Location of West Pottsgrove Township in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Editor’s note: I hope this isn’t what it appears to be 😦
AMITY TOWNSHIP, PA — A township police officer has been suspended without pay after he was charged with retail theft for allegedly stealing more than $300 worth of food and merchandise from a Giant food store on two separate occasions.
Glenn Oesterling, 35, a veteran corporal with the Amity Police Department, reportedly walked out of the Upland Square Giant on both June 12 and June 18 without paying for the merchandise he allegedly put into blue reusable shopping bags in the shopping cart he was pushing.
According to a criminal complaint filed by West Pottsgrove Police, a loss prevention officer with Giant observed a man leave the store on June 12 without paying for six items worth $38.04 in the reusable bags.
The loss prevention officer used store surveillance footage to confirm what the items were and that the man “bypass(ed) all points of sale,” the complaint states.
Roy's Rants - For Your Information 
The “feel good” part of this story is the response by Robert Yanos, vice prez of supervisors. Abiding by the Sunshine Law and making this incident public is so….so…REFRESHING and honest!! Dare I say, the other supervisors that were in favor of letting this slide from public scrutiny are really no smarter than the thief himself.
It makes me very sad. I can’t believe someone with that many years of police experience would do that, if indeed it is what it looks like. Maybe the other supervisors were trying to hold off going public until they knew more? Although I am not sure what good explanation one could give for not paying. But as you said Roachie, that probably does fall under the Sunshine Law and needs to be made part of the public record. Even if it is painful. As my mother always said, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
Someone on FB said it is not part of the Sunshine law to disclose personnel issues, I haven’t had a chance to research it but…
In any case, the officer allegedly stole food in a public location and if Amity supervisors didn’t make the information public, Giant’s certainly could have. It seems a wiser plan for the officer’s employer to be up front about it while assuring their constituents that they have taken appropriate action to put the officer on leave.
my biggest concern is that in PA retail theft over $150 is a felony, he didn’t get charged with a felony. also if a person commits a felony with two children, that becomes another felony child endangerment charge. so can anyone tell me why this “officer” isn’t in jail right now? I would think that being a police officer who knowingly committed a crime would really piss off any arraignment judge to the point of throwing the book at him. I guess lady justice isn’t blind!
Bob, finally someone is saying what I have been thinking since I heard this story. Anyone else who was caught stealing, not only once but twice, would have been hand cuffed and put in the back of a police car. Glenn (I refuse to call him “officer Oesterling”) stated that he didn’t have anyone to call to take the kids…where was the mother? Other family members? His “brother” cops?…this whole story infuriates me. I will bet we will never see a follow up story on this