Family 👪 Shoplifting

[michaelskis]

When I was a kid, one of the most rebellious things a kid can do is to take a pack of gum from the corner store without paying for it.

Today shoplifting is a bit more brazen than in the past. Data shows a notable increase over the past few years and is expected to continue:

However, I have been seeing more and more reports of "Good Samaritans" detaining or at least preventing shoplifting from occurring. But with some businesses, they rather take the loss than the liability risk have have standard policies that staff is not to engage. Others are hiring security guards. Several of our local big-box retailers have uniformed, unarmed, security guards that are present to help prevent shoplifters. Personally, I noticed these folks are often older in age and are not likely to have the physical strength to prevent anything.

My question for you is would you step in and do something to prevent a shoplifter? If so, to what degree would you go? Notify the store, call the cops, or engage directly?

 

[kms]

Never engage directly. I notify the store.

I worked at a supermarket while I was in school. I could tell when someone walked through the door whether they we there to shop, shoplift, or buy drugs from Mark in produce.

 

[mendelman]

...there to shop, shoplift, or buy drugs from Mark in produce.

And these three are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

 

[jumbach]

I've never understood the point of stealing food from grocery stores. There are places you can go that will GIVE you food if you need it . . .

 

[jumbach]

Never engage directly. I notify the store.

I worked at a supermarket while I was in school. I could tell when someone walked through the door whether they we there to shop, shoplift, or buy drugs from Mark in produce.

Shoplifters come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.

 

[Maister]

Shoplifters? Break out the nunchucks!

Any excuse to go full-on vigilante!

 

[Bubba]

 

[michaelskis]

Several years ago, a coworker who was on vacation in FL with his family was charged because he clotheslined a guy who was running out of the store with something. As soon as the judge saw the surveillance photos, he tossed the case out.

The coworker didn't realize the guy was sealing something but was charging right at his wife and 5 year old daughter and would have plowed right though them in the doorway if he had not done what he did.

 

[btrage]

What's the difference between shoplifting and stealing?

 

[luckless pedestrian]

We have had a rash of people charging into stores and grabbing stuff and running out- it's really sad for the business

 

[michaelskis]

What's the difference between shoplifting and stealing?

All shoplifting is stealing but not all stealing is shoplifting?

 

[Dan]

What I heard about Target: they track shoplifters better than any other retailer. However. they'll wait until a shoplifter's total haul reaches felony levels, and then sic loss prevention. Lawful evil, as D&D players would say.

All shoplifting is stealing but not all stealing is shoplifting?

Not stealing away, like folks did in soft rock songs from the late 1970s.

 

[MD Planner]

A big problem is that in a lot of places even if they are apprehended charges are not pursued. So there is essentially no penalty. And so many people say stupid shit like "they don't have a choice, they have to steal". Not buying it. I simply cannot abide a thief and I've said that many times here. You rob me you're catching these hands.

 

[The Terminator]

Shoplifting is widely seen as ethical within the Punk community if it is done from major corporations. Shoplifting from a small business, especially one connected to the scene like a good record store or tattoo shop, will get you beat up.

While I share that view personally, thinking and doing are very separate things here, and stealing across the board is something that goes against my moral code. The only time I ever did it, I was 16 and [plead the 5th].

Of course, I tell all the anarchist types that I meet that they should quit while they are ahead and use mutual aid instead of stealing, because the reward is never worth the risk. Here in Buffalo, there is robust mutual aid; food banks, tool sharing, community thrift missions that provide donated clothes, bike workshops, etc. all out there if you know where to look and aren't afraid to ask.

 

[WSU MUP Student]

My mom was a pharmacist at a KMart for years and had an understanding with the loss prevention folks that they would "look the other way" when people were shoplifting condoms and pregnancy tests... which also happened to be the two most stolen category of items in the store. They had baby formula and stuff like that in their department too and she would turn a blind eye to small amount of theft of that but loss prevention would step in if they saw somebody taking a lot... but that was usually when they were taking so much that it went beyond what they could stuff under their jacket.

If I had to wager what music video from the '90s I've seen the most, it would probably be this one.

My best friend had a couple video cassettes that he would use to record clips of the British version of Who's Line Is It Anyway off of Comedy Central and stand-up specials from HBO. Between each of the clips he'd have a couple videos from MTV. I'd go over to his house after school nearly everyday from 5th through 10th grade and there was a period where it seemed like no matter what cassette we put into the VCR every other music video was Been Caught Stealing from Jane's Addiction!