If you saw someone shoplifting, what would you do?

[NJmaverick]

Would you turn them in? Would you ignore it??? what would you do? Would it matter what the person doing the stealing was like?

[Yavin4]

1. Absolutely Nothing

Sorry, but it's not my merchandise. Secondly, there are too many disturbed, violent people in this world, and turning them in for shoplifting may set them off.

If there's a life involved in the crime, then I'd intervene. Merchandise? No way.

[vadawg]

3. yup dont be a dead hero, i would have to intervene you dont....

its not worth getting killed or injured over someone elses property....

[Deja Q]

38. If you see someone nicking an item, quietly find the manager. One needn't make a scene,

which in turn actually opens one up to such violent acts.

Fortunately, apathy is rewarded: Security cameras do the work that people like Cam'Ron won't... (Great article from "60 Minutes" about that fella...)

[Deja Q]

37. What's your opinion of security camera in stores and on street corners?

I hope you don't hate them...

:think:

[rcrush]

2. Take notes

See if they gets away with it. If he doesnt, then see what I can do to improve on his plan.

[vadawg]

4. note #1 dont shoplift when the popo are standing right in front of you with another shoplifter in

cuffs, had that happen, dummy thought that she could get away with it like i dont carry more than two sets of cuffs....

[rcrush]

6. Unless I steal a pair of rollerskates and skate away to freedom

[vadawg]

9. i am to old to chase you, but my 40 cal moves a lot faster if you want to skate

:) at least thats what i always tell suspects when i see the im ready to run look...

[newcriminal]

27. Yes, because it is certainly necessary to shoot a shoplifter that runs.

[jmm]

5. I wouldn't confront them but I would (and have)

let an employee know what I saw. Whether it's a big or small store thefts effects employees and customers.

[MajorChode]

8. +1

[Blue-Jay]

7. Follow them around and make them nervous.

[Ineeda]

10. I used to have a neighbor who encouraged her toddler to steal.

And the kid(3-4 yrs old)knew she was doing wrong - casting sneaky looks around to make sure no one saw her. But to answer your question, I probably would do nothing. You never know the circumstances or ramifications.

[wickerwoman]

34. My grandfather always said:

"You put the candy by the cash register, you stop them from stealing it."

He was only kind of joking.

[Roon]

11. I saw someone shoplifting for canned food once

I figured he was hungry and desperate. So I ignored it.

[Heidi]

12. Depends on the situation. (nt)

[LibDemAlways]

13. I have twice seen people steal magazines, and once

saw a guy swoop into a grocery store, steal a pack of cigarettes (this before they were locked up) and swoop out. I was in the check-out line during the cigarette incident and told the checker, but she shrugged her shoulders and said, "Happens all the time." If she wasn't going to get worked up over it, neither was I.

I think it's up to stores to put measures in place to discourage shoplifting. It's not my responsibility as a patron.

[peacefreak]

14. Happened to me a couple of weeks ago.

I saw a gaggle of young girls in the make-up dept with big bags looking very nervous. I mentioned it to the manager on the way out. She sent a couple of employees down & said she would review the tapes so she'd recognize them if they came back in. I used to work retail & know the damage shrinkage can do.

[Blue Diadem]

15. Years ago, one of the security women at a sister store got seriously injured

by a shoplifter who pulled out a razor and slashed her terribly. I didn't know her personally, but went on in later years to work at that store and got to know those who did. She never recovered emotionally from the attack.

We used off duty cops for our store security because we had a tremendous amount of shoplifting. I was threatened up close and personal when I attempted to call in a code to alert all other security and store management that a major grab was going to take place. I never found out if the man had a gun, he had on a long coat and his hand was in his pocket as if he did. He'd overheard our security's call to me that a major grab was about to happen and to place the call for the alert. As I went to place the call, he came up behind me and said "I wouldn't do that if I were you". I turned and thought I was gonna get shot or something. He and his buddy ran from the store but they didn't get anything. We later went to the chains/lock devices for expensive clothing/outerwear items.

I was also assaulted around that same time, when a shoplifter kicked a cops legs right out from under him, then kicked at and shoved me and took off running while we were escorting her to the cop car. That was after the cop left me sitting alone with her in a room where she kept threatening me over and over because she thought I'd reported her. I was only there as a female for both her and the cops protection.

