A brazen thief’s sticky fingers were captured by a southwest liquor store’s surveillance cameras on Thursday afternoon. Now, the video is garnering national attention as the victim of the theft was the Poppy Fund, which supports Canada's veterans.
On Thursday, at approximately 2:00 p.m., a man walked into City Liquor on Richmond Rd. S.W. and asked the clerk to grab a bottle from behind the counter.
"I just turned around like this,” explains Mei Chant, the City Liquor clerk, “and he just took that box and put it in his jacket."
The unidentified culprit left the business without incident.
On an average day, the poppy box at City Liquor contains approximately $18.
CTV obtained the surveillance video of the theft. An online posting of the video has been viewed more than 7,000 times by viewers situated across Canada. CTV Calgary's Twitter posting of the video has been retweeted 135 times while the CTV Calgary Facebook posting of the video has been shared more than 500 times. The majority of the social media comments are not fit for broadcast.
Given recent tragedies on Canadian soil, Calgarians have been overwhelmingly generous with their donations to the Poppy Fund in 2014.
“I think that this year, more than any, we’ve had amazing support,” said David Howard of the Canadian Legacy Project. “Calgarians should be proud of what they’re doing and how they’re supporting our veterans.”
Public outcry following a poppy box theft can lead to an increase in donations to the charitable cause.
“When the poppy boxes are stolen, people tend to give more and the need is great.”
Anyone who recognizes the man in the surveillance video is asked to contact the Calgary Police Service, 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers.
