lululemon has had an average of 3k worth of product stolen every day, a lot of times by the same people, since employees are not allowed to engage with the shoplifters whatsoever or call the police. i work on the top block and it’s honestly insane seeing what happens.
That's an absolutely INSANE figure if true. I often wonder about the rent on Church St and how these businesses stay open in general. How many aprons does Kiss The Cook need to sling to cover rent + wages alone? But if a shop were ALSO loosing $3k (recognizing it's significantly lower as shrink, but still) A DAY? Mind boggling. Absolutely mind boggling.
https://preview.redd.it/l1y33372vg4d1.png?width=764&format=png&auto=webp&s=2dd86799455487147bab04666b957bd771966eca
This is a church street storefront. I had to look up there term NNN -A triple net lease (triple-net or NNN) is **a lease agreement on a property where the tenant promises to pay all expenses, including real estate taxes, building insurance, and maintenance**. These expenses are in addition to the cost of rent and utilities.
Also, Marketplace fees for the common area, promotion, etc.
https://m.sevendaysvt.com/news/slow-holiday-season-leads-to-layoffs-at-outdoor-gear-exchange-39937941
"retail theft cost the company some $500,000 last year alone, Sherman said."
The most unorganized business on church st can’t find $500k in inventory is more like it. A lot is stolen. A lot is just… well, you’ve tried to shop there I’m guessing… haha
I ran some numbers assuming that lululemon had 3k stolen for 350 days out of a 365 day year. (factoring holidays where the store might not be open or shitty weather.)
came out to: $1,050,000
That's a lot of fucking money.
Rent on Church Street is CRAZY!! I worked property management for a man who owned several buildings… the Shoe Shop- on the corner? There rent was under 5500. +/- a month not including utilities. And this was 22 years ago. Imagine what it is now?!
I'm having a mental break at all these comments. 5500 22 years ago? For that little shoe shop? Their average shoe is like $90, they'd have to have lines out the door.
Word gets around quick. People have been flocking here because they know there's no police force. Never even see a traffic stop. And they get enough money from the state to get high for about 4 days then steal and do other things for money. Camp wherever...
I worked at The Body Shop when it was still open (and worked downtown in general for about 8 years before that, it's NEVER been this bad), the amount of attempted theft we had was unreal. Also just the verbal/physical harassment of myself and employees was absolutely ridiculous. Like there are people working downtown that are not equipped/nor want to handle these types of things.. I've experienced some absolutely insane things, it's mind blowing
>employees are not allowed to engage with the shoplifters whatsoever or call the police
The first makes sense, a lot of businesses do this to protect their employees. But not allowed to call the police? I can't understand that one.
It’s not good for business to have law enforcement in the store every day. People aren’t going to come into the store and shop with a police issue actively going on at the same time. So their policy is to not call the police for that. Their prices are inflated with loss accounted for.
Because they have insurance, and would rather just lose the merchandise, than deal with legal bullshit. Today it’s a crackhead, tomorrow it might be someone who has the means to tie them up in court over a legitimate assault charge (like the one in the video) or even discrimination. It’s important to understand how much markup all of these companies make. And it’s important to understand that having a lululemon on church st, is not a cultural thing that we need to preserve. We should all be shoplifting from these dumps.
i am honestly not sure but a lot of the downtown businesses communicate with each other on a regular basis, especially since a lot of the smaller stores will sometimes only have one or two staff members working, and people who are able to will come help other business employees when they need it in situations like this.
They don’t work there; the older gentleman involved is Jeff Nick, incredibly good guy who has been a positive force for Burlington for decades. The younger gentleman, not sure about, might be an employee but I don’t know
So you’re going to demonize him because you think you know his political beliefs and don’t approve of his job… keep it up and the entire town will be either a ghost town or owned by black rock and you will be forever stuck in your perpetual cycle of paying rent til you die. There’s nothing wrong with small business owners that have a vested interest in seeing the city succeed. Jeff is a great guy and has done good things for the city. I hope you realize people like this are not the enemy before it’s too late
Crazy! And what does Lululemon do to prevent those losses? I know the worker are not allowed to engag. Is there LP that calls the police or what is the protocol
I’m well aware of how the retail economy works. My point stands. And how the profits of these products do not, in any way, benefit the working class labor who are correct to not pursue.
The fact that nobody cares is part of this. It’s all related. We’ve created an economy based on selling shit clothes made from exploited south Asian labor at ridiculously marked up prices boosted by influencers on IG and TikTok. This while completely disregarding basic human needs of housing, healthcare, and living wages. Resulting in an absolute crisis of the unhoused that we blame the unhoused for. Then we act all shocked by a predictable increase in crimes of despair.
Would you feel *sorrier* if she'd been ripping off a local maker or entrepreneur?
People get ideas and make things and if they're successful they make money. Some sell their businesses for big bucks. The Vermont women who made Jogbra in the UVM costume department from a pair of jock straps sold their concept to Playtex, who sold it again. Which Jogbra entity is it okay to steal from? I'll tell you. Neither.
Morality may be a social artifact, but theft hurts everyone's bottom line, because it's a de-stabilizing factor.
Yoga pants aren't the root of society's ills. You ranting in circles here, self-righteously justifying theft while issuing blanket statements of exploitation of workers is ridiculous. Theft of a Lululemon bag isn't a "crime of despair". She's not stealing bread.
