EDITORIAL: Mark did the right thing
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A “BRAVE and selfless” Albury man yesterday chased and caught an alleged thief who snatched a bag from an elderly woman in North Albury.
But electrician and father-of-five, Mark Kirk, shrugged off the praise of Albury police Inspector David Cottee, saying anyone else would have done the same thing.
Mr Kirk, 46, who was riding a bike, had stopped to chat to friend, Steve Takle in North Street when Mr Takle saw a teenager snatch a bag from a woman, 82, at the Park Avenue corner about midday.
“My friend deserves a lot of the credit,” Mr Kirk said later.
“He saw it and I was dumbfounded.
“He said: ‘Chase that guy down’ and I said, ‘I’m on my way’.
“I just jumped on my bike and away I went.”
He chased the teen up Park Avene into Smith Street. There the teen jumped into a waiting car and Mr Kirk confronted him through the passenger window.
“I convinced him he’d be a fool to run because he’d been identified by the number plate,” he said.
“I basically said: ‘if you run now, you’re going to be in more trouble than you’re in now so go and get the bag’ — which he did.”
The teen retrieved the bag from Park Avenue and handed it to Mr Kirk.
“I was fairly convincing,” Mr Kirk said.
Mr Kirk, a former Albury Football Club player, said he was about to take the teenager back to the elderly woman to apologise when police arrived.
“People turned up and that was it. It was no big hero act really,” he said.
“Most people, given the chance, would do the same thing.”
A Jindera teenager, 18, was last night charged with stealing from a person and remanded to appear in court.
Insp Cottee said Mr Kirk was not the only person to step in, with several others coming to the aid of the elderly woman.
“The reaction from the public was immediate and selfless and is a great example of good community and citizenship,” Insp Cottee said.
“Without such quick and brave actions, the man may have escaped.
“On behalf of the police at Albury, I thank them for their actions.”