The Face of a Shoplifter

August 15, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (8)Winona Ryder is probably one of the most famous celebrities that were caught stealing and prosecuted for shoplifting. Lindsay Lohan the most recent one was also prosecuted for shoplifting. Although shoplifting is a crime and you can be charged and prosecuted, many people neglect to impart the importance that shoplifting deserves. Who is the shoplifter you may ask? From celebrities to news anchors and candidates for the senate, shoplifting affects many people, and the financial ramifications of this crime affect many people in the retail industry and local economies every year.

If You Want To Keep Your Job As A News Anchor, Don’t Get Caught Shoplifting

As celebs like Wynona Ryder have demonstrated, you can get caught shoplifting and still go on to have a decent career in the public eye. Perhaps Ryder’s redemption tale will give some hope to a California news woman who has resigned her local anchoring gig after being charged with shoplifting.

Sabrina Rodriguez had been with FOX40 in Sacramento since 2011, but police allege that in early 2013 she began helping her fiance steal from stores and fence those shoplifted items.

Texts from the fiance to Rodriguez show him discussing the alleged theft of expensive sweaters and purses from stores like BCBG. One text in response to the fiance reads, “Awesome. I love when a plan comes together.”

Then in March 2014, the fiance was reportedly spotted on camera leaving a Coach store with wallets he did not pay for. Rodriguez admitted to being in the store with her fiance but denied being involved in any theft.

However, police claim that security camera footage shows Rodriguez pointing out wallets to her fiance before he puts them into his bag.

Ariz. family accused of shoplifting $15K worth of clothes

Police arrested five people in Phoenix on charges of shoplifting more than $15,000 worth of clothes from different retailers — and it’s the suspects’ relationship that’s making headlines.
ABC reports that the police say the suspects are from the same family. As FOX NEWS says, the family that shoplifts together is arrested together.

Officials from the Phoenix Police Department say that the suspects had worked together to steal clothes, mostly lingerie, from retailers starting as far back as November of last year.

Officers arrested them Friday in their home where they found clothing items with tags and security devices still attached. Police say that the family used the stolen items to trade for drugs or to sell in yard sales held almost weekly.

Store Employees Help Catch Shoplifting Suspect 

A shoplifter didn’t get far when he tried to steal from a Rapid City hardware store.

Ace Hardware employees noticed Keith Ericson push a cart of merchandise out of the store without paying.  They tried to stop him as he loaded the items into the back of a truck being driven by his wife.  She started to drive away as Keith jumped in the bed of the truck, but he fell out before they got out of the parking lot.  When Dianna Ericson got out of the truck to help him, a witness grabbed the keys so that the couple couldn’t drive away.

Police say Keith is also a suspect in the theft of four drills from Walmart.  He’s charged with theft and possession of drug paraphernalia.  Dianna is charged with DUI and driving with a suspended license.

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Shoplifting Flash Mobs and Other News

August 5, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (5)How do you protect yourself from a mob of shoplifters? Is there a solution? Calling the police will eventually get things going, but rarely do they arrive in time to stop the shoplifting. Even an individual shoplifter can get away many times before he gets caught, and the loses your store or business suffers is big. Prevention and investing in shoplifting devices can be a helpful method for your store to prevent shrinkage and a deterrent to employees and other shoplifters from stealing from your store.

The Future Of Shopping In Three Trends

Back in 2012, I wrote a piece titled, Five Trends Driving Traditional Retail Towards Extinction. Looking back, I’m generally happy to see that the trends I examined are still valid, though “extinction” might be a little strong.

But the retail and e-commerce industries still interest me and living in New York provides a firsthand view into the petri dish that many of these companies use to experiment. So almost two years later, I’ve revisited the space to focus on three more trends that are changing the way we shop. (I’m leaving out an exploration of mobile for the moment, since it’s probably worth its own post.)

The Macro View

First, a brief look at the bigger picture.

Last month marked Amazon’s 20th anniversary, which is kind of amazing to think about since e-commerce seems both very new and indispensable at the same time. Either way, the world has had plenty of time to digest the trend.