The thing is, I don’t disagree with your point nor do many people on here. Personally, I get sick pf seeing posts like this when there is a video of someone committing retail theft. I’m sure the lady is homeless and having a mental breakdown which may or may not be drug induced. We don’t need you preaching, we need people saying enough is enough and not validating why people do this or the problem will continue getting worse. It’s theft, and she should be arrested and removed from society so long as she’s committing crimes.
Or we create a society where theft isn’t necessary … or where $300 sweatpants aren’t an easy mark. Again, as stated, I don’t excuse the behavior, but “lock her up, she’s trash” is a lazy response.
Dude, saying you’re going to create a society where theft (literally been around since the dawn of human kind, even in groups of perfectly well off individuals— like white collar crimes) isn’t necessary isn’t a lazy response? Cmon. That’s a pipe dream, and I’m a realist. People going around committing crimes need to be separated from the general public. You can whine that it’s societies fault, but I’m fine hearing it and I think the vast majority of others are too,
Yeah you’re getting downvoted because people care more about lulu lemon leggings than the human beings in Asia that got maybe got paid 50 cents an hour to make them in dangerous conditions and somehow people here feel completely disconnected and have zero impact on these people yet shop at these businesses and find these businesses to have some moral standing that ought to be protected…the people on this page are whack
So right comrade. It is time for the oppressed working class to rise up and throw off the shackles of the oligopolist oppressors who would shamefully appropriate the rightful owners of their expensive toiletries and gizmos. Here we see the violence inherent in the system. Help ! Help! She's being repressed!
Did you see her being repressed? Dead giveaway, innit?
/s
Did I say she was being repressed? I’m saying she’s stealing drastically marked up shit clothing , likely out of desperation, and we’re correct not to pursue just to protect the profits of a corporation that doesn’t take step one to lift up their labor on either end. I’m also saying that myopically pointing to her as trash and suggesting the fix would be to simply lock her up is lazy, short sighted, and disregarding of the bigger issues that brought us here.
I'm glad people are standing up to the people ruining our city but I'd be worried about being knifed (yes I know I said someone should intervene with the pooper , that was half serious)
I initially felt bad for being that person who stands and records things like this instead of calling the authorities, but the guy on the left looks like he was on the phone with them so I thought I’d catch the show
Exposing these folks is almost better than calling the police. The cops won’t and can’t do anything about it. Now I know she’s a thief and will treat her as such if I see her around town. Thanks for the footage.
Directly it’s a result of the fact that the cops have better things to do since they are short staffed and the chittenden county states attorney refuses to prosecute non violent (and increasingly… violent) crimes such as retail theft.
Oh don't worry some self righteous idealist/overly empathetic idiot will give you shit for recording this bitch soon enough. The people of r/burlington don't take kindly to fabricated injustices like legally video taping shitheads in public.
I just watched her slowly walk through traffic, heavy traffic. Someone almost hit her, and a truck had to come to a stop to avoid hitting her. She's clearly mentally ill, I'm not sure how she is allowed to walk free. She's a danger to herself and others. If she caused an accident more than one person could have been hurt.
Unfortunately, it's massively easier to tear things down than it is to build things up.
Replacing our federal mental health institutions is the kind of thing that requires an act of Congress.
There are none. Waterbury hospital closed down and that was it. There's been talk but nothing.
If the person resides I a Howard Center facility or any other Direct Agency by law they are not allowed to restrict people's movement.
It's a catch-22
Weird question, did this happen on Shelburne Road a few weeks ago? I saw someone do the same thing and immediately thought she was going to get hit in front of me.
FENTANYL SALE / POSSESSION ARREST
During the evening hours of September 19th, 2018 the South Burlington Police Department executed a State of Vermont Search Warrant on North Twin Oaks Terrace as part of an ongoing drug investigation.
Investigators seized 17 grams of fentanyl in additional to smaller quantities of heroin, cocaine, and assorted other controlled substances.
Joselyn Chambers, age 36, of South Burlington was arrested and lodged with the Vermont Department of Corrections for lack of $25,000 bail. Chambers will be arraigned today on charges of sale and possession of fentanyl. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges and or arrests are probable.
Oh snap. Her and her sister picked on me incessantly growing up. They were recently caught squatting in my friends apartment complex. The vacant apartment they chose had needles and stolen stuff from packages they were stealing everywhere.
Remember when Sarah George, in a debate, proposed new taxes to make retail shops whole?
# SA Sarah George proposes using taxpayer money to reimburse businesses for retail theft.
[https://youtu.be/N8dPIAg3g0c?t=1094](https://youtu.be/N8dPIAg3g0c?t=1094)
*Moderator Stuart Ledbetter*: "Do you support retailers getting restitution for these crimes getting committed against their businesses?" (Estimated @ $90M in yearly retail theft against Vermont businesses)
*Candidate Sarah George:* “The folks committing the crime have no ability to make restitution. It may ultimately come out of taxes, or something. **Other jurisdictions have imposed or created units that will give money back without relying on the person charged.**”
Tina used to be my neighbor in 2020. We had a lot of issues during that time but she was working with Howard. Now she’s completely homeless and addicted to drugs which just shows how much the system here sucks
I saw her a couple days ago. She looked and sounded the best I had seen her in a while. Wasn't even flying a sign gave her a ten and a hug. I have smoked herb with her a few times. We have a lot of similar trauma and I was homeless maybe that's why we connect.
A couple years ago took her to breakfast when it was -30 out, we puffed with my friend beforehand. We had a great time, lots of laughs. Yet my friend to this day still gives me shit for inviting her.
