So I'm working at Hollywood Video (among other jobs) to make some money this summer until classes start up and my on-campus job starts.
The other day, this young kid (probably in the range of 11-13) ambles into the store and starts browsing the shelves. Now, the store is located right next to a skate park and we get a lot of kids this age so it didn't really raise any red flags, and the store was pretty busy so I wasn't paying much attention to him. About 5 minutes later, a dude from the video game store next to us catches the kid trying to walk off with about $8 worth of concession merchandise (a few things of candy and a soda), so the GameCrazy guy takes the kid back to our counter so that I can deal with him.
He had already opened up the stuff that he tried to steal so I couldn't just put it back on the shelves. First, I tell him to call his parents and see if they'll come down and pay. He tries calling but neither one will help him out. Then, he asks me if he can pay for the stuff with food stamps and I tell him no. At this point, I don't have much recourse but to involve the authorities or just let him off the hook. Rather than complicate the situation further, I just paid for the food out of my wallet and sent him on his way with a stern warning about how we wouldn't be so forgiving the next time and that I'd better not see his face again in the store without an adult. So the kid leaves (without so much as saying thanks, by the way).
At the time, seemed like the right thing to do but now I'm not so sure. I hate to think that I helped teach the kid that he can get away with this sort of things, and maybe he'd actually be better off getting caught stealing $8 worth of stuff before he grows up and tries armed robbery or something.
Any thoughts on this? I'm a decent guy, and I like to think everybody deserves a second chance when it comes to such a petty crime, but maybe being a softie was the wrong decision here?