Local Fox Anchor Arrested for Shoplifting; Fiancé Arrested for Arson

CBS 13 in Sacramento reports that a local news anchor was arrested for theft while in an unrelated case her fiancé was arrested for arson. Fox 40 news anchor Sabrina Rodriguez was arrested and charged with three felony counts of shoplifting while her fiancé, Nicholas Gray, is in jail on drug and arson charges.

On May 6, 2014, Rodriguez and Gray’s Sacramento home was ablaze; in the ensuing attempts by firefighters, one fire fighter was injured. The couple told authorities at the time that the cause of the fire was a stove exploding.

According to file footage from CBS 13, fire battalion Chris Ortiz said at the time: “The occupants were extremely lucky to get out. If they would have hesitated probably a minute or so they might be crawling out the back windows or we might be extricating them from the home.”

Gray was booked Thursday into the Sacramento County jail on charges of arson, battery, manufacturing meth, and possession of marijuana or hashish for sale. Investigators would not confirm the charges were related to the fire at his home, CBS 13 reports.

Police: Shoplifting flash mobs storm convenience stores

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. —

Police in Washington state are looking for a group of about 40 teens who allegedly stormed a Shell service station in Federal Way early last Sunday, KIRO-TV in Seattle reported.

“It’s pretty bad. … When 30, 40 people come into the store, I don’t think even cops can do anything right away,” said Ranji Rai, who owns the store. He said his clerk was alone at the time and couldn’t do anything to stop the crowd.

The clerk, Sukhvinder Singh, said that at first, he tried to stop the teens at the door, but they pushed through. Then Singh tried to grab one of the teens’ jackets, but another person threw a soda at him and just missed, Singh said.

>> VIDEO: Shoplifting flash mobs storm convenience stores, police say

According to Federal Way police, another group targeted a 7-Eleven about a mile away, only an hour and a half after the incident at the Shell station. KIRO-TV included portions of the surveillance videos in their newscast.

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Social Media Helps Authorities Catch Criminals

July 30, 2014 by Leave a Comment

law-3As of the first quarter 2014, Facebook had 1.28 billion monthly active users. This of course is only one social media site that people tend to gravitate to and one of the many sites authorities are using to capture criminals dumb enough to post selfies with stolen merchandise, or bragging about their crimes. Social media sites are playing many roles in the lives of people, from keeping them connected to friends to preying on victims.

For more about this and other stories follow the links below.

Facebook Led These Criminals To Face Time Behind Bars

Doing a crime is inherently stupid, but boasting about it on social media takes it to a whole new level of idiocy. Bidness Etc takes a look at some of these ‘criminal geniuses’ and how their addiction to social media got them caught.

They say social media is nothing but a waste of time and intelligence. While we agree with this notion to a certain extent, we believe that it is actually the horde of brain-dead, half-witted, below-average excuse for human beings that destroy social media’s reputation on a daily basis.

We believe that this epidemic (i.e. stupid people running rampant on social media) is because of the inherent nature of the internet. You see, everyone – even criminals – have access to it, can sign up for various sites, and are then free to express their worthless opinions there. Speaking of petty criminals, there have been many instances in the recent past where the criminal’s own stupidity on Facebook Inc (FB) helped the law catch them and put them behind bars for good. The law’s triumph not only restored our faith in the legal system, but it also gave us hope for the future of social media sites as well.

Criminals using social media sites to prey on victims

NEW ORLEANS —In the past three weeks, three similar crimes happened in the Crescent City – all with one common thread: social media.

Police said sites like Tagged, Tinder and Kik have been used to lure victims to potential danger, resulting in robberies and carjackings.

The first case happened in the 1600 block of Baronne Street, where police said a man met a woman and was later robbed by three men.

The second crime was committed in the 2100 block of Danneel Street by 10 men – four of whom had guns.

Digital Detectives: Social Media Helping Police Put Criminals Behind Bars

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) — Anne Arundel County Police say social media is helping them put criminals behind bars.

Rochelle Ritchie explains how.

At the stroke of a keyboard, residents in Anne Arundel County are becoming digital detectives in helping Anne Arundel County Police solve crime.

“We’ve been able to solve crime based on social media tips,” said Lt. T.J. Smith, Anne Arundel County Police.