Tina’s rage speaks a lot of truth honestly. But people don’t like to be yelled at (or, for that matter, confronted with the depths of pain/trauma/suffering that exist all around at the margins of society). Unfortunately her yelling at people for being uncaring becomes a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy. I wish her well.
I have seen people treat her like dirt totally unprovoked think it triggers something in her brain. Good times bad times. Have CPTSD myself and can imagine being homeless again would make it a lot worse.
We shouldn’t have to deal with this shit. When will enough be enough? When will criminals be locked up and held accountable for their actions? Extremely sad seeing the downward spiral the past few years
Always curious how there are “not enough cops” to help anyone with anything…and yet, anytime theres a situation that requires one single officer to chat with a person on the sidewalk for 3 minutes and then walk away - 4 police cruisers roll up sirens blaring and block the street as if there was a murder in progress. I see it downtown every. single. day. Doesn’t seem all that efficient.
Burlington police will not respond to calls for shoplifting. A recording tells you to file a report online and give you the email address to send the complaint to!!!
Literally the next post on my feed
https://preview.redd.it/nqisph0l3m4d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d9fb5b5149505820ef2aed0f5aa22fde13d3edea
Progressives denying retail theft....
Wow… this is disgusting…. It makes me so sad to see how our little big city is starting to look like one of the major cities of america…. I just want Burlington to feel safe again. Will that ever happen? 😢
Not until people stop voting for morons. The way the majority of people think in Burlington it will only get worse sorry to say. It’s a slippery slope the city is on.
When more and more businesses close, then you have empty boarded up lots that no one wants to move into because it’s not worth it.
No amount of compassion will fix some of these people, especially when there are no consequences for their actions. Some people are awful and will take advantage of anyone and any situation.
It will take a decade before anything changes. My neighbors kid in high school said most kids steal these days. And it is definitely not about the money.
I agree. It’s very sad times here. Something drastic needs to change. Seeing some of the stuff here and on IG that gets posted just makes me sick the amount of used needles laying around. It’s like I have a special needs 8 year old… she could get seriously sick or worse from this stuff that lines our streets and covers the play grounds. It’s to the point I don’t take her out much because of how bad things are and that’s really messed up.
New mayor wants three city supported encampments. If u think these are down on their luck families you would be mistaken. Sex offenders from other states are targeting Burlington as a place to live in encampments without being hassled. People need to ask tough questions and push back on stupid answers.
I get that stealing from a multi billion dollar corporation is to most people a small concern, I actually own some lululemon stock. But these petty crimes just seem to keep adding up and the companies getting robbed are now raising prices and even insurance rates on small businesses so it really does have a broader effect on society. At some point enough is enough
And then they leave the area because they’re loosing money at that location, which ruins it for everyone. Just look at where the walgreens was on south winooski
(Edit, don’t know why I was suggested r/Burlington, but here I am)
$3k per day x 365 days a year = $1,095,000 (roughly $1.1 million a year). I think they’re okay. Petty larceny is shitty, but so are most other aspects of capitalism. Their CEO makes $16.5 million, the company’s net profit 2023-24 is $1.55 Billion
this is more about the implications for the small and locally owned stores that are near this one, and absolutely cannot lose that much money in one year
I agree. But - that’s not what’s happening in this video.
And - it doesn’t change the facts brought up in this comment. Wage theft is MUCH, much more likely to directly affect working people than retail theft. Our society is structured to criminalize and stigmatize a person who steals to eat, but celebrate a millionaire who makes their money off the backs of the working poor.
People do not need to be voluntary muscle for corporations. I feel for small businesses that are being targeted, but this whole problem stems from a much bigger social issue that no one wants to address: capitalism and massive inequality.
How about caring about Burlington remaining a place where you can run a business? How about Church street remaining a pleasant place to spend time with your family? How about the most popular street in VT for tourists staying that way? This kind of behavior doesn’t just affect the corporation who owns the store…people work there and people like to shop there and the existence of those things are cornerstones of our society. I can’t believe someone could be so ignorant
For real. Imagine spending your time holding a homeless woman so that police can come harass her because she stole one or two items from a shitty corporation….? People really need to straighten out their priorities…
I’ll never understand getting into a physical altercation, over Chinese merch from a box store. You wanna defend your small business to the death? I get it. Fighting crackheads in the street, over some lululemon is fucking insane. You people need jobs.
not to be excessively pedantic, but Lululemon is pretty far from Chinese anything. Rumor has it the founder named it such to be offensive to Asians. So there’s that. Yikes.
Why are they wasting their time holding her back like that? Who gives a shit if Lululemon has one or two items stolen?? Lmao. Don’t they sell pants for like $200? Fuck them. Let her go.
You think that trash human would hesitate to steal from you if you had something they wanted? What you’re really saying is fuck the people who will lose their jobs when these stores close down and when church street stops being a safe place to spend time or run any kind of business. Your foresight nonexistent
Eh, you get let out in two hours in this state if you assault a cop. I highly doubt grabbing a thief would result in any consequences.
Honestly, you can kinda do whatever you want. Who’s gonna stop you?
It’s not about criminal charges, it’s about not opening yourself up to a civil suit. This video is literally evidence for this woman to make up some bullshit story to go after those “good Samaritans” if I was this lady and I had a copy of this video, you bet i’d be calling up some scumbag lawyers right now to see if I can get a paycheck from these people.
don’t get me wrong, i’m not trying to say we should be easy on crime. It’s just that inserting yourself into a situation like this could have some serious legal consequences for you, even though you were just trying to do good.
