Hardly a day goes by that a shoplifting incident is not reported at the local Walmart store. It also happens at other stores, grocers included.
Many of these cases go through Carter County Sessions Court, including other types of thefts. For example, one day this week there was a shoplifting case, two theft of property cases, forgery, identity theft, and fraudulent use of credit card cases that were heard in court.
Over the last two decades, shoplifting and theft has continued to be the scourge of retailers big and small.
The increasing drug crisis in the United States, led by the misuse and addiction to opioids, is creating a need for cash among these drug users and many are turning towards shoplifting as a way to sustain their habit.
Over the last two decades, shoplifting has continued to be the scourge of retailers big and small. Although many people view shoplifting cases as minor, they consume a lot of manpower and time for both store employees and local police officers and the crimes can affect consumers by leading to price increases.
The average-sized police department spends more than $2,000 responding to a single theft, according to a tool created by Rand Corp. to calculate the cost of crime. Some field hundreds or even thousands of calls each year from retailers about shoplifters.
Anytime shoplifters, or employees, steal something, it hurts the honest consumer. It’s not only the cost of the products, but it’s the loss of the profit margins that are passed on to the consumers. It’s spread out on all of the products that consumers are buying.
“It takes up a significant amount of our patrol time, as well as investigation time,” said a spokesman for the Elizabethton Police Department.
Although some shoplifters get away, when police do press charges, that often means an officer will have to spend portions of several different days in court for hearings — or even trials, if cases make it that far.
It’s not just the cost of the stolen items that contribute to rising prices. Many stores invest in more loss-prevention officers, or more expensive cameras and other security systems.
Stores that are often targeted by shoplifters also sometimes see a loss of paying customers, and often have trouble finding employees.
Walmart has hired employees, known as “customer hosts” — the greeters often seen at the entrances and exits at its stores. They undergo training to learn to identify shoplifters. And they can check receipts of those leaving the store if they feel the need.
Walmart has also hired more asset protection officers — store security — who attend training academies to increase their skill in preventing shoplifting. Store offices have been moved from the rear near the exits to help prevent those leaving with stolen goods.
“We want to make sure our customers have a good experience,” said a local Walmart storefront person. “If customers come in and things they want are not available, they may not come back. Theft is not good for any business. No retailer wants it. Our goal is to go from detecting crime to deterring it.”
Unfortunately for the retail community, the latest figures released in the 30th Annual Retail Theft Survey conducted by Jack L. Hayes International, a consulting firm for the loss prevention and shrink control market, show no signs of improvement.
According to the survey:
• Apprehensions: 432,046 shoplifters and dishonest employees were apprehended in 2017, up 1.7% from 2016.
• Recovery Dollars: More than $188 million was recovered from apprehended shoplifters and dishonest employees in 2017, up 8.1% from 2016.
• Shoplifter Apprehensions: 391,760 shoplifters were apprehended in 2017, up 2.3% from 2016.
Many times, those shoplifters earn a trip to the county jail and a date with a judge. But that doesn’t stop some of them from attempting to make a career of it. They show up at a store even after being busted — sometimes repeatedly — at other stores and earn themselves a trip out of the store in handcuffs.
There’s nothing worse than a thief. I pay for my purchases at Walmart. All others should, too.