Shoplifting Policies and Procedures

Every business is different, and their policies and procedures varied from store to store or office to office. In a retail store, the policies and procedures concerning a shoplifting accident have to concise and known by every employee in the store. Knowing what to do and how to react to those kind of situations is important and financially responsible to the business. If your policy is to prosecute every shoplifter regardless of age, or the amount of merchandise they steal, your employees should be aware of it. If your policy is to get the merchandise back without prosecuting, they should be aware of that too. Avoiding a lawsuit against your store regarding a shoplifting accident should be an important subject to discuss with your employees and your management team.

Follow the links for more news about shoplifting.

NM shoplifters as early risers

EDGEWOOD — Five-thirty in the morning might be an odd time for a shopping spree, but it’s a common time of day for shoplifters.

Combatting shoplifting, especially in those wee hours of the morning, is a common struggle for operators of 24-hour stores, and Wal-Marts throughout the area have been experiencing individuals pushing fully loaded shopping carts out the doors without paying a dime. Edgewood Police Chief Fred Radosevich said his department received a call two weeks ago reporting four suspected shoplifters attempting to leave the premises, with what later turned out to be nearly $2,000 worth of goods.

“It happened on Oct. 8 at about 5:30 in the morning,” he said. “We got a report of people possibly shoplifting. Officer (David) Lovato responded. Through the investigation two people were arrested.”

Lovato identified four people on the scene as suspects – three females and one male. He arrested Joyce Newman, 50, of Bernalillo and Jacee York, 19, of Rio Rancho. The pair both have extensive records, including past charges for shoplifting.

The remaining two suspects had not exited the store when they were stopped so they have not been arrested, but they will be issued a summons, Radosevich added.

Armed Kingsport shoplifter assaults employees, flees police

An attempt to swipe $72 in Walmart merchandise escalated to felony charges, according to Kingsport police, as the suspect pulled a knife on store employees and was Tasered by a responding officer, then briefly escaped across a parking lot after being handcuffed.
At approximately 6:20 p.m. Wednesday, police were alerted to the incident at 2500 W. Stone Drive. It was reported a shoplifter had been detained by loss prevention officers but was resisting.

While en route, officers were told that the suspect had brandished a knife and fled the store, running toward the adjacent Lowe’s. A Kingsport Police Department incident report states an officer spotted the described suspect crossing Deneen Lane. When the officer exited his patrol car and ordered the man to stop, he allegedly began “running faster.”

The suspect, later identified as Joseph B. Hall, 25, reportedly ignored additional commands during the ensuing foot pursuit, prompting the officer to deploy a Taser. It immediately halted Hall’s flight, with a second officer then attempting to bring him into custody.

Hall allegedly resisted by “violently kicking” and holding his arms beneath his body. At that point police observed a knife in his pocket, with concerns that he would attempt to stab police prompting a second deployment from a Taser.

Gabriel Brothers Protects Prices by Standing Up to Shoplifting with CAP 

SALT LAKE CITY – Sept. 30, 2014 – Loss prevention cloud technology company Turning Point Justice and the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP) today announced that Gabriel Brothers (Gabe’s), fashion retailer and first choice destination for savvy shoppers, has adopted the CAP for Shoplifting crime accountability program. A collaborative retail theft solution created by TPJ and NASP, CAP is based upon the principle that cooperation between retailers, law enforcement and the justice system saves time and money for everyone while improving offender accountability and reducing recidivism.

“Shoplifting prevention is essential to keeping prices low for customers, and CAP provides an innovative approach to holding more offenders accountable for retail theft,” said Mark Stovich, Gabriel Brothers Inc. Director of Asset Protection. “Gabe’s customers know they can count on us for great prices, and with CAP, we can meet those expectations while helping our communities fight shoplifting and support positive values.”