Seriously. I hate this subreddit. These people could be spending their time caring about the actually horrifying things happening in the world. But instead they’re worried about Lululemon’s bottom line?? Lmao. Jesus…
Bro it’s not that serious, lulu lemon uses synthetic fibers that sink into your skin and cause micro plastics to get literally inside of your body, let her take the lulu lemon who cares lmao
On a side note, the company was started by real p.o.s.
Surprised burlington is down for such a store
https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/business-news/lululemon-founder-chip-wilson-certain-customers-plus-size-racist-japanese-486691/
Yeah I’m assuming it’s LLL because it happened in front of the store, but I don’t know if they actually sell bags like this. It could be urban outfitters maybe but I didn’t see it until they were in front of the store here
I don’t love lulu, but this is a BS take. In response to quality issues, the owner admitted that the brand wasn’t originally designed with plus-sized people in mind. Lulu then improved upon the design so larger people could wear the brand without damaging it. He could’ve used better PR for the whole ordeal.
Why would people risk harm to defend the property of a company?
What about that decision makes them "biden lovers"?
What the fuck are you talking about?
Not surprising you would defend their actions because “it’s just a company” jsled. It’s also a job to the people who work there and the cornerstone of Burlingtons tourism and retail economy. Every one of these instances is a tiny cut into the fabric of our civil society. The people trying to stop her are fed up with watching people trash this beautiful place we call home. Why don’t you ask a different question…why doesn’t the city do more to defend EVERYONES property? You’re like the meme of the dog standing in the burning building saying “this is fine”. You think this lady would hesitate stealing from you if you had something she wanted?
Not so, these are community members who don’t even work there. Lululemon employees are not even allowed to call the cops, one of the reasons they experience thousands in theft every day.
lululemon has had an average of 3k worth of product stolen every day, a lot of times by the same people, since employees are not allowed to engage with the shoplifters whatsoever or call the police. i work on the top block and it’s honestly insane seeing what happens.
That's an absolutely INSANE figure if true. I often wonder about the rent on Church St and how these businesses stay open in general. How many aprons does Kiss The Cook need to sling to cover rent + wages alone? But if a shop were ALSO loosing $3k (recognizing it's significantly lower as shrink, but still) A DAY? Mind boggling. Absolutely mind boggling.
https://preview.redd.it/l1y33372vg4d1.png?width=764&format=png&auto=webp&s=2dd86799455487147bab04666b957bd771966eca This is a church street storefront. I had to look up there term NNN -A triple net lease (triple-net or NNN) is **a lease agreement on a property where the tenant promises to pay all expenses, including real estate taxes, building insurance, and maintenance**. These expenses are in addition to the cost of rent and utilities. Also, Marketplace fees for the common area, promotion, etc.
It is true. 3k a day, and 2 weeks ago someone stole 7K in one day. It’s absurd
Wasn't oge paying/losing 500k a year in retail theft?
Another unreal number, but still 1/2 what Lulu here apparently is!
https://m.sevendaysvt.com/news/slow-holiday-season-leads-to-layoffs-at-outdoor-gear-exchange-39937941 "retail theft cost the company some $500,000 last year alone, Sherman said."
Side note, “some $500,000” just sounds fucking stupid. Our hack journalists love to use it.
The most unorganized business on church st can’t find $500k in inventory is more like it. A lot is stolen. A lot is just… well, you’ve tried to shop there I’m guessing… haha
I ran some numbers assuming that lululemon had 3k stolen for 350 days out of a 365 day year. (factoring holidays where the store might not be open or shitty weather.) came out to: $1,050,000 That's a lot of fucking money.
Rent on Church Street is CRAZY!! I worked property management for a man who owned several buildings… the Shoe Shop- on the corner? There rent was under 5500. +/- a month not including utilities. And this was 22 years ago. Imagine what it is now?!
I'm having a mental break at all these comments. 5500 22 years ago? For that little shoe shop? Their average shoe is like $90, they'd have to have lines out the door.
3k a day?! Fuck.
3k a day probably nationwide. Unless they're just stupid
It’s 3k a day just at church street location
Word gets around quick. People have been flocking here because they know there's no police force. Never even see a traffic stop. And they get enough money from the state to get high for about 4 days then steal and do other things for money. Camp wherever...
This Reddit post has done a good job spreading the details of how easy it is to shoplift from it
This is the only place I've ever lived that allows this kind of stuff to go on unchecked. Down south they'd have city hall park evacuated the day of.
I work at Urban Outfitters, right next door. We have a lot of theft too.
I worked at The Body Shop when it was still open (and worked downtown in general for about 8 years before that, it's NEVER been this bad), the amount of attempted theft we had was unreal. Also just the verbal/physical harassment of myself and employees was absolutely ridiculous. Like there are people working downtown that are not equipped/nor want to handle these types of things.. I've experienced some absolutely insane things, it's mind blowing
>employees are not allowed to engage with the shoplifters whatsoever or call the police The first makes sense, a lot of businesses do this to protect their employees. But not allowed to call the police? I can't understand that one.
It’s not good for business to have law enforcement in the store every day. People aren’t going to come into the store and shop with a police issue actively going on at the same time. So their policy is to not call the police for that. Their prices are inflated with loss accounted for.
