An Ottawa police officer arrested for shoplifting half of his groceries may plead guilty to cheating and be temporarily demoted after being charged with theft.
Constant Sarah Bell said earlier this week that she “willfully neglected to scan items at the store’s self-checkout, [making] We do not attempt to pay for these items prior to departure. ”
According to a statement of facts agreed upon in the case, the allegations date back to July 13, 2021, when Bell was shopping at a supermarket in Gatineau, Quebec.
She was scanning an item when it came to the attention of a loss prevention officer who was watching the store’s surveillance video feed.
Officers said Bell “took one item in his right hand, another in his left hand, and scanned the left hand item, but not the right hand item,” according to an agreed-upon statement of fact. confirmed.
But then Bell binned both items. The Loss Prevention Officer then paid the bill for the scanned items and continued until he made his way to the exit.
A Loss Prevention Officer then caught up with her and arrested her in the foyer between the exit doors.
The store determined that Bell paid a total of $87.46 for groceries and stole $87.68 worth of items. This is approximately the same amount.
dismissal of criminal charges
Gatineau police were dispatched to the scene and told Bell that it would be up to the Quebec public prosecutor to decide whether criminal charges would be filed.
According to agreed facts, the royal office in Gatineau recommended one indictment for theft of less than $5,000. was rejected after meeting the conditions of
Bell was hired in 2018. She didn’t appear on the list of civil servants who disclosed her $100,000+ salary in the 2021 Ontario Civil Service. (Last year’s disclosure list has not been made public.)
Bell has not yet been sentenced on a guilty plea under the Police Service Act.
Bell’s representative, the Ottawa Police Association, and police prosecutors jointly requested that Bell be demoted to second class constable for 14 months.
