$1?

Nothing like using a sledgehammer to kill a gnat:

• A 22-year veteran Chicago police officer was fired last month over charges he stole a $1 bag of trail mix from Walgreens.
  
  Aaron Pena was known as the "mayor of 26th Street" by residents in the Ogden District for his helpfulness in the community, according to testimony before the Chicago Police Board released Wednesday.
  
  City attorneys alleged that Pena went to the Walgreens in the 1900 block of West Cermak Road in August 2007, bought two bags of trail mix and then took a third from the store without paying. Pena was recorded on store security cameras.

And he had had a stroke in 2005? A stroke that affected his memory? And Walgreens had refused to prosecute, partly for this reason?

Sorry, but after reading certain cases that have gone before the Police Board, seeing certain perverts, drunks, molesters, and clout jockeys do far worse and get promoted on top of it, this is just confirmation of a system gone nuts. Just off the top of our heads, here's a partial list of people still collecting paychecks:

• Sgt with a lengthy history of sexual harassment beefs who took numerous photos of unwilling female subjects on traffic stops, might make lieutenant shortly. Mommy was a deputy don't you know;
• PO evicted from a house and two Department Motorola radios worth more than a few thousand dollars apiece are located inside;
• PO who had his Department vehicle stolen, went home without reporting it, blamed the next watch for losing the car while two jagoffs were out doing traffic stops on citizens;
  
• And does anyone downtown really want us to bring up a number of bosses who have cost the City thousands for various beefs?

And this guy gets canned for a buck? Was he even given the option of retiring for twenty-two years and a stroke?

UPDATE: A few more instances of people who shouldn't be collecting a check because they cost the City more than a dollar:

• The stalking, domesticating ADS, demoted to Lieutenant, after running a civilian's plate and stalking her at home, fired and re-hired after misdemeanor conviction - largish payout;
• the out-of-state LT (Michigan?) arrested, plea deal, rehab - daddy was a big boss - again, civil suit
  
• Did the PO doing the armed robbery of Starbucks get fired?

And to the commenter who says, "stealing is stealing," no shit. And Theft still requires something called "intent." And something else called "prosecution." And another thing called a "conviction." None of which provably existed.

UPDATE: We're looking for people who cost the City more than a dollar or put the City on the hook for big dollars. While we're all familiar with persons who ought to be in jail for various offenses, we aren't talking about them now. Hence, a number of comments off subject will be deleted for the time being.