I would imagine the fact that the police won’t do anything also factors in
Because they have insurance, and would rather just lose the merchandise, than deal with legal bullshit. Today it’s a crackhead, tomorrow it might be someone who has the means to tie them up in court over a legitimate assault charge (like the one in the video) or even discrimination. It’s important to understand how much markup all of these companies make. And it’s important to understand that having a lululemon on church st, is not a cultural thing that we need to preserve. We should all be shoplifting from these dumps.
So that's like...4 pairs of leggings and a waterbottle? /s
So an actual loss of like $750? I'll do security and stand out there for half that.
From the ONE store??
So why did these people detain her? Do they work there?
i am honestly not sure but a lot of the downtown businesses communicate with each other on a regular basis, especially since a lot of the smaller stores will sometimes only have one or two staff members working, and people who are able to will come help other business employees when they need it in situations like this.
Is it because of the mayor and the people in office the police cannot intervene ?
They don’t work there; the older gentleman involved is Jeff Nick, incredibly good guy who has been a positive force for Burlington for decades. The younger gentleman, not sure about, might be an employee but I don’t know
Not sure a conservative commercial developer is a force for good… but mkay
So you’re going to demonize him because you think you know his political beliefs and don’t approve of his job… keep it up and the entire town will be either a ghost town or owned by black rock and you will be forever stuck in your perpetual cycle of paying rent til you die. There’s nothing wrong with small business owners that have a vested interest in seeing the city succeed. Jeff is a great guy and has done good things for the city. I hope you realize people like this are not the enemy before it’s too late
Because vigilantism is the only path of action left for those who are sick of antisocial people running amok in Burlington
I was just wondering because another comment said they aren't allowed to detain anyone. I know the cops are not going to do anything.
The price of being progressive liberal
One that all residents here have to pay
Crazy! And what does Lululemon do to prevent those losses? I know the worker are not allowed to engag. Is there LP that calls the police or what is the protocol
Why aren't employees allowed to call the cops? I'm so confused!
So what, like a $300 dollar loss before mark up?
Not excusing the behavior, but that $3k of product is worth about $50.
And now, a lesson in retail pricing...
I’m well aware of how the retail economy works. My point stands. And how the profits of these products do not, in any way, benefit the working class labor who are correct to not pursue.
Just stop, nobody cares. LL bean certainly thought it was enough to move locations, in case you forgot. Businesses won’t put up with this shit.
The fact that nobody cares is part of this. It’s all related. We’ve created an economy based on selling shit clothes made from exploited south Asian labor at ridiculously marked up prices boosted by influencers on IG and TikTok. This while completely disregarding basic human needs of housing, healthcare, and living wages. Resulting in an absolute crisis of the unhoused that we blame the unhoused for. Then we act all shocked by a predictable increase in crimes of despair.
Would you feel *sorrier* if she'd been ripping off a local maker or entrepreneur? People get ideas and make things and if they're successful they make money. Some sell their businesses for big bucks. The Vermont women who made Jogbra in the UVM costume department from a pair of jock straps sold their concept to Playtex, who sold it again. Which Jogbra entity is it okay to steal from? I'll tell you. Neither. Morality may be a social artifact, but theft hurts everyone's bottom line, because it's a de-stabilizing factor. Yoga pants aren't the root of society's ills. You ranting in circles here, self-righteously justifying theft while issuing blanket statements of exploitation of workers is ridiculous. Theft of a Lululemon bag isn't a "crime of despair". She's not stealing bread.
The thing is, I don’t disagree with your point nor do many people on here. Personally, I get sick pf seeing posts like this when there is a video of someone committing retail theft. I’m sure the lady is homeless and having a mental breakdown which may or may not be drug induced. We don’t need you preaching, we need people saying enough is enough and not validating why people do this or the problem will continue getting worse. It’s theft, and she should be arrested and removed from society so long as she’s committing crimes.
Or we create a society where theft isn’t necessary … or where $300 sweatpants aren’t an easy mark. Again, as stated, I don’t excuse the behavior, but “lock her up, she’s trash” is a lazy response.
Dude, saying you’re going to create a society where theft (literally been around since the dawn of human kind, even in groups of perfectly well off individuals— like white collar crimes) isn’t necessary isn’t a lazy response? Cmon. That’s a pipe dream, and I’m a realist. People going around committing crimes need to be separated from the general public. You can whine that it’s societies fault, but I’m fine hearing it and I think the vast majority of others are too,
You may say I’m a dreamer …
Yeah you’re getting downvoted because people care more about lulu lemon leggings than the human beings in Asia that got maybe got paid 50 cents an hour to make them in dangerous conditions and somehow people here feel completely disconnected and have zero impact on these people yet shop at these businesses and find these businesses to have some moral standing that ought to be protected…the people on this page are whack
So right comrade. It is time for the oppressed working class to rise up and throw off the shackles of the oligopolist oppressors who would shamefully appropriate the rightful owners of their expensive toiletries and gizmos. Here we see the violence inherent in the system. Help ! Help! She's being repressed! Did you see her being repressed? Dead giveaway, innit? /s
Did I say she was being repressed? I’m saying she’s stealing drastically marked up shit clothing , likely out of desperation, and we’re correct not to pursue just to protect the profits of a corporation that doesn’t take step one to lift up their labor on either end. I’m also saying that myopically pointing to her as trash and suggesting the fix would be to simply lock her up is lazy, short sighted, and disregarding of the bigger issues that brought us here.