I was subpoenaed by a shoplifter as well. Turned that right back on them too. They were trying to prove that you could take merchandise all over the store and saying that I'd let them. At that time we would let them pay for something in another department but only after alerting security so they could be watched which is exactly what I had done. How they were going to use that to defend the husband, who had previously been caught walking out of the store with merchandise is bizarre. He was convicted of a felony but was given permission to take his wife and baby home. The cops later told me that he and his wife fled to Canada.

The latter 3 all happened within weeks of each other, during my pregnancy for my daughter. I was beginning to have nightmares and left that store and went to our sister store to work in an area where shoplifting couldn't take place.

By the way, the shoplifters didn't look unusual at all. This was way back, mid-late 70's. They ranged from the white-haired well dressed old lady to kids and everyone in between.

To answer your question, yes I'd turn them in.

[madeline_con]

43. My brother worked at KMart years ago. The male employees were

encouraged (expected) to chase shoplifters. Many of them would run into the neighborhood behind the store, over fences, etc. My mom told him to stop chasing them ( he was a teen at the time), because he could get seriously hurt, and no one even know for a long time.

[Blue Diadem]

45. Your Mom was right.

The store was putting your brother in danger. That's over the top to expect regular employees to chase and apprehend a shoplifter.

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

16. I'd would alert the store

about the situation, after all, shop lifting losses leads to a rise in prices for us all but I wouldn't be out tackling people I saw getting away with shit as they walked out the door. It would also depend on what they were stealing. Food, needed items, I might hesitate. Beer, cigs or anything other like that and I'd nark in a hot second.

[insanity]

17. Depends

I snatched a few small things when I was a kid (candy never tasted so guilty before), and I regret it now, but people have to make their own mistakes. Also, I don't think it is my duty as a customer to be a snitch for the store. However, if I observed something that led me to believe the use of force might be involved, then I'd mention something calmly to someone who could notify the authorities.

[Joe the Liberal]

18. Ignore it probably....

It's not my property, the stores merchandise is not my responsibility.

[NJmaverick]

19. I would report it if I saw it

shoplifting hurts everyone

[Call Me Wesley]

22. Shoplifting doesn't hurt everyone.

At least not here. Of course, it depends on what is stolen, but it's mainly little things, and they're already calculated into the prices. And the really costly things are either pretty big or are marked, so you'd trigger the alarm if leaving the store.

Would I report someone stealing cans of food? No. A DVD player? No - because I challenge everyone to get one out of a store here. Not possible.

[NJmaverick]

24. If there wasn't shop lifting it would be easier to shop (no security lock ups)

there wouldn't be those scanners at the door that give false positives and prices would be less (both for the losses and the salary and equipment used to stop theft). As a result I have little sympathy for shoplifters.

[Call Me Wesley]

26. I'm not defending them either,

I'm just saying that they don't actually hurt anybody. And don't forget that some employees shoplift as well, just more easily. I highly doubt, though, that the prices would go down if shoplifting would stop tomorrow - the system would be untouched.

Shoplifting here isn't a real problem. I've never witnessed it, which doesn't mean it doesn't happen, but I wouldn't dare to try it with anything bigger than a toothbrush or a pack of batteries.

[JonLP24]

28. Very true about employees

A classmate I had throughout Junior high and 1 year in High School is now actually the starting RB for UNLV. Anyways I followed news articles about him after high school years and during his grayshirt year he was busted at a store at the mall in Vegas. What he was doing was one of his friends would come to the counter with multiple items of clothing but he would only scan one or two items and remove the security items on every item so his buddies would walk out with say 8-10 things while only paying for one or two of them. From what I remember the amount stolen was estimated to be thousands.

[wickerwoman]

35. Yeah, the only time I turned someone in

was at the movie theater. It was a teenage girl working at the concession stand who kept me waiting 20 minutes while she chatted with three or four boys in line right in front of me and then gave them a ton of food (pizzas, chicken strips, popcorn, drinks, candy- easy $80-90 worth of stuff) without taking any money.

