Hungry until proven guilty...Should theft of food be a felony? What if the theft involved $1,200 worth of meat? [View all]

Last edited Tue Jan 7, 2025, 11:41 PM - Edit history (1)

This story bothers me. A couple has been booked at the Santa Clara County Jail on charges of felony theft...of food. The couple apparently stole approximately $1,200 worth of food, most of it meat, from a Cupertino, CA Safeway grocery store. The couple stole 3 packs of avocados, 1 pack of thick cut bacon and 10 cuts of meat which authorities described as "fine rib eye and other prime cuts." Here in the Bay Area the story is being treated in a tongue in cheek manner, with authorities commenting about the case that "The only thing well-done here is the teamwork! (in catching the thieves)" While I don't condone theft, I do think there's a bigger story here about food insecurity and the apparent reality that meat has become a treasured item accessible only to the haves while the have nots are expected to go without.

https://www.ktvu.com/news/over-1000-worth-stolen-meat-recovered-cupertino-rare-case