After one man’s photo was placed on their Facebook page, the comments began to pour in. It didn’t take long for the alleged ATM robber to be put behind bars.

“We have the opportunity to get the message out to tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people at the click of a button,” Smith said.

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Dumb Criminal Videos

July 30, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (10)There are some thieves that manage to do a lot of damage to a store before they get caught, others just can’t restrain themselves and show off their stolen merchandise to the world, making police arrests quick and a blessing for the store owner.

Follow the links below to see the videos.

Dumb Criminal Posts Facebook Photo Wearing The Dress She Stole Earlier That Day, Is Summarily Arrested

from the dress-to-impress dept

At some point, it might become useful for Facebook to release some data on exactly how many dumb criminals have been brought to justice via some aspect of the social media giant. For reasons I can’t fathom, it seems like we see this all the time. Criminals share the police station’s status update implicating themselves. Fraternities vomit their crimes all over their Facebook pages. Fugitives from the law occasionally post pictures from their vacations, alerting police to their exact whereabouts. It’s a brave and utterly stupid new world out there for criminals and they’re just not handling it well.

The latest example is Danielle Saxton, who thought it was a good idea to steal a distinctive leopard-print dress (very tasteful) from a clothing boutique and then post pictures of herself wearing the stolen property to Facebook mere hours later.

Police say 27-year-old Danielle Saxton stole from a downtown boutique last week. Then, she posted pictures of herself wearing the merchandise. Investigators say Saxton shared the pics just a few hours after the theft. The images quickly spread on Facebook, and led officers straight to her. Police say the pictures are evidence of shoplifting committed by Saxton. The theft happened at Mortie’s Boutique in West Frankfort, where multiple items disappeared last Friday.

It Only Takes 4 Seconds For These Wannabe Thieves To Realize They Picked The Wrong Gas Station To Rob

These two wannabe robbers just didn’t know who they were messing with.

As KPRC reports, an attempted robbery ended up poorly for the bad guys after they jumped a Fuel Depot employee returning from the bank with a money bag.

They must have had no idea who his co-worker was, otherwise they probably wouldn’t have chosen to rob the gas station.

Working at the cash register when the assault happened was Mayura Dissanyake, a semi-professional mixed martial arts fighter. And as we can see on the surveillance footage, in an instant, he put his skills to incredible use.

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Retail Shrinkage and More News

July 22, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (13)Recent research about loss prevention states that the industry loses about $57 billion yearly. The perpetrators are more brazen and the consequences more expensive. Surveillance and private surveillance personnel are not enough to stop shrinkage in the retail industry. The steps that the store employee can follow depend on the store and the state they are situated. Private Citizens are generally not allowed to restrain people against their will and by doing so opens the doors for civil or criminal law suits. For more news about shoplifting follow the links below.

Survey: Retail shrink translates into $57 billion loss; cash theft jumps 20%

New York — Shrinkage levels average 1.27% of sales, which translates to a $57 billion loss to the industry, according to the U.S. Retail Fraud Survey, which is based on research into the systems and strategies used by 100 leading North American retailers.

The biggest area of store loss remains employee theft (38% of shrink), up 3% from last year, according to the study, published by U.K. based Retail Knowledge and sponsored by Volumatic and Kount. It is followed by cash theft (24%), up 20% from last year, administration and book keeping errors (21%), down 9%, and shoplifting (11%), down 15%.

The biggest area of online loss is fraudulent use of credit cards (59% of shrink).

In other survey highlights:

• Return fraud is costing retailers an average of 0.25% of sales this year, compared with an average of 0.4% last year.

• With regards to loss prevention departments, on average, each member of the fraud prevention team is responsible for $103 million of sales.

Retailers apprehend shoplifters and dishonest employees in record numbers

While the increased brazenness and skills of both shoplifters and unscrupulous employees continue to plague retailers across the United States, the industry’s most respected loss prevention researchers offer some good news in their just released survey. According to numbers highlighted in the 26th Annual Retail Theft Survey conducted by Jack L. Hayes International, the leading loss prevention and inventory shrinkage control consulting firm, both apprehensions and money recovered from retail theft increased again in 2013.

