A Haines City, Florida police officer was arrested over the weekend after he and a woman he was with were allegedly caught shoplifting from Walmart when they failed to scan items before bagging them, on multiple occasions.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said 48-year-old David Griffin of Mulberry, Florida was arrested on Saturday after deputies responded to a Walmart on Church Avenue North.
Upon arrival, deputies learned Griffin was employed as a police officer in Haines City since 2019 – he has since resigned from the department.
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David Griffin booking photo. (Polk County Sheriffs Office)
The sheriff’s office also said 28-year-old Shelbi Dubose was with Griffin at the time of his arrest, and she was arrested as well.
“It is always disappointing to me when someone in law enforcement commits a crime and betrays the trust of their community,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. “Haines City is a wonderful city, and they have a top-notch professional police department. We will absolutely hold Griffin accountable for his actions. The only thing he did right was immediately resign upon his arrest.”
Detectives learned that a store employee observed Griffin placing items in bags without scanning them. The employee spoke to Griffin about the unscanned items and helped correct the problem.
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Shelbi Dubose booking photo. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
But when the employee walked away, Griffin and Dubose allegedly continued bagging items without scanning them.
When the duo attempted to leave, security team members stopped them.
Griffin and Dubose allegedly scanned and paid for $207.72 worth of merchandise, while failing to scan $343.22 worth of merchandise.
Griffin and Dubose were arrested at a Walmart on Church Avenue North. (iStock)
Walmart personnel investigated Griffin’s debit card usage at the store, which involved pulling security video of the transaction. They allege that Griffin committed four similar thefts on Oct. 15, Oct. 29, Nov. 10 and Nov. 26, and on three of those occasions, Dubose participated.
Griffin was charged with five counts of retail petit theft, and Dubose was charged with four counts of the same crime.
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“I want to assure the public that we hold our officers to the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct,” Haines City Police Department Chief Greg Goreck said. “The recent arrest of one of our officers is deeply troubling and contrary to the values of our department. This behavior is not representative of the dedicated men and women who serve our community with honor and commitment every day. Let it be known, had Officer Griffin not resigned, his removal from duty would have been swift and decisive. We have zero tolerance for such actions and are committed to maintaining public trust through accountability and transparency.”
