Shoplifting is a crime.  Policymakers, local law enforcement, private retail security, and consumers know that.  Stores across the nation display signs warning the would be shoplifters of the intent to prosecute them if they shoplift. Shoplifting and employee theft cost retailers billions of dollars every year, but the problem persists, and in some communities shoplifting incidents have increased.  So, what can you as a retailer or small business owner do about it?  Is more security the answer? Are more security systems in place the answer? A better trained management team in your store the solution?  Retailers and local law enforcements have team up in states to combat this crime, but  shoplifting and employee theft are problems that retailers will be facing for many more years.

27th Annual Retail Theft Survey Reports Over 1.2 Million Shoplifters and Dishonest Employees are Apprehended by Just 25 Large U.S. retailers in 2014

Wesley Chapel, FL – Over 1.2 million shoplifters and dishonest employees were apprehended in 2014 by just 25 large retailers who recovered over $225 million from these thieves, according to the 27th Annual Retail Theft Survey conducted by Jack L. Hayes International, the leading loss prevention and inventory shrinkage control consulting firm.

“Something has to change, as we continue to report increases in apprehensions and recovery dollars year after year. In 2014, the number of apprehensions and recovery dollars were up again for both shoplifters and dishonest employees. Shoplifting apprehensions rose 7.4%, while dishonest employee apprehensions rose 1.7%. The dollars recovered from apprehended shoplifters and dishonest employees also rose, 7.5% and 18.1% respectively”, said Mark R. Doyle, President of Jack L. Hayes International. “These increases, follow similar increases reported the previous three years!” Mr. Doyle added, “I believe the solution starts with education. Educating the public as to the severity of the theft problem and how it negatively effects them on a daily basis. Educating our elected officials as to the negative impact theft plays on our communities and economy. Also, we need to do a better job educating our school aged children to the consequences of theft and the seriousness of the problem.”

6 Top Items Stolen From Stores

At this point in time, we can all pretty much agree that stealing is wrong. We’ve all witnessed the random teenager swiping a candy bar from the local corner store, or perhaps even been a victim of theft on a grander scale. Theft is all around us even though the act has been vilified throughout history in the Code of Hammurabi, the Ten Commandments, and today, in modern laws.

But desperate times call for desperate measures, and in a turbulent economy, marred by long-term unemployment, drastic upticks in the cost of living, and levels of inequality not before seen in modern America, it’s only expected that some people will resort to theft to get what they want. As unfortunate as it is, people stealing out of desperation, or straight malice or selfishness, costs business owners billions annually. According to one study conducted by Centre College professor David Andersen in 1999, the total aggregate of theft costs the economy more than $1.7 trillion every year. That number has likely gone way up over the past 15 years, giventhe rise of cyber crime.

Local retailers join to combat shoplifting

A recent shoplifting case at Walmart in Sahuarita pointed to possible connections to organized criminal activity that local authorities are now taking steps to combat.

The case involves a man and woman from Sonora, Mexico, suspected of stealing cartfuls of merchandise including boxes of diapers. The woman said they planned to sell them south of the border, according to a Sahuarita police report.

Cases like this are known as organized retail crime, or ORC, and nationwide it’s a $30 billion problem, said Pat Marshall of Walgreens. She was among five representatives from three retailers in Sahuarita and Green Valley attending a meeting Wednesday with Sahuarita police and a Pima County Sheriff’s detective.

They’re part of a new arm of the Arizona Organized Retail Crime Alliance (AzORCA).

Items most stolen

According to the National Retail Federation, these are the items most often stolen: Cigarettes, energy drinks,, high-end liquor, infant formula, allergy medicine, diabetic test strips, pain relievers, weight loss pills, high-end vacuums and other appliances, children’s electronic toys, laundry detergent, jeans, designer clothing and handbags, GPS devices, laptops/tablets, cameras/recorders, cell phones, teeth whitening strips, pregnancy tests and razors.