LuLuFelon
I'm glad people are standing up to the people ruining our city but I'd be worried about being knifed (yes I know I said someone should intervene with the pooper , that was half serious)
I’ve said it before. Robocop.
What a loser. Complete and utter loser. Good on those citizens who made her life more difficult.
I initially felt bad for being that person who stands and records things like this instead of calling the authorities, but the guy on the left looks like he was on the phone with them so I thought I’d catch the show
Exposing these folks is almost better than calling the police. The cops won’t and can’t do anything about it. Now I know she’s a thief and will treat her as such if I see her around town. Thanks for the footage.
Exactly. Shaming needs to be brought back
She feels no shame.
Yep, post their pics and videos everywhere.
Yeah I’ve took photos of other shoplifters from Urban Outfitters before so it’s more for archival/evidence at this point.
Send it all to Tanya
Who is Tanya?
[This senator](https://www.reddit.com/r/burlington/s/6ad1aCLsKi) who is claiming the retail theft problem isn’t happening
Oooh yeah that lady
Why can’t the cops do anything about it , is it because of the mayor and people in office ?
Directly it’s a result of the fact that the cops have better things to do since they are short staffed and the chittenden county states attorney refuses to prosecute non violent (and increasingly… violent) crimes such as retail theft.
The cops are just as tired of this as we are, they can’t do anything if the states attorney and judges won’t do their jobs.
Oh don't worry some self righteous idealist/overly empathetic idiot will give you shit for recording this bitch soon enough. The people of r/burlington don't take kindly to fabricated injustices like legally video taping shitheads in public.
She's the type of person who only orders 1 sandwich
I just watched her slowly walk through traffic, heavy traffic. Someone almost hit her, and a truck had to come to a stop to avoid hitting her. She's clearly mentally ill, I'm not sure how she is allowed to walk free. She's a danger to herself and others. If she caused an accident more than one person could have been hurt.
We need some form of permanent inpatient psychiatric facilities again, or at least more of them
You can thank Reagan for closing those.
He should have stuck to his acting career
Yep. But here we are. Something's gotta change.
You can thank every president since then for not reversing his policies.
Unfortunately, it's massively easier to tear things down than it is to build things up. Replacing our federal mental health institutions is the kind of thing that requires an act of Congress.
It’s been 35+ years since his last day in office
There are none. Waterbury hospital closed down and that was it. There's been talk but nothing. If the person resides I a Howard Center facility or any other Direct Agency by law they are not allowed to restrict people's movement. It's a catch-22
Weird question, did this happen on Shelburne Road a few weeks ago? I saw someone do the same thing and immediately thought she was going to get hit in front of me.
THAT'S her name? Oh, good lord. SO many close calls.
Oh look! And now she’s off to yoga.
FENTANYL SALE / POSSESSION ARREST During the evening hours of September 19th, 2018 the South Burlington Police Department executed a State of Vermont Search Warrant on North Twin Oaks Terrace as part of an ongoing drug investigation. Investigators seized 17 grams of fentanyl in additional to smaller quantities of heroin, cocaine, and assorted other controlled substances. Joselyn Chambers, age 36, of South Burlington was arrested and lodged with the Vermont Department of Corrections for lack of $25,000 bail. Chambers will be arraigned today on charges of sale and possession of fentanyl. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges and or arrests are probable.
Oh snap. Her and her sister picked on me incessantly growing up. They were recently caught squatting in my friends apartment complex. The vacant apartment they chose had needles and stolen stuff from packages they were stealing everywhere.
She used to date Mike Reynolds! Her and her sister were squatting in my old office building a couple years ago.
She tried to sell me a bike last week!
I’m sure it was a bike she acquired through legitimate means. /s
Tickle her
Ain’t nobody got time for your fetish
You can call the Burlington police and leave a message, since they don’t respond to any theft unless someone is threatened with a weapon
Remember when Sarah George, in a debate, proposed new taxes to make retail shops whole? # SA Sarah George proposes using taxpayer money to reimburse businesses for retail theft. [https://youtu.be/N8dPIAg3g0c?t=1094](https://youtu.be/N8dPIAg3g0c?t=1094) *Moderator Stuart Ledbetter*: "Do you support retailers getting restitution for these crimes getting committed against their businesses?" (Estimated @ $90M in yearly retail theft against Vermont businesses) *Candidate Sarah George:* “The folks committing the crime have no ability to make restitution. It may ultimately come out of taxes, or something. **Other jurisdictions have imposed or created units that will give money back without relying on the person charged.**”
Thank you for sharing, I hadn't heard that. I realized Sarah George was dumb, but not the depths of her stupidity.
Why punish the thief, when you can punish the taxpayer?
Couldn't tell if it was a struggle or a game of red rover.
No reason it couldn’t be both I suppose. :)
Is that the same classy lady screaming about knowing the truth and how we're all bastards for ignoring her?
No that's not Tina she doesn't steal.
Tina used to be my neighbor in 2020. We had a lot of issues during that time but she was working with Howard. Now she’s completely homeless and addicted to drugs which just shows how much the system here sucks
I saw her a couple days ago. She looked and sounded the best I had seen her in a while. Wasn't even flying a sign gave her a ten and a hug. I have smoked herb with her a few times. We have a lot of similar trauma and I was homeless maybe that's why we connect. A couple years ago took her to breakfast when it was -30 out, we puffed with my friend beforehand. We had a great time, lots of laughs. Yet my friend to this day still gives me shit for inviting her.