The survey says almost 1.2 million shoplifters and dishonest employees were apprehended in 2013 by just 23 large retailers, who recovered over $199 million from thieves. The figures show that shoplifting apprehensions were up 2.5 percent and recovery dollars increased by 4.5 percent. When it came to cracking down on internal theft, the survey revealed that apprehensions for dishonest employees rose 6.5 percent and recovery dollars rose 2.5 percent. According to Mark R. Doyle, President of Jack L. Hayes International, these figures display a positive trend of apprehension and recovery that has been seen for three consecutive years.

A look back: Four lessons from my first LP conference

I was named NRF’s Vice President of Loss Prevention a little more than a month ago. It was perfect timing for me to jump in and do my best to meet thousands of my peers at NRF’s annual Loss Prevention Conference. Here are my top takeaways after experiencing the event for the first time behind the scenes.

  • There’s a live stream audience for retail loss prevention. Gus Downing, producer of the LP News Network (LPNN), led this historic first-ever live broadcast from any loss prevention conference. Thousands of viewers watched LPNN’s eight hours of educational content, news and even an interview with me and Vicki Cantrell. Thanks to Downing and his team for their diligent coverage of the retail loss prevention issues that matter most to our community – at the event and throughout the year. There is added value as the stream is currently being broadcast on the D&D Daily as the gift that keeps on giving to the LP community.
  • We’re in the age of “Brand and Business Protection.” The protection of products, our brands, employees and customers: No matter your focus, Cantrell was direct in her opening remarks last month. “We must prepare, plan, preserve, prevent and – most importantly – protect those we are entrusted to serve. By protecting our organizations, we keep them strong, and it is the strong who survive and thrive.” The transformation of NRF’s Loss Prevention Conference to NRF PROTECT is a commitment from NRF to prepare this community for the growing challenges, threats and responsibilities for retail loss prevention professionals. Keep your eyes peeled for more to come!
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Why Your Employees Need to Know The Shoplifting Policies in your Store

July 16, 2014 by Leave a Comment

law-3A shoplifting case in any state can run from an infraction or a misdemeanor to a felony charge. Many communities across the United States are urging government officials to make a shoplifting case charge into something serious to deterred shoplifters from entering their stores and getting away with stolen merchandise.

Policies across the retail industry vary tremendously. Regardless of the policies you want your employees to adhere to, those policies have to be understood and follow through regardless of the situation. Law suits against retail stores are prevalent and costly, educating your security employees about the policies and laws in the state and your store can prevent expenses your business can do without.

Follow more stories about shoplifting by following the links below.

Target security officer fired after reporting shoplifting

Dallas Northington spent nearly eight years working for Target in loss prevention, roaming the stores and scanning the surveillance cameras. In an episode at the Leesburg Target store in May that he said was typical, a man was allegedly captured twice on video shoplifting, and Northington responded as he said he always did: He called the Leesburg police, made a report and provided them the videos of the two incidents.

But the man in the video may have been a Fairfax County sheriff’s deputy, Northington said he soon learned. And within days, two things happened: The deputy retired from the sheriff’s office and Target fired Northington, 29, a married father of two with a third child on the way.

Northington said Target officials told him that he had violated procedure by not filling out the proper paperwork before contacting the police, though he said his office had operated the same way for years. He said he also was told that he had been insubordinate for not seeking approval before calling police, though he said the standard practice was for him to act as needed.

Va. sheriff’s employee to be charged in shoplifting

WASHINGTON (AP) – Leesburg police say a Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office employee will be charged with shoplifting in a case that drew attention after the Target security guard who reported the alleged crime was fired.

The sheriff’s office employee has not been identified, and formal charges have yet to be filed.

Leesburg police say they identified a suspect a few days after the theft in late May and were awaiting word from Target on whether to proceed with charges. Police say they got that word from Target on Monday.

Police say the decision to fire the security guard was a corporate decision made by Target. Dallas Northington told The Washington Post that he was fired after Target told him he violated procedure by filling out paperwork before calling police.

Man wanted for shoplifting at Suffolk Walmart

Suffolk, Va. – Suffolk police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a man involved in a shoplifting incident at Walmart.

