Apparently he stands accused of kleptoing himself about $267 bucks worth of shooting supplies from Caleba’s. But get this:
“Carvounis said he was on the governor’s security detail,†Tilden Township Police Chief William J. McEllroy told New Jersey Watchdog. “He said he makes $140,000 a year, and he’s afraid of losing his job.â€
140 large a year? I’m in the wrong line of work! I’d say he likely has a compulsion he could use some help with. Apparently he tried to get some “professional courtesy†out of the local constabulary, but to their credit they didn’t take him up on it. I’d be OK with ARDing him if he gets some help with his problem, though.
Funny how the first thing I thought of when I read the word ‘Hamburg’ in the title was Cabela’s. Maybe I just don’t get out enough.
If he’s so afraid of losing his cushy job maybe he shouldn’t be stealing huh?
Things are tuff,today. He was just trying to keep the rice and beans on the table for the fam. $140 ooo doesn’t go too far anymore.
“140 large a year? I’m in the wrong line of work! I’d say he likely has a compulsion he could use some help with. … I’d be OK with ARDing him if he gets some help with his problem, though.”
Help? Problem? His problem is that he was stealing. His other problem is that he tried to cash in his Blue Card to avoid being punished for it. Everyone who does something bad isn’t a victim of some disease. And even if they are, this guy is still able to put milk in his Wheaties, so he should be able to know that driving to another state to steal from a gun shop isn’t right, especially being a cop and all that.
C’mon, this soft on criminals [who are really victims of their conditions or whatever] is getting old. He should be treated as someone who did what he did, and if there is any disease (oy, 1st world problems..), then that’s just a component of the criminal – like freckles or red hair or other similarly unfortunate afflictions. If we start giving people a pass because they think they’re “ill”, then guess what. It’s moral hazard time, and everyone becomes “ill”. Which is kinda where we are now, so maybe let’s not encourage it.
Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time. What next, don’t send rich teen DUI killers to prison because their rich upbringing victimized them into committing vehicular homicide?
Enough feeling bad for criminals already.
I’m pretty sure most people with a first time misdemeanor would get ARD’d in similar circumstances. The amount involved was a petty theft. If he had made off with 10,000 guns, I’d agree he ought to go to prison. Same if this wast his first offense. But people don’t generally do prison for under 300 dollars in retail theft the first time they get caught.
The guy is going to lose his $140 a year job, and I think he should lose it. He’ll be having to change careers for sure. Sorry, but I’m not a hang-em-high conservative. If someone commits a minor offense, I’m fine with slapping them on the wrist and admonishing them to get their shit together. For people who are generally middle-class any criminal conviction will basically ruin your life. If he can’t keep his shit together, and gets caught doing retail theft again, or does something more serious, then yes, he needs to do time.
My complaint wasn’t with him not going to prison – neither you nor I mentioned sending him to prison. My issue is that you turned him into a victim instead of a [alleged at this point] criminal. I’m guessing you think that someone who can clearly afford to pay for $300 worth of junk steals it because of some compulsion – that’s what it sounded like you were saying anyway.
Minor offense or not, we shouldn’t jump to diagnose him with a condition that would excuse his actions – even if one actually contributed. Who knows if it did or not, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is what he did. That rich kid who killed those people via DUI isn’t any less guilty because he’s rich, but that’s what was successfully argued. A shoplifter shouldn’t be any less guilty because he has a compulsion either. Because the end result is still stolen stuff that he knew he shouldn’t have taken.
So no, I’m not arguing that we need to lock up first time shoplifters. I’m just saying maybe let’s not try to find reasons to excuse their shoplifting. And apply that universally.
I don’t really agree that if he has kleptomania he’s a “victim” in any sense of the word. I still think people who have mental disorders should be held accountable for their behavior. They aren’t psychotic, and still know right from wrong. ARD is essentially supervised release. It’s normally used for people who get DUIs. If someone on ARD reoffends, or doesn’t follow the deal, they are out of the program.
“I’d say he likely has a compulsion he could use some help with. … I’d be OK with ARDing him if he gets some help with his problem, though.â€
You also said you’d be fine with ARDing him if he gets help with his problem, and that he “likely has a compulsion he could use some help with.” I think his “problem” is that he thinks it’s OK to shoplift, and that he thinks he should get a free pass for shoplifting because he’s a cop.
As for getting him help for his problem – I think the best help he can get will be meted out by the criminal justice system’s slap on the wrist and minimal fines, in addition to becoming internet famous and having to find a new job that allows shoplifters. I think that’s the best for him – as opposed to excusing his actions as an uncontrollable compulsion, which I’d put more in the “enabling” category. I also think that society is better served by showing that actions have consequences, as opposed to showing that if you get caught shoplifting you might be a victim of some compulsion and, well, maybe you need sympathy instead of a stern slap on the wrist.
I think we should be discouraging criminals – even shoplifters like this guy and Winona Ryder, instead of making excuses for them.
People have no idea how much public employees make. It’s mind boggling.
Screw him, let him cook!
ARD or not to ARD I don’t care,but after conviction he should never work in law enforcement again.
I agree with that.
A fish rots from the head.
140K a year? Just how good is NJ’s economy anyhow?
Merle