Tina’s rage speaks a lot of truth honestly. But people don’t like to be yelled at (or, for that matter, confronted with the depths of pain/trauma/suffering that exist all around at the margins of society). Unfortunately her yelling at people for being uncaring becomes a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy. I wish her well.
lol I saw her stop in the middle of cherry st yelling at some car with her sign about how no one has any compassion for her
I have seen people treat her like dirt totally unprovoked think it triggers something in her brain. Good times bad times. Have CPTSD myself and can imagine being homeless again would make it a lot worse.
I mean sure people can be assholes, but I’ve seen way more of her shouting and cursing people because they don’t give her any money.
Not saying it is right but at least she isn't going into businesses and stealing.
She is definitely battling demons.
I wouldn’t touch that lice-bomb with anything short of a billy club.
We shouldn’t have to deal with this shit. When will enough be enough? When will criminals be locked up and held accountable for their actions? Extremely sad seeing the downward spiral the past few years
Why was there no police response? It seemed too long to not have anyone there.
Either it’s not considered an urgent matter or there aren’t enough scheduled at the time to manage the volume of calls
Always curious how there are “not enough cops” to help anyone with anything…and yet, anytime theres a situation that requires one single officer to chat with a person on the sidewalk for 3 minutes and then walk away - 4 police cruisers roll up sirens blaring and block the street as if there was a murder in progress. I see it downtown every. single. day. Doesn’t seem all that efficient.
It was a 1 minute video. The phone call probably lasted longer.
Because the cops are “busy doing their job some where else”. lol
Burlington police will not respond to calls for shoplifting. A recording tells you to file a report online and give you the email address to send the complaint to!!!
The dude that walks by at :33 seconds, I've had some scary interactions with him.
I think ive seen that dude before
Havnt seen him recently but I always steer clear
But that nice lady said retail theft is just a vibe.
Literally the next post on my feed https://preview.redd.it/nqisph0l3m4d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d9fb5b5149505820ef2aed0f5aa22fde13d3edea Progressives denying retail theft....
Wow… this is disgusting…. It makes me so sad to see how our little big city is starting to look like one of the major cities of america…. I just want Burlington to feel safe again. Will that ever happen? 😢
Not until people stop voting for morons. The way the majority of people think in Burlington it will only get worse sorry to say. It’s a slippery slope the city is on. When more and more businesses close, then you have empty boarded up lots that no one wants to move into because it’s not worth it. No amount of compassion will fix some of these people, especially when there are no consequences for their actions. Some people are awful and will take advantage of anyone and any situation.
Just gotta vote harder next time! 👍
It will take a decade before anything changes. My neighbors kid in high school said most kids steal these days. And it is definitely not about the money.
I agree. It’s very sad times here. Something drastic needs to change. Seeing some of the stuff here and on IG that gets posted just makes me sick the amount of used needles laying around. It’s like I have a special needs 8 year old… she could get seriously sick or worse from this stuff that lines our streets and covers the play grounds. It’s to the point I don’t take her out much because of how bad things are and that’s really messed up.
Jesus, come on! The plural and f "city" is "cities" not city's. Signed: The Apostrophe Police
Hahahaha 😂 sir yes sir! I’ll make sure to grammar and punctuation check my posts before posting again 🫡
Ever since Trump was in office, people just don't seem to care about the rule of law anymore.
Hmmmm I can’t say I agree with this I think it’s been a decline for a long time through multiple presidents.
https://www.wcax.com/2023/01/14/stolen-truck-found-suspects-arrested-south-burlington/
Sarah George is looking into prosecuting those who violated the rights of that innocent unhoused person.
Sad to see Burlington like this.
New mayor wants three city supported encampments. If u think these are down on their luck families you would be mistaken. Sex offenders from other states are targeting Burlington as a place to live in encampments without being hassled. People need to ask tough questions and push back on stupid answers.
And she lost a shoe!! That’ll teach a bitch.
Classy!
What a drag.
Another year or two and there will be nothing but pot shops on Church Street. I don't blame these companies at all for getting out of this town.
I get that stealing from a multi billion dollar corporation is to most people a small concern, I actually own some lululemon stock. But these petty crimes just seem to keep adding up and the companies getting robbed are now raising prices and even insurance rates on small businesses so it really does have a broader effect on society. At some point enough is enough
And then they leave the area because they’re loosing money at that location, which ruins it for everyone. Just look at where the walgreens was on south winooski
It's a barrel of yucks until the downtown is a wasteland.
And they are stealing from locally owner businesses too! Every day, day after day after day.
america feels so dystopian anymore, no matter where you go, even to a "safe" place like vermont
Omg you people are so dramatic. There’s so many real things to be upset about in this world. A poor person shoplifting is not a sign of the end times.
I don't think its quite that deep but I get where you're coming from
https://preview.redd.it/adg1q95kph4d1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35cb9828b3c356e65a916fc02b93226e8955fc2a
(Edit, don’t know why I was suggested r/Burlington, but here I am) $3k per day x 365 days a year = $1,095,000 (roughly $1.1 million a year). I think they’re okay. Petty larceny is shitty, but so are most other aspects of capitalism. Their CEO makes $16.5 million, the company’s net profit 2023-24 is $1.55 Billion
Exactly. Corporations won’t love you back y’all.
this is more about the implications for the small and locally owned stores that are near this one, and absolutely cannot lose that much money in one year
I agree. But - that’s not what’s happening in this video. And - it doesn’t change the facts brought up in this comment. Wage theft is MUCH, much more likely to directly affect working people than retail theft. Our society is structured to criminalize and stigmatize a person who steals to eat, but celebrate a millionaire who makes their money off the backs of the working poor. People do not need to be voluntary muscle for corporations. I feel for small businesses that are being targeted, but this whole problem stems from a much bigger social issue that no one wants to address: capitalism and massive inequality.
