Firsthand Experiences with Shoplifting

I've had an...interesting...couple of weeks, hence no post.  I've got a big one saved up that I'll post tomorrow or the next day, hopefully my faithful reader(s) will enjoy.  Until then

Dawn Meehan/Chicago Mom's Blog
Regular Because I Said So Link

Like I've said before, I'm a longtime follower of Dawn, and since I'm currently a retail peon, this hits close to home.  I never stole anything as a kid, mostly because my parents kept me in pretty thorough hellfire-and-damnation fear of doing anything wrong, period (The consequences of which could fill volumes, and are a story for another day).  The closest I ever came to retail theft was once, when in Wal-Mart with my grandmother, she was forced to open and utilize a box of Kleenex to aid my gushingly runny nose.  No, she didn't steal it, she just opened and used several of the tissues before we were able to get to the register and pay for them.  And I was still mortified, because, quite frankly, I'm still (personally, though not professionally) of the 'it's-not-yours-to-use-till-you've-got-a-receipt' mindset.

I do, however, have some thoughts and examples on the subject from the lady-behind-the-counter point of view.  I've yet to have anyone outright grab-and-dash shoplift during a shift.  In fact, the only outright theft I've seen was as follows:  a couple of large, tattooed and boisterous female customers were milling around in the HBA (health and beauty aid) section of the store, which is nearest to the pharmacy and adjacent to the pharmacy waiting area -- which also happens to be the most discreet area of the store, mainly because it's intended for patients who aren't feeling well or for private counsels with the pharmacist.  You can't actually see the waiting area from the pharmacy; because there's a wall and a half-door separating the two, one has to poke one's head around the corner to see what's going on or speak to someone.  When closing time neared, the assistant manager discovered that these women, now long gone, had taken several boxes of fancy fake fingernail kits from a display, sat down in the pharmacy waiting area, gave themselves full manicures, and then left the remnants of the kits behind and walked out without paying.  Needless to say, we've all kept a closer eye on that part of the store lately.

Here's another scenario -- working in a retail pharmacy, we occasionally get patients who feel like complete and utter crap -- some in pain, some physically ill (if you get my drift), and, more than once, someone still high off anesthesia from an outpatient or dental procedure.  On a relatively frequent basis, customers who have been waiting around the store for a prescription to be filled will hand me an empty or half-empty snack and/or drink to scan and add to the receipt.  I'm a little more forgiving for people with small, sick children who are too small to leave alone in the car, but the fact of that matter is that we're a relatively small store, and there is a front-store cash register anyone could easily go to and pay for snacks while they're waiting for a script.  And if there's not a line, the person at pharmacy pickup is almost always happy to ring anything up, even if it's only a pack of Oreos or a Coke.

I've not really been instructed on what to do in the event of catching someone (a small child or otherwise) shoplifiting, or what to do if someone were to come back and confess.  Quite frankly, I think that falls to the general, assistant, or shift manager present at the time.  Personally, I'd give them a stern lecture about consequences, but not threaten to call the authorities/handcuff, or anything like that, especially with a small child; I'm of the persuasion that calm reasoning, not threats or scare tactics, is the best way to deal with a kid the first time -- one gentle warning, and then more stern consequences (I don't have any of my own yet, so come back in 10 years and ask me how that's working out for me).  The police have only been called to the store once since I've been employed there, and then it was because of a small child who came into the store alone and with a large (and I mean large) amount of money, so theft doesn't seem to be a huge problem.  It probably stems from the fact that it's a small town and a very high percentage of the customers are people you recongnize and call by name.

A final thought:  I've mentioned Wal-Mart before, and now's probably a good time to do it again.  Lots of the commenters to Dawn's post were appalled that an employee would act so nonchalantly towards retail theft.  It might surprise you, then, to learn that some Wal-Mart stores (the one in my hometown included) have adopted a policy of not prosecuting shoplifting cases where the merchandise total is under $25, no matter the age of the thief.  Take into consideration how much of the merchandise at Wal-Mart is priced over $25.  Jewelry... electronics... furniture.  Very little else.  Basically, one could steal an item (or a few) with absolutely no legal consequence (though I'm assuming a ban from the store might be involved somehow).  I shall end with two opposing stories about the security of my local supercenter.

1) I personally witnessed an angry, angsty-looking teenager who, in all likelyhood (because of the outcome, I'll never know for sure), had something under her sweatshirt that made the alarms go off.  I suspect this was the case because, although she never broke into a run or anything like that, she sure sped up her pace out the door.  She was with her mother, who had a cart full of (bagged and paid for) groceries, and who also sped up noticibly at the sound of the alarm.  The greeter, who had to be in her seventies, tried several times in vain to get their attention, but they were well into the parking lot before she could even reach the door.  The greeter turned around, sighed with a knowing look on her face, waved us past, and went back to whatever it was she had been doing previously.
2) I know from a firsthand account that a local sheriff's deputy once chased down and apprehended an (adult) shoplifter he spotted running out of Wal-Mart -- while he was off duty, in his family vehicle, with his wife and kids in tow.  Now there's dedication.