OMG Shoplifting...

[Dark Princess]

If you saw someone shoplifting, what would you do?

[K.C.]

That's a no-brainer, you tell someone. That's why crap gets more expensive, its because of people stealing all the time!

 

Unless it's like milk or bread, then I would buy it for them.

[rustle]

Calmly tell him/her what I saw, and play it by ear from there. I'm not a cop, but if somebody steals and dishes up attitude over it, I might turn 'em in.

 

Kinda depends on what was stolen. Food is one thing; diamond jewelry is another.

[KYE]

If you saw someone shoplifting, what would you do?

 

I have witnessed someone shoplifting, actually twice. Both times I informed the nearest store worker I could find and then moved on. It was then up to the store employee to deal with it. I was also driving past the entrance of a Walmart once and someone ran out with someone chasing them. The chaser was the manager and he asked if I saw which way the person went. When I ponted to a nearby sub-division he asked if I would drive him in that direction. I did as he asked and left the manager in the sub-division when the police arrived. I don't know if the person was caught.

 

A good point was made by someone else. The loses due to shop-lifting does have an affect upon other items costing more to make up for the store's loses from theft.

[Cyhort]

Depends. If someone was nearby I'd tell them but I wouldn't go searching for an employee or anything.

[TrevorTime]

Probably do nothing. I'm not big on getting involved.

[Benji]

Probably do nothing. I'm not big on getting involved.

 

...........Funny thing is that I have never witnessed a shoplifter in stores, could be that I avoid stores (the Mall) as I avoid crowds as much as I can. I did witness a rapist attempt about , hmmm 30 + years ago, I was younger then and yelled at him chased him off his intended victim. This guy was scary, had a black mask and knife when I intervened. The stupid rapist was dumb enough to have left his parked car next to my house, so the cops were pretty sure of their culprit, he was caught that night and when I saw him I recognized him, but not really knowing from where. Later at his court hearing which I had to attend, I was kinda of embarrassed, because I was the only guy there, sitting with witness's that were 13 women he had assaulted over a 2 year period . After identifying him on the stand it dawned on me where I knew of him before, he was an upperclassman of mine from my high school.

[Arpeggio]

Probably nothing to the shoplifter, I'd report them to an employee though. If it was someone, like my brother, then I'd confront them up front.

[K.C.]

Probably nothing to the shoplifter, I'd report them to an employee though. If it was someone, like my brother, then I'd confront them up front.

 

 

Would you expect to see your brother shoplifting? Just asking?

 

Cause I'd be shocked as hell to see either of my brothers (or either of my sisters for that fact) shoplifting!

[Cia]

I don't personally confront someone on a crime where no one is being hurt right then and there. I would inform store personnel though. I've called the cops for other things, like a woman I saw put a puppy in her trunk and then drive off. I was in an appointment and saw through a window so I got a license but couldn't do anything myself. Speaking for those who can't themselves is important but you have to be careful nowadays, the world is full of crazies. I'm not getting hurt over something like theft.

[Arpeggio]

I'd be very upset and disappointed if I caught my brothers. There is no excuse for them to steal, ever.

[JamesSavik]

Lacy's brothers are quite young- one is a toddler I think.

 

As for me, I like the option where I don't do anything that may get me stabbed or shot when the mutt bonds out in an hour.

[Arpeggio]

Lacy's brothers are quite young- one is a toddler I think.

 

As for me, I like the option where I don't do anything that may get me stabbed or shot when the mutt bonds out in an hour.

 

 

Yup. One is 5, and the other is 12, but old enough to know that stealing is wrong.

Edited June 20, 2011 by Arpeggio

[Former Member]

Inform the staff at the store. When I was in my teens I would have approached them myself. However, once when I was working part time at this store, the security guard working there approached a thief, the thief then stabbed the guard with a syringe to get away. Fortunately it turned out that the syringe wasn't infected / drugged or anything like that, but what if it had been? Makes you think.

[Agaith]

well when I worked at a book store for WHSmith's (the UK peeps will know what I mean lol) even if someone told us, we weren't allowed to confront the suspect directly because we hadn't seen them first hand, instead we just had to keep a close eye on them until they left the store or if we saw them in the act of stealing. So alerting a member of staff here only goes so far here sadly

[K.C.]

Yup. One is 5, and the other is 12, but old enough to know that stealing is wrong.

 

A 5 year-old is still learning right from wrong, but yes 12 years-old is old enough to know better. My brothers and sisters range from 37-45 years old, so they sure as hell better not be shoplifting!

[wildone]

Hey, we used to have WHSmith's all over the place in Canada.

 

Well you are right, if you are working, you can not approach or apprehend anyone unless you see them yourself. You can just try to make the shoplifter uncomfortable enough that they ditch the product and leave. If you did based on someone's word, you would be setting yourself up for false arrest if they had ditched it from when the person saw them till when they told you.

 

A few year's back I was walking in a large mall and one store had racks just outside the front entrance of the store when two teens started looking and lifted a shirt and pants combo worth a couple of hundred bucks off the rack. I yelled in the store to a clerk that he just got robbed and started after the two who started running. The one with the clothes ditched the clothes by a bench and they ran out an emergency exit.

 

Would I do it again, maybe. Was I stupid at the time, yes.

 

I had my 9 and 6 y/o godkids with me and what would have happened if they stopped and started to fight?

 

Stupid sadly on my part

[KYE]

well when I worked at a book store for WHSmith's (the UK peeps will know what I mean lol) even if someone told us, we weren't allowed to confront the suspect directly because we hadn't seen them first hand, instead we just had to keep a close eye on them until they left the store or if we saw them in the act of stealing. So alerting a member of staff here only goes so far here sadly

 

Most of those types of policies are made by the store to protect the safety of the employee. That was one reason for my comment to report it to a store employee and let them deal with. That way the employee can follow the store's policy in confronting and dealing with the shoplifter . Of course many bigger stores here have a security staff to deal with shop lifters and of course those dinging alarms you walk thru when exiting the store. I've got a friend that has had some heart valve surgery and he sets the alarm off everytime he exits a store with one.:wacko: Then he has to show a receipt but a few times he hasn't bought anything.

I always ask him how much the store is charging him for the heart valves.

Edited June 22, 2011 by KYE