Who gives a fuck about fast fashion corporation
How about caring about Burlington remaining a place where you can run a business? How about Church street remaining a pleasant place to spend time with your family? How about the most popular street in VT for tourists staying that way? This kind of behavior doesn’t just affect the corporation who owns the store…people work there and people like to shop there and the existence of those things are cornerstones of our society. I can’t believe someone could be so ignorant
For real. Imagine spending your time holding a homeless woman so that police can come harass her because she stole one or two items from a shitty corporation….? People really need to straighten out their priorities…
"Imagine caring about laws and shit." Least delusional Burlington twitterperson.
Legality does not equate to morality. Also I’m not sure where you think you are… this ain’t twitter lol.
Frrr like who gives a fuckkkk y’all are so bored and weird
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Bro would have caught these mf hands
Our store had 260k of theft in one week
I’ll never understand getting into a physical altercation, over Chinese merch from a box store. You wanna defend your small business to the death? I get it. Fighting crackheads in the street, over some lululemon is fucking insane. You people need jobs.
So shortsighted
Absolutely. So insane. These people need to fix their priorities.
not to be excessively pedantic, but Lululemon is pretty far from Chinese anything. Rumor has it the founder named it such to be offensive to Asians. So there’s that. Yikes.
Where do you think their clothes are made? Lol. You really think Lululemon *isnt* using Chinese sweatshops?
Why are they wasting their time holding her back like that? Who gives a shit if Lululemon has one or two items stolen?? Lmao. Don’t they sell pants for like $200? Fuck them. Let her go.
You think that trash human would hesitate to steal from you if you had something they wanted? What you’re really saying is fuck the people who will lose their jobs when these stores close down and when church street stops being a safe place to spend time or run any kind of business. Your foresight nonexistent
Man I couldn't imagine risking an assault case for fucking Lululemon
Eh, you get let out in two hours in this state if you assault a cop. I highly doubt grabbing a thief would result in any consequences. Honestly, you can kinda do whatever you want. Who’s gonna stop you?
It’s not about criminal charges, it’s about not opening yourself up to a civil suit. This video is literally evidence for this woman to make up some bullshit story to go after those “good Samaritans” if I was this lady and I had a copy of this video, you bet i’d be calling up some scumbag lawyers right now to see if I can get a paycheck from these people. don’t get me wrong, i’m not trying to say we should be easy on crime. It’s just that inserting yourself into a situation like this could have some serious legal consequences for you, even though you were just trying to do good.
it’s lululemon guys it’s not that fucking serious jesus christ.
Pure ignorance. You think this is isolated to designer clothes stores?
it's serious to the people working there when the business shuts doors because it cannot operate with that high of shrink.
Seriously. I hate this subreddit. These people could be spending their time caring about the actually horrifying things happening in the world. But instead they’re worried about Lululemon’s bottom line?? Lmao. Jesus…
Then leave but you won’t….
Shiiiii I mean they be charging to much
So you create a profile not even a week ago, only to post comments to the /Burlington subreddit, with the sole intent on instigating people..? Diddle
Bro it’s not that serious, lulu lemon uses synthetic fibers that sink into your skin and cause micro plastics to get literally inside of your body, let her take the lulu lemon who cares lmao
“Bro it’s okay to steal from people who don’t know you or sell harmful products” Lobotomite
On a side note, the company was started by real p.o.s. Surprised burlington is down for such a store https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/business-news/lululemon-founder-chip-wilson-certain-customers-plus-size-racist-japanese-486691/
Yeah I’m assuming it’s LLL because it happened in front of the store, but I don’t know if they actually sell bags like this. It could be urban outfitters maybe but I didn’t see it until they were in front of the store here
It was lulu lemon. They’ve been getting up to 7K stolen a day
I don’t love lulu, but this is a BS take. In response to quality issues, the owner admitted that the brand wasn’t originally designed with plus-sized people in mind. Lulu then improved upon the design so larger people could wear the brand without damaging it. He could’ve used better PR for the whole ordeal.
I love when I see "influencers" acting all righteous while wearing this shit.
5 people recording, 2 weaklings trying to stop the thief, i hate this fucking state, buncha biden lovers.
Are the other 3 people recording in the room with us now?
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Why would people risk harm to defend the property of a company? What about that decision makes them "biden lovers"? What the fuck are you talking about?
Not surprising you would defend their actions because “it’s just a company” jsled. It’s also a job to the people who work there and the cornerstone of Burlingtons tourism and retail economy. Every one of these instances is a tiny cut into the fabric of our civil society. The people trying to stop her are fed up with watching people trash this beautiful place we call home. Why don’t you ask a different question…why doesn’t the city do more to defend EVERYONES property? You’re like the meme of the dog standing in the burning building saying “this is fine”. You think this lady would hesitate stealing from you if you had something she wanted?
Lollll ya Lulu doesn’t fuck around 😂 good for them.
Not so, these are community members who don’t even work there. Lululemon employees are not even allowed to call the cops, one of the reasons they experience thousands in theft every day.