In the best of economic times, stealing from charitable thrift stores is low. During our current economic climate such theft is detestable. In Abbotsford, this theft has reached a level that can only be characterized as despicable.

I am not referring to the ever-popular price tag switch to a lower price. Nor am I referring to outright theft of an item such as occurred on the weekend, in which having failed with an attempted price tag switch, the woman said she didn’t want the item – then took advantage of the line-up and the volunteer to walk out of the store with the unpaid for item.

If it had been an item that was needed such as a pot to cook in, it might have been forgivable. But a decorative wood plaque with a copper piece with three floral patterns embossed into the copper? No that is just plain low-down theft.

There is a type of theft being perpetrated on the thrift stores that is costing them tens of thousands of dollar in out-of-pocket expenses.

As I pulled into the MCC store by the bus station, a young man was using a sledge hammer to break up garbage dropped off in the middle of the night as “donations.” Under cover of darkness someone snuck in and dumped this junk in order to avoid the cost of disposal; leaving the thrift store to pay the cost of disposal.

I passed the Hidden Treasures thrift store. A couch without cushions, refrigerator and other assorted “donations” were all sitting under the sign asking people not to drop off these types of items because the store has to pay to have them removed.

So many people try to use these charities as dumping grounds simply to avoid the hassle and/or cost of disposing of their discards.

People who engage in this behaviour might just as well walk into the thrift store with a gun and take money out of the till.

James Breckenridge