A lot of stores tell their employees not to go after thieves and to leave that to the police, but things were different decades ago.

Imagine working at a grocery store and noticing that someone was stealing. If you were allowed to try to stop them, would you, or would you call the police?

In this story, one man shares how he would catch criminals at the grocery store and what his store would do before calling the police.

Let’s read all about it.

The “Wall of Shame”

My dad was the Manager/Head Butcher of the butcher/deli department of a popular grocery store some 30 years ago in California.

During his breaks he and his buddy would eat their lunches on these catwalks they had above the aisles for security and maintenance reasons.

They would often be able to spot shoplifters from their vantage point, call it in to security and then take the perp to the backroom.

They didn’t call the police right away. They had to do something else first.

Once in the backroom, they would take a picture of the shoplifter holding the items they were gonna steal, and put it on the “Wall of Shame” they had at the front of the store.

He said they had dozens of pictures of caught shoplifters holding their loot. Some crying, others holding up the middle finger, some making funny faces, and some dead pan stares.

Customers loved it.

Once the photo-op was done, they would call the police and let them handle the rest.

Is this an interesting coincidence, or is there a connection?

Now this sweet little old lady had been coming in for years.

My dad said she would always bring enough baked sweets for all the employees, and would make my dad and his buddy their own tray of their favorite fudge brownies every time she came in.

She would talk to everyone and everyone loved when she came in.

Now my dad was also in charge of stocking. He would help count inventory every other day and noticed that they had been missing a lot of baking supplies for a very long time.

Someone had been stealing them.

This sweet old lady isn’t so sweet after all.

He and his buddy realized that every time this old lady came in with her grandma-baked food, they had been missing baking supply inventory a couple days before.

They hatched a plan. They would watch from the catwalk the next time she came in.

The next time this old lady came in to “shop”, they saw her put TONS of baking supplies in her coat and purse.

She then went and grabbed a few jars of hard candy to buy as a cover story.

He stopped her before she could leave.

My dad immediately called security, slid down the cat walk ladder Jason Bourne style, ran past the aisles, and stopped the old lady on her way out the door.

He made small talk and the conversation went something like this (my dad will be DAN, and the old lady will be GRAN.) :

Dan: “There’s our favorite grandma! Say, when are you gonna bring me a plate of those fudge brownies?”

Gran: “Oh, don’t worry! I’ll bring you all in some treats tomorrow!”

This wasn’t just friendly chit chat.

Dan: “Can’t wait! You gonna use the baking supplies in your coat and purse to make them?”

Gran looked like she nearly had a heart attack when she saw my dad turn serious and the heavy set tattooed security guard walk up.

Guess who took her picture with all the loot?

My pa! He put her picture on the “Wall of Shame” himself.

It was bitter sweet.

He also helped escort her out to the police cruiser and waved with a big grin on his face as she was driven downtown.

Many employees were shocked to see her picture, and everyone cracked up about it.

But they all were upset that she would no longer be bringing treats, including my dad.

But he explained that “As nice as she seemed, she repeatedly stole from us. Im in charge of stock and have had to explain why the baking supplies were disappearing. Enough was enough.”

Her picture was funny.

My dad said the picture was the funniest on the Wall. She was holding a pile of baking goods with the most shocked and worried look on her face.

Many of you may think this was way too harsh, but the thing is she stole.

She repeatedly stole. For months. She cost the store a good chunk of change.

Don’t do the crime if you cant do the time.

You never can tell with little old ladies. Are they really sweet or up to something?

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

This person calls the old lady a super villain.

Here’s another story about a grocery store with a wall of shame.

A cosmetics store also had a wall of shame.

But this attorney doesn’t think a wall of shame could really exist.

They thought her hobby was baking, but they were wrong.

You never know who’s secretly a criminal mastermind.

Thought that was satisfying? Check out what this employee did when their manager refused to pay for their time while they were traveling for business.