Former Police Chief Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate recently shared a funny and peculiar incident that occurred to him and his wife in the House of Lords.
He was shedding light on ways to deal with theft. During his speech, he unveiled his approach which was rather unconventional.
In a deadpan manner that left everyone uncertain about whether he was joking, Lord Mackenzie shared why he did not report the theft of his wife’s credit card.
He shared that during one of her not-too-frequent visits to London, Lord Mackenzie's wife fell victim to a rather unsuspecting credit card theft.
Rather than promptly reporting the incident to the authorities, Lord Mackenzie took a different course of action.
He playfully admitted that he held the urge to file a report because the thief was spending less money than his wife.
"I monitored the use of the card and I have to say I didn’t report it to the police, because the thief was spending less than she was,” he humorously stated.
The unexpected revelation caused laughter among the assembled peers, who were unsure how to react. Their laughter revealed the playful side of the parliament.
Despite the humor, Treasury Minister Baroness Vere of Norbiton stressed the importance of reporting such incidents to the police, regardless of the situation.
“I think, in these circumstances, one should always report these matters to the police," he said.
Lord Mackenzie's background as a former Chief Superintendent in Durham, as well as his three-year tenure as the president of the Police Superintendents Association, provides a unique perspective to the entire story.
Brian Mackenzie, Baron Mackenzie of Framwellgate, is a vocal voice on issues relating to crime and policing. In the New Years Honours of 1998, Lord Mackenzie was awarded an OBE for his services to policing in England and Wales
His extensive experience in law enforcement underscores the importance of adhering to proper procedures in cases of theft, irrespective of personal biases or lighthearted observations.
While Lord Mackenzie's story may be entertaining, it's important to remember that such thinking should not interfere with the importance of adhering to legal protocols and reporting instances of theft, regardless of the amount stolen.