It happened on July 12 shortly after midnight at the Walmart located in the 6200 block of College Drive.

The suspect is described as a black male in his late teens or early 20’s wearing a dark tank top, camouflage shorts, a dark do-rag, flip flops and dark socks.

Surveillance cameras captured the suspect pulling a plastic Walmart bag from his pocket and placing several items in the bag and then proceeding past the register.

A loss prevention officer saw the suspect driving off in a tan colored Ford SUV.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Line at 1-888-Lock-U-Up.

When calling Crime Line, callers do not have to give their names or appear in court.

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Shoplifting Videos from Around the U.S

July 8, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (12)The United States Retailers lose billion of dollar every year due to shoplifting. The National Association for shoplifting prevention has programs dedicated to helping those with these problems and educating and reaching out to the youth of this country. Stealing affects every one of us and the repercussions of shoplifting affect those closest to the shoplifter. Here are some articles and videos for you about shoplifting around the country. Follow the links below.

Texas woman sentenced for million dollar shoplifting ring

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) – A Texas woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for taking part in an international shoplifting ring where members used oversized bags to steal millions of dollars worth of goods from high-end stores, prosecutors said on Tuesday.
Eva Salazar, 49, pleaded guilty on Monday to second degree theft for stealing merchandise from stores including Victoria’s Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Coach, said Trey Banack, the chief of the White Collar Crimes Division of the Bexar County District Attorney’s office in San Antonio.

Salazar and three other women would enter shopping malls with bags that could hold deceptively large amounts and then “clear entire tables and shelves of merchandise,” Banack said.
“They then delivered the merchandise to a fifth woman, who would sell the items through her online store,” Banack said.

The ring hit malls in Austin, Houston and San Antonio, and also struck internationally, with suspected thefts in countries including Canada and Australia, he said.

Children left home alone while couple goes shoplifting

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) – Louisville Metro Police have charged a couple with leaving their children home alone while they went to a store to shoplift.

Around 7:20 p.m. July 7, police said Crystal A. HDC) 33, of Louisville, walked out of the Preston Highway Meijer with merchandise she had not paid for. The arrest report says Herthel had a receipt in her hand as if she had paid for the items, valued at $556.57, and placed them in the truck of her car.

During questioning, Herthel admitted to stealing the merchandise and said that her boyfriend, Kurt Sheets, 35, helped her select the items.

According to police, Sheets and Herthel walked into and out of the store separately. Officers also said each gave conflicting statements about why they were at the store.

Police also learned the pair had left their children, ages 10, 4 and four months, at home while they went out to commit the theft.

Both Herthel and Sheets were arrested for shoplifting. According to officers, the two had a total of $34 in cash on them.

Police said Herthel had previously been arrested for shoplifting from an Indiana Meijer store.

Video appears to capture weekend shoplifting assault outside Madison Square Mall

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — A video that surfaced online this weekend appears to depict the assault of a Belk employee as he tried to stop a shoplifter outside Madison Square Mall.

The incident occurred Saturday evening, when a loss prevention officer was trying to stop a woman who had stolen merchandise from the Belk department store. The Huntsville Police Department said two men came to the woman’s aid and assaulted the employee, who was reportedly not seriously injured.

The suspects fled with the merchandise and no arrests have been made, police have said.

The video surfaced Sunday, when a woman named Whitney Woolen posted it on Facebook. As of 1:50 p.m. today, the video has been shared nearly 500 times from Woolen’s page.

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Shoplifting News This Week

July 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (8)These are some of shoplifting news happening this week around our country. Click on the links to read the whole story.

Trio of shoplifting suspects nabbed by Bossier Police after wild ride in Walmart parking lot

It wasn’t the getaway some shoplifting suspects were hoping for Monday in Bossier City.  Officers responded to Walmart in the 2500 block of Airline Drive in reference to three women who were seen shoplifting in the store. The suspects ran out of the store after they were confronted by store security.

While one of the suspects was attempting to get away in a car, she backed over a woman’s foot. The woman’s adult daughter confronted the driver and as the suspect attempted to drive off, the daughter jumped on the hood of the car. The suspect then sped through the parking lot with the daughter on the hood.

