I 0pen a Blue Chip savinss CJJ I frf account and we'll make your I ill 1 uttie sunnier. We'll sweeten your savings Wi I with our highest interest uitfrKi-wumvE RSr? T7 3 I 0 JJM rate ever. 572. I nHiv Drop by.

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