For 15 years, Joe Trivett has worked hard at his Nanaimo Dairy Queen, proudly serving up ice cream to his customers at the Country Club Mall location.
But lately, the brazen theft of ice cream from their coolers has become a daily worry for him as manager.
“Now we’re seeing two, three times a week happening,” said Trivett.
“And there’s not too much we can do. So hopefully someone sees this and might think twice,” said Trivett.
On Sunday night at the DQ, surveillance video shows a would-be thief walk in, grab a box of Dilly Bars, and proceed to stuff them into his backpack.
The thief walked right by an off-duty RCMP officer, Staff Sgt. Jon Stuart who happened to be out for ice cream with his family.
“People think they have a right to take things without paying for them,” said Cost. Gary O’Brien of Nanaimo RCMP.
“Because they’re not going to be challenged.”
Stuart asked the would-be thief if he was going to pay for the ice cream. But the man walked off and didn’t.
“The guy did it right in front of him too, like right in plain sight,” said Trivett.
The RCMP officer took him down in an arrest.
“He did what probably any officer would do,” said O’Brien
“We just react, we just respond.”
While the RCMP officer held the suspect down, his 14-year-old daughter called in backup on her cellphone.
“Then the boys in blue showed up and he was arrested,” said O’Brien.
“I wouldn’t recommend anyone other than a cop. But no, it was surprising, it was good,” said Trivett.
“Like I’m glad someone did something.”
Skye Ryan