As police arrived on the scene the suspect slammed on the brakes and the daughter was thrown off the hood and landed on the pavement. The daughter was taken to University Health in Shreveport by BCFD with a possible broken leg. The mother who got her foot run over was checked out at the scene by BCFD and did not need to go to a hospital.

Shoplifting foiled, four arrested

Four people were jailed Saturday after a failed shoplifting attempt.

Jason R. Walker, 29, of 1612 Roanoke Ave. in Uhrichsville, and Casey L. Myers, 33, of 413 12th St. in New Philadelphia, left Sears at Belden Village Mall around 1:15 p.m. without paying for a universal charger and pair of women’s shoes, said Stark County Jail records.

Carol D. Henry, 34, who Stark County Jail records say is homeless, and Stacey J. Jones, 28, of 131 Third Drive NW in New Philadelphia, arrived with Walker and Myers and were waiting in the parking lot. Jackson Township officers were given permission to search the car and found items used to make methamphetamine in the trunk.

All four were charged with assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a third-degree felony. Walker also was charged with petty theft, and Myers was charged with complicity.

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Crime and Education

July 1, 2014 by Leave a Comment

law-3It is unclear according to researches whether the United States can reduce the crime rates by increasing education. The clear notion about crime- and in this case shoplifting crime- is that the United States alone loses billions a dollar every year to this very expensive social issue and a solution is still to be seen. To read more about this follow this link.

To read more about other shoplifting issues follow the links below.

Are All Criminals Stupid?

Sane people are thrilled that those dimwitted criminals are in prison so they can’t add to the gene pool even more.

Are all criminals stupid or are all stupid people criminals? Evidently it is true that one has to be a little stupid to choose a life of crime. The following evidence seems to substantiate that fact.

James Elliot took his .38 caliber revolver with him to carry out a robbery in Long Beach, California, and the gun failed to fire leaving his intended victim wild-eyed in fear. James then did something that will guarantee his entrance into the Stupid Criminal Hall of Fame. He looked down the barrel and pulled the trigger again! This time it worked. Jimmy is no longer with us but then he never was!

Recently a man walked into a gun shop and tried to rob it with a baseball ball bat! The owner and customer used their guns to convince him that he was deficient in his planning. Just as an intelligent person does not take a knife to a gun fight, you don’t take a ball bat to rob a gun store.

Sears Holdings Support Communities, Fight Shoplifting with Restorative Justice Solutions  

Petty Theft Loss Prevention Program Success Leads to Expanded Adoption Nationwide.

SALT LAKE CITY – June 18, 2014 – Turning Point Justice (TPJ), the trusted provider of collaborative loss prevention solutions for retailers, and its partner the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP), today announced that Sears Holdings Corp. is expanding TPJ loss prevention solutions at select Sears and Kmart locations nationwide. The Court Alternative Program (CAP) is an innovative restorative justice solution based upon the principle that cooperation between retailers, law enforcement and the justice system saves time and money for both retailers and communities while improving offender accountability and reducing recidivism.

“Sears Holdings continues to support progressive loss prevention practices, such as TPJ’s innovative restorative justice solutions, that further elevate our leadership position in this industry and support our communities’ law enforcement efforts,” said Scott Glenn, chief security officer, Sears Holdings. “In pilot testing, we experienced a more than 50 percent reduction in the need for police and prosecutor support for shoplifting incidents at stores, which helps local law enforcement focus their resources on more serious crimes than petty shoplifting.”

CAP enables loss prevention teams to quickly identify qualifying offenders who voluntarily admit to the theft and desire to resolve the incident without the need for an immediate law enforcement response. Offenders who choose to participate in CAP pay restitution to retailers and complete proven National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP) shoplifting education programs that are used by justice systems across the United States. CAP is available at no cost to retailers.

Shoplifting Prevention For Retail Stores

If you’re the owner of a local retail store, there are many things that you can do to maximize profits. One thing that every retail store faces is loss due to theft, and some business owners just write theft off as something you can’t prevent. While you certainly can’t prevent theft with absolute certainty, there are certain things that you can do minimize it and prevent major losses. One major thing that you can do to combat theft is to invest in security cameras that you can place around your store. There are many ways that cameras can help you avoid theft as much as possible.

