Rates of Shoplifting Reach Staggering Level

[DrQ]

Rates of Shoplifting Reach Staggering Level​

Rates of shoplifting reach staggering level

In many cases, shoplifting is seen as a "crime of necessity" for low-income Americans.

www.newsweek.com

 

[CalGalTraveler]

My son worked at a superstore and he said the most common shoplifting offenders were elderly. Reinforces that people are doing it out of necessity rather than thrill seeking.

 

[SmithOp]

I went grocery shopping yesterday, the store has now installed locking cabinets on the soap/s shampoo /deodorant aisle. The shoplifters must be a clean lot.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

installed locking cabinets on the soap/s shampoo /deodorant aisle

I first saw that months ago. It made me scratch my head so much I had to go get somebody to open them up so I could buy some shampoo.
Luckily my wife buys so much of that stuff that i haven't had to deal with it.

 

[Sandi Bo]

I had to get someone to unlock a brush for me the other day. Walmart in Masssachusetts...I guess it's everywhere, but maybe worse in some places... I'll have to see if they are locking up brushed in Nebraska.

 

[joestein]

Rates of Shoplifting Reach Staggering Level​

Rates of shoplifting reach staggering level

In many cases, shoplifting is seen as a "crime of necessity" for low-income Americans.

www.newsweek.com

Sorry... but this is a completely spun report. I see gangs of people walk into stores with garbage bags and cleaning out rows of products all the time. No doubt that some of the shoplifting is due to necessity - but still that is not a valid excuse. I guess LuLuLemon must be a necessity. Some of those stores are hit weekly in that fashion. That is why they are closing in some areas. This is organized shoplifting.

Meanwhile... the vast majority of these items are being resold online.

Maybe if we started jailing criminals - this would stop.

 

[ScoopKona]

My son worked at a superstore and he said the most common shoplifting offenders were elderly. Reinforces that people are doing it out of necessity rather than thrill seeking.

I watched this happen at a hotel in California. They had a reach-in cooler for Hot Pockets, candy bars, soda, beer and wine. An older guest helped herself to a bottle of wine, slipped it in her bag and was on her way to the elevator when confronted about the theft. I didn't see the theft. But I was in the lobby when it happened.

She denied it, doubled down on "I didn't take anything," started screaming at hotel staff and was then arrested because there's a camera in plain view of the reach-in.

My guess is that the people doing this know that at worst they'll get a fine. It's not worth it to taxpayers to toss them in the klink for a month. They probably won't be caught. And if they are caught, they'll probably be let go without incident.

Meanwhile, these are the same people who have a love affair with the "broken windows" strategy of policing.

 

[joestein]

I watched this happen at a hotel in California. They had a reach-in cooler for Hot Pockets, candy bars, soda, beer and wine. An older guest helped herself to a bottle of wine, slipped it in her bag and was on her way to the elevator when confronted about the theft. I didn't see the theft. But I was in the lobby when it happened.

She denied it, doubled down on "I didn't take anything," started screaming at hotel staff and was then arrested because there's a camera in plain view of the reach-in.

My guess is that the people doing this know that at worst they'll get a fine. It's not worth it to taxpayers to toss them in the klink for a month. They probably won't be caught. And if they are caught, they'll probably be let go without incident.

Meanwhile, these are the same people who have a love affair with the "broken windows" strategy of policing.

I am not sure how you connect these people to those who love the broken windows strategy of policing. I think the broken windows strategy works. I have seen the difference in NYC where the application of this strategy helped save it. I have worked or lived in NYC all my life. In the last 5 - 10 years all this has been stopped and the city has gotten lax on crime. The city is slowing reversing back to what it was before.

At least before - the police were supported - now they are made out to be the bad guys.

 

[DeniseM]

CLOSED: This thread has drifted off topic and is venturing into contentious social & political issues.