I complained to the manager, but more about her making me wait than about the food. I felt a bit bad about it because I'm pretty sure I got her fired, but on the other hand she had a shitty attitude and was grossly unprofessional at her job.

I wouldn't turn in someone shoplifting food and I wouldn't confront other shoplifters but I might turn in employee theft again if it was part of an "I suck at my job" package.

[datasuspect]

31. yes, shrinkage (as a percentage) is built into retail markups

people steal, they always will steal, and your friendly retailer knows this. we pay for it anyway.

shit, i might as well go cop some stuff myself.

[Call Me Wesley]

33. Hey, bring me one of these shirts

that have the Santa Claus on it. The one you have in your signature. I mean, it's soon Xmas, anyway! ;)

[datasuspect]

20. follow them out in the parking lot

steal the shit they boosted and then take their wallet.

[Call Me Wesley]

23. And shoot them, just to be sure!

That's the spirit! Hop in their car and drive away! W00t!

[datasuspect]

29. it IS better to be safe than sorry

[Call Me Wesley]

30. How true!

And since it's not your car, just have a bit fun in the parking lot and bump into others! :bounce:

[Gabi Hayes]

21. If they looked wealthy, I'd

get somebody from the store immediately

if they looked down on their luck, I wouldn't do anything, especially if it wasn't a mom and popper store

no absolutist here

[onlyadream]

25. Interesting policy at Blockbuster

if someone steals, even openly, the employees are instructed to ignore it and let the guy walk out the door. I believe it has to do with insurance. I read this a long time ago on the web, and then, while on line at Blockbuster, several people walked out setting of the alarms and no one batted an eyelash.

Bottom line, people can get dangerous, so why put yourself at risk? Get far away from the person.

[Deja Q]

39. No wonder they filed for bankruptcy!

:spray:

[frogmarch]

32. I would look away and then

walk away. In other words, I'd ignore the person.

[Iggo]

36. Ignore it.

[Odin2005]

40. Tell the nearest store employee.

Doesn;t matter who was doing it, stealing is wrong.

[Mixopterus]

41. Ignore it

Who cares, especially if it's a large chain store.

[KT2000]

42. I did report someone

once. It was in the local thrift shop that raises money for homeless people and has rehab for the addicted.
The guy was going through the store stealing lots of things and it made me mad. He was stealing things like lingerie and wallets.

[mth44sc]

44. I'd report it

but then I used to be a cop. Gawd forgive me..

[davsand]

46. A few years ago I watched a lady steal a stroller from a K Mart in Florida.

I was sitting on a bench outside the front door waiting for my mom who was inside shopping. I saw a lady come into the store carrying a little kid. The main reason I noticed her at all was because the kid had bare feet--no socks or anything--and it was a cold snap there in Florida. I was thinking that maybe she was taking the kid in to buy some socks.

Anyhow, just a couple minutes after she walked in the store, she came back out with the kid in a stroller with the tags still on it--with those little bare feet sticking out front.

There was NO time for her to have paid for that merchandise. None. She had boosted that stroller and I knew it.

I watched her wheel that kid across the lot to a fairly new mini van, and I wrote down the plate number as she drove past.

I went into the store and went to the customer service desk. I explained that I thought I'd seen somebody steal a stroller from the store and I asked to speak to either security or else a store manager. I stood there and waited for ten minutes. Nobody came. I asked them to page again, and I waited another five minutes and finally some guy in polyester dress slacks and a nasty looking stained dress shirt came wandering up.

He said he was the store manager and I told him what I'd seen. I told him I had the license plate of the mini van the lady drove off in, and he told me to just forget about it... He never once thanked me for taking time to say anything, and he actually made some comment about playing detective!

K Mart filed for bankruptcy shortly after that, and I can't say I was surprised if that local guy represented the corporate attitude.



Laura

[Quantess]

47. An alcoholic-bum-type-looking-guy started chatting with me as I walked into a grocery store.

He was friendly, and was making small talk. Then I watched him grab a large beer off the refrigerated shelf and shove it down his pants. I didn't report him to anyone.

Kind of surprisingly, he got away with it. He was right in plain sight, and yet didn't get caught. It didn't look like it was his first time stealing large beer bottles from that store.