First, cameras act as a major deterrent to those who might otherwise try to shoplift in your store. The presence of cameras can be intimidating and make it discouraging for potential shoplifters. It’s one thing for an otherwise confident person to walk into a store he or she knows isn’t monitored by cameras, but it’s an entirely different thing to know that every move made will be recorded. This forces shoplifters to be extra careful, which many of them likely won’t really consider to be worth it.

Although cameras can reduce theft, they can’t prevent it entirely. In cases where theft does take place, having high performance cameras in place can help you ensure the responsible parties are brought to justice. Having high-resolution images to sort through as you’re attempting to find culprits in cases of theft can make it much easier to do so.

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Shoplifting Laws and more News

June 30, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (10)Shoplifting laws across the United States vary and some states can and will change the laws as they see fit. Laws in Arkansas, Georgia or Indiana may well be worded differently but the truth is shoplifting is a crime and shoplifters may face criminal charges or a misdemeanor. The National Association for Shoplifting Prevention has a page with the laws for every single state in the United States and the laws governing shoplifting and what it entails. Follow the links to see more about this topic.

Alleged shoplifter flees scene with kids in car, crashes

CABOT, Ark. (KTHV) – A man is charged with numerous felonies after allegedly fleeing the scene of a shoplifting at a Cabot Walmart with four children inside the vehicle.

Sgt. Keith Graham said officers responded to the Walmart on S. Rockwood June 16 just before 7:45 p.m. about a shoplifter fleeing the store. After chasing the suspect through the neighboring Dixie Café, the suspect then got into a gold Suburban and fled the area.

Officers began chasing the suspect from the Walmart to 67/167 southbound. Graham said the gold Suburban took exit 16 at a high rate of speed, then lost control of the vehicle and it flipped, coming to rest in a ditch long the roadway.

The driver, 28-year-old Christopher Carver, was taken into custody after the accident, and while searching the vehicle, officers found four small children inside. They were taken to Arkansas Children’s Hospital to be checked out.

Carver was taken to North Metro Hospital for minor injuries, and then transported to the Cabot Police Dept.

He is charged with shoplifting, fleeing, two counts kidnapping, second degree battery, and four counts of first degree endangering the welfare of a minor.

He is currently being held on $100,000 bond.

Local Stores Meet In An Effort To Prevent Shoplifting

Competitors are coming together to combat a big problem in Grand Island: shoplifting.

Grand Island Police brought local stores together for a second meeting Tuesday.

Shoplifting isn’t a huge problem at Carla Jensen’s store, but she knows the consequences if it becomes one.

“If there’s no money coming in, if it walks out the door, that means no money goes in my pocket or no money goes to the store,” said Jensen, owner of Royalty Boutique. “If there’s not enough in there to pay the bills then the store shuts down.”

G.I. Police Officer Butch Hurst said other local stores are being hit hard by thieves.

“It’s fairly severe,” Hurst said of the problem.

That’s why retailers – big and small – are coming together to swap information on the shoplifters they’re encountering.

“If they have photographs or digital, they show it to each other and say ‘hey, do you know this person,'” said Hurst.

Police want that information too.

Storeowners complain new shoplifting law in Indiana too lax

INDIANAPOLIS — Retailers are relieved that lawmakers have fixed an error in a new criminal law that would have made it tough to arrest shoplifters. Now they want a harsher penalty restored for thieves.
They contend the real problem with the new criminal code that goes into effect July 1 is a provision that drops theft from a felony to misdemeanor if the stolen goods are valued at less than $750.

“We’ve got a huge problem with that,” said Grant Monahan, head of the Indiana Retail Council, which represents thousands of store owners statewide.

On Tuesday, the General Assembly met in an unusual session to make “technical corrections” to the 400-plus page bill that overhauled crime and punishment in Indiana. While toughening penalties for violent crimes, the new law reduces punishments for some theft and drug possession crimes by making them into misdemeanors that are rarely punished with prison time.

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