Police in Georgia asked the public for their help in identifying a suspect: an elderly Walmart shopper who picked up $30 off the ground after someone else had dropped it. 

The victim wanted to press charges but decided not to after the man returned the money, according to an update to the original Albany Police Department Facebook post announcing the manhunt.

Social media users ridiculed the police department, deeming the entire ordeal a waste of time and resources, with some even jokingly offering to pay $30 dollars to get the police to ‘leave the old guy alone.’

The criticism has since bled from the original post onto all other posts on APD’s page – each subsequent post has been met with dozens of comments saying ‘did they steal $30 too?’

One user wrote on the original post: ‘When I was out with some friends I found a bank envelope in a parking lot that appeared to be from a withdrawal and it had $8,000 in it. Now that is something you turn in not $30 found inside a Walmart’ 

Others showed concern towards the allocation of police resources and time.

‘So much time given to someone who picked up 30 bucks, when in a town of only 67,000 you have 23 homicides and five of your officers just got in arrested for misuse of Flock cameras. That what should be all over your pages,’ a concerned user wrote. 

Community ridiculed Albany Police Department after they put out a post searching for an unknown man who picked up $30 dollars off the ground in a Walmart

According to APD Chief Michael Persley, the police determined that the suspect saw the victim drop the money

Police asked local community for their help in identifying a man who picked up $30 dollars off the ground in a Walmart located at 2586 N. Slappey Blvd in Albany, Georgia

Chief Persley of the APD responded and said the suspect witnessed the victim drop the money, WALB reported. 

Majority of the pushback was sarcastic and poked fun at the APD:

‘Thank God you found that criminal that found $30 at Walmart. I was afraid he was going to go on a rampage!’ someone wrote.

Under a separate post about an arrest made following a recent shooting, one user joked: ‘I’m just thankful you guys captured that old man who found $30. I’m sleeping a bit more soundly knowing people aren’t out there just finding money like a bunch of savages.’

Another comment said: ‘Your mom dropped some money on the floor, i have it! You wanna come get it?’

Very few comments referred to the actual content of the post, which is now the case for most if not all content on APD’s Facebook page. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Albany Police Department for comment.